HIE,
With all due respect to your father, I lived in Flatbush in the 1970’s. The acceptance/nonacceptance was pretty much driven by where you davened.
All the large shuks ( with the exception of the Young Israel of Midwood ) accepted tye Eruv, all the Yeshivish and Chassidish minyanim ( as far as I know ) did not. Your father probably fell into the latter category.
So, please don’t claim All the Velt did not accept it