An Interesting 360 Smith Street Time Table
(This was posted on the blog: Pardon Me for Asking last Friday, July 20. Link here.
360 Smith Street Time Table
Memorial Day weekend:
CG residents find out about plan to develop 360 Smith Street entirely by accident! Residents respond with anger and outrage and begin writing to Bob Guskind at Gowanus Lounge. (GL posts the pics of the Heavy Metal Building to which so many respond with anger)
june 6:
deBlasio anti-Scarano rally #1.
Counclilman Bill DeBlasio (probably a GL reader himself) injects himself (!) into the middle
of this growing sentiment by calling for a rally! against the architect, Robert Scarano, protesting "illegal construction" and calling for the state to take Mr. Scarano's architecture license (see Gowanus Lounge and Curbed)
june 11
CGNA meeting and more anti-Scarano rhetoric from Mr. deB (#2)
From Gowanus Lounge "New Shots Fired....."
"This is a political question...I called the rally because we thought we had
an opportunity to change things, " said the Councilman. Mr. de Blasio suggested that residents continue organizing and offered to develop an action plan of e-mail and letter-writing, rallies and an online petition. "We need to take the power into our own hands," he said. He also demanded the removal of Mr. Scarano from the project. "He is someone who has routinely violated zoning, has unsafe construction sites and has violated Stop Work Ordered," he said. "To me, [the developer] can not bring Scarano into the project. Scarano is a proven bad actor." Mr. de Blasio said the community has "a chance to end the Curse of Scarano." (Public was divided over Bill's motives/intent/honesty/etc)
June 28
360 Smith Street building APPROVALS! from the DOB with Robert
Scarano's name on them! (#3) New public outrage towards deBlasio ...letters
sent to DOB/DeBlasio etc
July 16
DE BLASIO CALLS ON DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS TO STOP WORK ON ALL SCARANO
PROJECTS (#4)
Result? Too late!!
DOB SAYS: 360 Smith street approvals were already granted on 6/28!
DOB says Scarano is "innocent" until proven guilty!
(Million Dollar) QUESTION:
Why didn't Bill call the DOB on June 6 right after the first rally???
Why wait til mid July when its too late?
