When I lived in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill, I’d ride the the C train every day on my way home from work and would often get off at the Lafayette stop. I’d walk up the subway steps to a delicious waft of fresh pizza from Not Ray’s, and a beautiful view of the open sky, unobstructed by tall buildings like those in Manhattan. I’d then have a calm walk through stately streets lined with gorgeous trees and brownstones, without worrying about uncomfortably bumping elbows with random strangers.

A current proposal is threatening the serenity of my old locale: the Atlantic Yards project. And Michael Premo, founder of The Civilians theater company, wants to know what you have to say about it.

But first, if you don’t already know, let’s talk about what exactly the project proposes to do. Atlantic Yards is a development project that wants to build 16 high-rise buildings and condos in Prospect Heights and Park Slope, neighborhoods next to Downtown Brooklyn and Fort Greene. Developed by real estate company Forest City Ratner, the project also aims to construct the Barclays Center, which would be the new home of the NJ Nets basketball team. As such, it is one of the most controversial projects in NYC right now.

Proponents such as Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz cite the usual reasons as to why Atlantic Yards is a good thing for Brooklyn: a boost to Brooklyn’s economy and business district, local jobs, and more affordable housing. Supporters also say the environmental impact is minimal. Critics of the project, such as the coalition of 51 community organizations in Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn (DDDB), say that the “affordable” units in the new buildings would cost residents 30% of their income and thus increase the already growing trend of pushing less affluent families out. They also contest that the project will create negative environmental consequences far greater than Rattner is claiming, not to mention an ugly skyline and overcrowding. If built, Atlantic Yards will be the densest residential community in the country.

Whatever your view, let your voice be heard. Premo is looking for people from or around Downtown Brooklyn, Fort Greene, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights to interview for a new documentary theater project the company is in the process of producing. BROOKLYN AT EYE LEVEL aims to explore how large scale development affects a community, and wants to hear all perspectives, whether you’re for or against it. Additionally, a group of artists will work with residents to explore the changing face of central Brooklyn. You can catch BROOKLYN AT EYE LEVEL at the Brooklyn Lyceum from December 4-7th.