Sunday, April 27, 2008

BOROUGH PRESIDENT PUBLIC HEARING SET FOR MAY 7th


FROM THE OFFICE OF THE BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT:

May 7 Brooklyn Borough President Public Hearing

Notice is hereby given that the Brooklyn Borough President will hold a public hearing on the following matter in the Community Room, Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201, commencing at 5:30 P.M. on May 7, 2008.

Calendar Item
Carroll Gardens Zoning Text Amendment
Community District 6, 080345 ZRK

The Department of City Planning has submitted an application for amendments to the Zoning Resolution. The proposed text amendments would apply the narrow street zoning provisions for height, setback and floor area ratio to streets which are mapped as wide on the City map but share a similar character to other narrow streets in the area. These streets are 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place, and 4th Place; and Second Street, Carroll Street and President Street between Smith Street and Hoyt Street in Brooklyn Community District 6.

For more information call 718.802.3859


Approval of Amendment/Salute to Barbara & Frank

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, April 26, 2008 9:39 AM
Subject: [SecondPlaceBlock] Re: Approval of the "narrow street" amendment at CB6 last night

Thanks for the great post, Barbara!

As you so ably presented, there is both history and civics involved in the text amendment
presented at the CB6 meeting on Thursday night.

I can remember you presenting the Richard Butts survey and the deed restrictions when you raised the issue of maintaining the Place block courtyards at our TriBlock Association meetings. At that time, (the mid '90's?) a few front gardens on the Place blocks were paved over for parking. Over the course of years you (and Frank V) tracked and challenged the lack of enforcement of the courtyard use to the DOB/DOT impasse. DOT and DOB representatives addressed our TriBlock general meetings and repeatedly passed the buck to whichever agency wasn't present when enforcement was raised.

When I heard the text amendment read aloud this past Thursday, I realized your persistence and foresight has truly brought the Place blocks the recognition Butts intended. He designed the Place blocks with wide vistas; a planned community in the city of Brooklyn with front and back gardens.The Place blocks can now take their place in the architectural history of mid 19th and again in early 21st century Brooklyn: here are the only gates and front gardens in an intact brownstone neighborhood left in NYC.

Nowadays, no one is surprised when developers build planned communities. We accept that the "gates" of modern developers surround the whole community and these communities have their own regulations. Butts did too- and the City ignored them, stamping every NYC block with one set of rules. According to the City regs, the Place blocks are much the same width as Court St, without the commercial overlay.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it possible that under the existing wide streets designation, if a developer bought the right number of properties, couldn't a building the size of the Clarett (ILA) be built as of right on a Place block? Much like the 11 story building at 100 Luquer St?

You and Frank reminded us, fought with the City agencies and waved the facts in our faces, and didn't give up! Thank you- regardless of what the community does with the information, you have brought our gardens and our planned community to everyone's attention. We are the first! Our Place blocks are center stage,recognized for the prizes they are. Thank you!

(See Barbara's blog: Carroll Gardens History.com)

Best,
Maria

Friday, April 25, 2008

A Long Time Community Activist and Zoning Expert, Doris Diether, Demystifies New York City Zoning

We are most fortunate to have all the zoning demystification we need!
CORD

Taped at the CUNY Graduate Center on April 2, 2008, by TV Channel 13, one of Doris Diether's now infamous "zoning classes", 'An Overview of Zoning, Past and Present'
is now available on-line at http://www.thirteen.org/forum/?p=47.

It is described here:
"Why is zoning necessary? When did it begin? How do you unravel a zoning text? Doris Diether, a long time community activist and zoning expert, demystifies New York City zoning in a lecture that considers New York City zoning, from pre-1916 to today. Ms. Diether covers different types of districts and what they permit, different types of zoning uses, as well as the difference between zoning and landmarking. This event was held at the CUNY Graduate Center"

Here are two comments:

#1
4/18/08 :: 11:55 pm
Porsche Nasus Says:

Doris Diether’s zoning classes are fantastic! New York City’s Zoning Resolution is complicated and I feel fortunate to have had a guide like Doris Diether. She IS the “Zoning Maven” of New York.

#2
4/20/08 :: 1:02 pm
Silvi Lawrence Says:

Doris has a tremendous amount of knowledge and is very thorough.
She was of immense support during the zoning changes we sought for SOHO in the late 60’s.
Wonderful to hear her share her knowledge.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Carroll Gardens Narrow Street/Wide Street Zoning Text Amendment

from our: CG CORD Newsletter

Carroll Gardens Narrow Street/Wide Street Zoning Text Amendment

Barbara Brookhart , Executive Committee Member of the CGNA reminds us all:

"Just a reminder to come and show your support for the neighborhood at the CB6s Landmark/Land Use meeting this Thursday, April 24 at 6:00pm, at 250 Baltic Street (btw Court/Clinton Street) in the auditorium.

We need everyone to come to support approval of a proposed Zoning Resolution Text Amendment (#N080345ZRK), known as the Carroll Gardens Places Text Amendment, submitted by the Department of City Planning that would define 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place and 4th Place between Henry Street and Smith Street; and 2nd Street, Carroll Street and President Street between Smith Street and Hoyt Street, in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn Community Board 6 as 'Narrow Streets' for zoning calculation purposes.

"Please look at my blog: http://carrollgardenshistory.blogspot.com/

"I have posted the history of the courtyard, including the old Brooklyn Law, the current Administrative law that protects the courtyards, and I would also like your thoughts on if there should be further legislation to clarify what elements, including tents, porticos, retaining walls, etc., that can be constructed in the courtyards.

"Sidewalk cafes are regulated by the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs. Why shouldn’t courtyards with a commercial overlay, on the Place block corners on Court Street and the corners of President, Carroll and Second Streets, which are conducting commercial activity in their courtyards, also be regulated by DCA? After all, the courtyards are owned by the City and considered part of the street."

Also, see the NYC Dept. of City Planning: "Carroll Gardens Narrow Street/Wide Street Zoning Text Amendment"
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/carroll_gardens/index.shtml

See "Wide" Carroll Gardens Streets to Get Narrow" http://gowanuslounge.blogspot.com/2008/04/wide-carroll-gardens-streets-to-get.html

CORD

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Where are you Councilman DeBlasio???We are looking for you.





April 18, 2008

Dear Councilman DeBlasio,

It was with both pleasure and disappointment that we read of the account of your meeting with some bloggers last Monday.

Although we were very pleased to see that you suggested a moratorium on the demolition in Atlantic Yards--- an acknowledgement that you see a temporary halt in situations that are getting out of control as an acceptable, even necessary remedy…..

…….. we were very disappointed to read that although you admit that you are concerned about construction safety in Carroll Gardens and the Gowanus, you stopped short of making any suggestions of moratorium or any other plans to insure our safety in those areas. You also omitted any mention of the age, fragility and inadequacy of our existing infrastructure.

So, where are you, Councilman?

There are one hundred and twenty (120) different construction projects listed on the CB6 site as of today. We have experienced more stop work orders on construction projects than anyone cares to count. Talk to any DOB employee, and they will tell you that stop work orders are only issued when there is a danger to public safety. What does it say when a city agency only issues an order to stop working because it represents a threat, and then allows the work to continue in a slightly different fashion anyway? Is it the threat or the order to stop that is not genuine?

Where are you, Councilman?

We have experienced questionable asbestos handling practices. What does it say when an agency financed by citizens’ tax dollars, or a private enterprise for that matter show so little regard for the residents of the city that supports them or the neighborhood where they stand to earn some big bucks? Is it that those pesky asbestos handling regulations are just too difficult to follow? Or, is it that in this neighborhood, it is fine to do whatever you want----as long as you are a developer?

Where are you, Councilman?

We have unfortunately learned that the communication between city agencies, like the DOB and the New York City Transit Authority is practically non-existent. Even when there are procedures in place to insure that when their paths cross and construction is done along our transportation lifeline, our subway tunnel; there is a curious lack of interest, even reluctance, on both of their parts to follow what seem like relatively simple safety precautions. What does it say about those administrations responsible for the safety of millions of people, tens of thousands of which reside in your district, who can’t seem to follow or define their own safety guidelines and rules?

Where are you, Councilman?

We have an open sewer running through our midsection, contaminated with a variety of diseases and pollutants that could keep scientists busy for generations, and property bordering on it that is, if not identically infected, certainly, equally tainted, a symbiotic, cross-contaminated, environmental dynamic unique to lucky us. What is our big plan? Let’s throw some of the dirt away, put some magic shields in strategic places, throw some fresh new dirt on top and put thousands of housing units on it.

And don’t worry about the open sewer, because we are going to take some of the current rain run off from the two buildings that are standing there and take that completely out of the equation. We won’t worry about whether or not this remediation will be effective or successful, because we just can’t afford to wait to see if it really works. It is much more important to get those congested multi-layers of housing on that land RIGHT NOW. And as for the sewer, aka, the Gowanus Canal? Well, we’ll just make believe that those thousands of units of housing will not have toilets, showers, dishwashers, laundry rooms, bathtubs or garbage disposals and instead of preparing for the worst rainfall conditions, so we can be comfortable with the drainage plans we put in place, we’ll just pretend that there will be less precipitation than what we have been experiencing for the last several years. Therefore, there will be no additional basements or streets flooded and the canal will get clean. See? There is no longer a problem with those CSO’s. Wasn’t that simple?

Where are you, Councilman?

Our schools are crowded. There are kids crammed into trailers. But, developers who deliberately ratio their dwelling units in their apartment houses into mainly studio, one and two bedroom units, knowing that those sized units will not be considered as having an impact on the school population, are welcomed with open arms, big smiles and applause for “working with the community”. Which part of what they did represented working with us? They are impacting all of our lives. The term, “as of right”, surely cannot apply exclusively to only those who stand to achieve financial gain………..

Where are you, Councilman?

Water needs, power needs, lack of green space, filthy air, dirty streets, overcrowded trains, denser living conditions, traffic signs ignored, insufficient parking, manufacturing and mom and pops being lost, few, if any athletic programs for our children and nothing for our teens….the stress on our neighborhood continues to mount, with no relief, no remedy in sight, in fact, clear indication of more and more to come---

Where are you, Councilman?

When you invited the bloggers to your tea, Councilman, did you prepare somewhat for their advent? Did you plan to have some refreshments, provide a clean place to sit and chat……or, did you tell people to come and figure all the rest would magically work out somehow AFTER they arrived? We sincerely doubt it. Planning was done for this event, was it not?

We have a great deal of work to do here before we invite even one more person to come. If not moratorium, surely some type of mechanism must be put into place to allow us some breathing, planning and preparation room. Surely, in light of the recent terrible construction accidents combined with the revelations of the Department of Building’s inadequacies, this is a proposal that makes sense. No one expects you to do these things alone. You have, among your constituents, wonderfully creative, intelligent and generous people who love their community and are willing to help. We are the many. We are already here. You need to acknowledge the needs of the many. You need to decidedly choose us over the few.

Where are you, Councilman? We are looking for you.

The Carroll Gardens Coalition for Respectful Development (CORD)



Friday, April 18, 2008

CLOSING the Second Place Subway Entrance

When the 360 smith street project (now known as Oliver House,131 Second Place/)

project was first introduced,one of the many issues that came up was the confusion and the inconvenience posed by the proposed closing of the second place subway entrance---after all, by the MTA's own published statistics, there are approximately nine thousand (9000) riders using the Carroll Street station on a daily basis! The following letter, written by a Carroll Gardens resident, intelligently expresses the thoughts and concerns of so many members of the community. CORD

Anthony Marchese 41 Second Street Brooklyn, NY 11231

Hon. Bill DeBlasio

2907 Fort Hamilton Parkway Brooklyn, NY 11218

FAX: 718854-1146

Re: 360 Smith Street, "Oliver House"

April 14, 2008

Dear Councilman DeBlasio,

As I understand it, the subway entrance from the Second Place Plaza is to be closed for 8 months while building construction goes on over the entrance.

During this time people who use the subway will be expected to use the stair on the southwest comer of Second and Smith Streets. This stairway is narrow, only 5 feet wide, and descends 18 steps from street level to an 8 foot wide corridor. The corridor extends 40 feet to another stairway, this stair is 13 feet wide(a decent width) with a divider rail in the center and descends 6 steps to the lower mezzanine level. At this level where there is now only a high exit turnstile, I have been led to understand that 2 new High Exit/Entry Turnstiles (HEET) will be installed. People can enter here to access the Manhattan bound platform, or they could also use the turnstiles on the upper mezzanine level where the Token Booth and the Fare Card vending machines are located.

Based on the high volume of passengers who presently take the train at morning rush hour and can now descend from the Second Place Plaza using a generously wide (14 foot wide) stairway it is not hard to imagine that a 5 foot wide stairway would be totally overwhelmed. People would be waiting in long lines creeping towards the turnstiles, the line would probably stretch up to the street. If any of the HEET wheels were to malfunction, as sometimes happens, it could result in crowding and pushing that could cause people serious harm- MT A should prepare themselves for a lot of lawsuits. Also, as there is only space enough for 3 devices here, and it is not clear if the existing high exit turnstile is to remain or be replaced with an emergency exit swing gate-like the one opposite the token booth.

Furthermore, nowhere in the preceding scenario was there any consideration for passengers arriving at the station and wanting to exit, people who work in the neighborhood or students attending one of the many schools. Add these people to the equation and you have the potential for serious and hazardous overcrowding.

Now, imagine the evening rush hour, people streaming off the platform funneled into a long and narrow passageway leading to an even narrower uncovered stair, a stair open to the sky, the rain, the snow, the ice, hazardous for able bodied people under normal circumstances, disastrous for seniors, people with small children and strollers, class groups from any number of the local schools.

I believe the entrance can and should be kept open. Construction can take place in stages with partial shut downs. It was done at Atlantic Avenue, it is being done at the Broadway Nassau street station for construction of the Transit Center. Obviously it will cost more and may slow down the project, but having people crushed in a stampede is not an option.

NYC Transit knows how many people use this entrance and they have guidelines for how many people can be safely accommodated on stairs and in passageways. They have a division dedicated to Safety, let's hear from them. The community should know exactly what is planned. We should be hearing from New York City Transit's office of Government and Community Relations ..

We have a right to know what is being done. This project cannot be allowed to endanger lives in this community. It is already enough to frustrate and inconvenience the whole neighborhood and surrounding community with construction noises, dirt, sidewalk closings and traffic diversions. If there is really no alternative to closing the subway entrance for 8 months then the project should be redesigned or the Plaza property acquired by the City by Eminent Domain and removed from the building footprint.

Sincerely, Anthony Marchese

Cc: Ms. Joan L. Millman, Assemblywoman 341 Smith Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Mr. Craig Hammermann, District Manager CB#6 districtmanager@brooklyncb6.
Mr. Andrew Inglesby, Assistant Director, Government & Community Relations New York City Transit
andrew.inglesby@nyct.com, SoBNA

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Construction worker plunges to death at East Side high-rise

Updated Monday, April 14th 2008, 10:33 PM Link here

A 25-year-old construction worker plunged nine floors to his death on Monday at an East Side high-rise, police said.

Kevin Kelly of Queens was killed when the metal ring holding his safety harness to the building pulled away from a concrete ceiling of the condo rising at 400 E. 67th St., officials said.

Kelly, who plummeted from the 23rd floor to the 14th, is the 13th construction worker killed on the job in the city this year, Buildings Department records show.

(edit)....

The site has 38 open Buildings Department violations, 25 since construction began in April 2007, records show. They include such high-severity problems as failure to safeguard the public and property, lack of a site safety manager, no safety nets and lack of fire-safety standpipes, records show.

A site inspection - triggered by the March 15 crane collapse at East 51st St. that killed seven people - found there was no plumb and torque inspection report to ensure the crane there had been properly installed.

The condo, the Laurel, is next to Public School 168 on 67th St. between First and York Aves. Children were playing in the schoolyard when Kelly fell.

The tragedy comes amid a 12% jump in high-rise development and an 83% spike in construction accidents.

(edit)

bkates@nydailynews.com

Residents nervous over building sites

Sunday, April 13th 2008, 4:00 AM

Scaffolds improperly attached to buildings. Sidewalk sheds missing braces. Untrained workers installing crucial safety equipment.

These are among the imminently dangerous conditions involving scaffolds and sidewalks found by the Buildings Department at 43 building sites across Brooklyn deemed so unsafe they were shut down last month during a citywide safety crackdown.

Most of the sites are up and running again, but many Brooklyn residents living or working near them are still afraid. (edit)...

Many New Yorkers often go out of their way to avoid walking under building scaffolding - including Buildings Commissioner Patricia Lancaster, who admitted to the Daily News' Editorial Board last year she crosses the street to avoid walking under the structures. (edit)...

Assemblyman James Brennan (D-Park Slope), who has battled the Buildings Department, said he welcomed the latest sweep, but wasn't surprised that nearly 14% of the surveyed sites were so dangerous they were shut down."It's a reactive response," said Brennan, who has been fighting for stricter enforcement and tougher penalties for scofflaws. "Of course it's good for them to do a sweep like this, but the current process of supervision and enforcement is broken."...(edit)ehays@nydailynews.com

Saturday, April 12, 2008

CORD, the Carroll Gardens Coalition for Respectful Development, is very pleased with the steps that are being taken to amend the zoning text regarding our (not really)”wide streets”. (Entire First, Second, Third and Fourth Places; Second, Carroll and President Streets between Smith & Hoyt). Please see the Department of City Planning Website for more details.

This is such a positive thing for our community. For far too long, this unique situation has permitted too many developers to take advantage of our neighborhood.

From the DCP site: "In response to concerns about out-of-scale development from Community Board 6, local civic groups and elected officials, the Department of City Planning is proposing zoning text amendments to define certain streets in Carroll Gardens as narrow streets for zoning purposes. The text amendment would limit the size and configuration of new buildings and enlargements to more closely match the area's prevailing built character.

Certain streets in Carroll Gardens are mapped on the City Map with widths of 100 to 130 feet. On these streets in Carroll Gardens, the mapped street therefore includes the characteristic deep front yards of homes as well as the sidewalks and roadbeds. The Zoning Resolution has more liberal floor area and height and setback rules for streets that are mapped at widths of 75 feet or more ("wide streets").

The zoning text amendments would apply to the following streets:

  • First Place, Second Place, Third Place and Fourth Place between Henry Street and Smith Street; and
  • Second Street, Carroll Street and President Street between Smith Street and Hoyt Street"


CORD HISTORY:

With the "Protect Our Homes" petition, CORD was formed in May, 2007. This petition arose as an overwhelmingly negative response to the coming of the over-sized 360 Smith Street Development at the corner of Smith Street and Second Place (Aka Oliver House; aka 131 Second Place). This petition, which had well over three thousand signatures, led to a new zoning text amendment in summer of 2008.

To: Our Elected Officials, Community Leaders, The MTA:
(MAY, 2007)

We the undersigned Carroll Gardens homeowners and residents, are appalled by the "as of right" ruling which allows owners and developers to erect buildings in our neighborhood with no regard to the impact they will present to our quality of life and the value of our homes........

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?crlgrdns