Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Asbestos Removal on Smith Street and CG television coverage!

Hello!

Today we have both bad and good news. The bad news first:

This story from GL explains the current asbestos situation on Smith Street:

"Public Place Asbestos Removal Spurs Concern, Anger" Link

July 29th, 2008 ·

"The Public Place project has led to new concerns in Carroll Gardens. Yesterday, we got a flurry of emails from several people about asbestos removal work that’s been going on a 455 Smith Street, which is a huge warehouse that was quietly added to the Public Place project after a development team to build Gowanus Green was selected, doubling the size of the project.....(edit) .... the new concerns are about asbestos removal. One email we got, from someone who is a member of the Community Board 6 Environment and Public Safety Committee said in part:

Demo work has starting at the Abody warehouse portion of the Public Place site. Last week they removed 125,000 square feet of asbestos contaminated roofing in the open air with no DOB permits and no community awareness. As a nearby resident with a small child I feel at risk! What is going on here?…The work is clearly visible from the subway platform, and the cutting and sawing if the hazardous materials are introducing micro particles into the air- exactly the concern when dealing with asbestos. It is of extreme concern that this work is being conducted adjacent to a children’s park in open air with no protection and no community awareness.

The writer also raised a broader community issue, asking, If we can't trust that the custodians of the public place process are able to handle this small example of construction and remediation, how and why should we trust that the larger project would be appropriate for our community?” ....(edit) See the Gowanus Lounge blog today for the complete story.....

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The good news now:

Channel News12 Brooklyn (Cable Channel 156) is STILL! presently featuring (since 5:30 PM Monday evening) a segment on our beloved neighborhood, including our new zoning text amendment, the giant grassroots movement that brought this about, our future plans to downzone Carroll Gardens, and our Councilman DeBlasio's solid support of our cause. Some very familiar faces are being featured........

CORD

Friday, July 25, 2008

NY Times reports on the Text Amendment and Carroll Gardens

Here is a link to the NY Times article yesterday about our beloved Carroll Gardens and our new zoning text amendment:

New Limits on Builders in an Area of Brooklyn Link
By KAREEM FAHIM
Published: July 24, 2008

"The size of new buildings in an area of Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, that is known for the large, elaborate gardens in front of its brownstones will be limited by a zoning change passed by the City Council on Wednesday.

Because of arcane zoning rules that date to the mid-1800s, those large gardens had made the Brooklyn neighborhood susceptible to larger-scale development, city officials and residents said. In the language of city planning, streets like First Place were considered “wide,” having been measured from building to building without allowances for the front gardens. Property owners are sometimes allowed to build higher on wider streets.

According to Councilman Bill de Blasio, the Council approved an amendment to the city’s zoning resolution that would designate a cluster of streets in Carroll Gardens as “narrow” instead of “wide,” and as a result, limit the heights of buildings to 55 feet, as well as limiting the legal building area of a lot.

The affected area includes First, Second, Third and Fourth Places and Carroll and President Streets between Smith and Hoyt Streets.

The Council’s action came after a campaign by residents to preserve the low-slung character of their neighborhood,

Amanda M. Burden, the city planning commissioner, said the affected streets represented the type of unique, intact neighborhoods that deserved protection from out-of-scale development. Houses in Carroll Gardens, she said, have “these exquisite, deep front yards.”

Mr. de Blasio said that in recent years, several new buildings in the neighborhood had angered residents and prompted calls for the city’s help. Residents had focused recently on a proposed apartment building at 131 Second Place. Mr. de Blasio said there had been concern about the developer’s original design, as well as his choice of architect, Robert M. Scarano Jr., a figure associated with the area’s building boom who has been accused in previous projects of flouting zoning rules........."

See link above for the full article or go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/nyregion/24zone.html?ex=1217563200&en=cd6e5639919b3005&ei=5070&emc=eta1

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

DEMOCRACY AT WORK! Carroll Gardens gets a zoning text amendment!

Breaking News: It is with great pleasure that we report the NY City Council this afternoon unanimously passed the Zoning Text Amendment for Carroll Gardens!

This is a moment for all Carroll Gardens residents, their friends, and neighbors to celebrate!
We CG residents have worked long and hard for fourteen months to arrive at this point.
This is a great step in our neighborhood's commitment to maintain its integrity and its unique character.

CORD would like to thank each and every one of our members and supporters who worked so hard, who spoke out publicly, who signed letters of support, who attended meetings and public hearings, and who kept our cause alive both on the streets of CG, and elsewhere.


Once again we must personally thank:
Amanda Burden, Chair of the City Planning Commission and Director of the Department of City Planning; the NYC Planning Commission; and Purnima Kapur, City Planning Brooklyn Director, and the dedicated Brooklyn City Planning staff. This zoning text amendment is a wonderful first step in preserving and protecting our home, this great neighborhood, Carroll Gardens.

We must also thank many of our electeds: Congresswoman Clarke and her staff; State Senator Connor and his staff; Assemblywoman Millman and her staff; Borough President Marty Markowitz and his staff; Richard Bearak, Deputy Director of Planning and Development, Borough President MArkowitz's Office; New York City Councilman Tony Avella, Chair of the Zoning and Franchises Committee; New York City Councilwoman Melinda Katz, Chair of the Land Use Committee;

and of course, our very own Councilman in our 39th district, New York City Councilman Bill DeBlasio and his staff, with special thanks to his tireless assistant, Tom Gray.


Many people have been asking us: What is the next step?

The zoning text amendment goes into effect immediately. We understand that what happens next is in the hands of the NYC Department of Buildings (link here).
It is now the D.O.B.'s responsibility to enforce the new zoning regulations.


CORD

Thursday, July 17, 2008

LAST OPPORTUNITY to speak out on behalf of the CG Zoning Text Amendment (MONDAY 7/21)!


HELLO FROM CORD

THIS COMING MONDAY, JULY 21ST AT 9:30 AM is the last opportunity to speak out on behalf of the CG Zoning Text Amendment!
This is your last chance to let our City Council Members know how strongly we support this text change which will finally and properly classify and zone the 15 blocks covered in this amendment, as the little side streets they actually are.
(Link to Text Amendment here)

THIS TEXT AMENDMENT, IF PASSED, WILL NO LONGER ALLOW THE BOULEVARD SIZED TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION CURRENTLY PERMITTED ON THESE TINY BLOCKS.

This is the final public hearing. This is the last step we are permitted to actively participate in, within the process. Two days after this hearing, the full council will meet and vote.

So many of you have signed letters of support. So many have taken the time and expressed themselves publicly at the prior hearings required by this process; the community board meetngs, the Borough President's public hearing in May and the NYC Planning Commission hearing in June.

.....Let us not falter now. Let us complete what we have patiently worked so long and so hard to do!

Please come and bring a friend or a neighbor. For three minutes or less, you may read your prepared statement. If speaking out publicly is not for you, you can still show your support by coming out and standing side by side with your neighbors and friends.

If you need any help preparing your statement, please browse thru all the public testimony that CORD has featured in previous blog posts. There are many wonderful ideas that you can adapt to your personal style. Type "testimony" into the search blog bar at the top left of our blog and you will HEAR the voices of so many of your neighbors. (Or go to: http://carrollgardenspetition.blogspot.com/search?q=testimony)
Thank you.

CG CORD

WHEN: MONDAY JULY 21ST AT 9:30 AM
WHERE: CITY HALL COMMITTEE ROOM

DIRECTIONS: VIA SUBWAY
F TRAIN TO JAY ST
SWITCH TO A OR C TO CHAMBERS STREET
WALK TO MURRAY & BROADWAY









































Thursday, July 10, 2008

CORD/Coalition for Respectful Development Gives THANKS!

C.O.R.D. THANK YOU


As you know, the City Planning Commission unanimously passed the Carroll Gardens Zoning Text Amendment on Wednesday, July 2nd..

We deeply appreciate and have acknowledged the Department of City Planning, Chair Burden, all of the City Planning Commissioners and Brooklyn City Planning staff for this wonderful first step in preserving and protecting our home, this great neighborhood, Carroll Gardens.

Now, as we march on to the final phase, the City Council hearings and vote, CORD would like to take this opportunity to reflect on what brought us to this point, and to acknowledge and express our sincerest thanks to our elected officials and their staff members and to all of you, who have so whole heartedly supported this amendment.

Way back in July of 2007, after numerous letters, emails, media and blog coverage, about CORD’S still popular moratorium petition, seeking a height restriction of fifty feet (50’) in Carroll Gardens, Amanda Burden, Chair of the New York City Department of City Planning, wrote to many Carroll Gardens residents.

She explained that although a moratorium was possible, it required the identical ULURP process as a rezoning. The contextual rezoning, which was the desire expressed by the community in a joint CB6/CGNA survey which had been conducted about a year and a half earlier, and committed to by City Planning, was still intended to begin, but no timeframe as yet had been established. Moratorium hopes as a way to save the character of our neighborhood appeared even bleaker.

Frustrated and concerned about what would happen to our neighborhood if left unguarded and unprotected, we continued to appeal to our elected officials. We are absolutely certain that it is because of their intervention and support, that City Planning came up with the solution called, the Carroll Gardens Zoning Text Amendment. It is by no means the cure all. It does not institute an overall height limit, but it does, at least, correctly designate the fifteen blocks covered in this amendment as the “narrow” side streets they truly are, rather than the boulevards some developers have succeeded in misusing them as. For that, we are truly grateful..

First, we would like to thank Congresswoman Yvette Clarke and her assistant, Deanna Bitetti. Although this amendment was not a federal matter, Congresswoman Clarke nevertheless, sent a letter to the Department of City Planning urging them to consider our neighborhood for a rezoning study. We have not forgotten that Deanna, going well above and beyond the call of duty, drafted the Italian language version of the flyer announcing that the Borough President’s hearing was approaching.

State Senator Marty Connor also expressed his full support for a rezoning in a letter to Chair Burden. Senator Connor’s Assistant, Oscar Jonas, memorably spoke on the steps of Borough Hall, pledging to support the effort to keep Carroll Gardens, “small”. He followed up those remarks at public hearings with statements that we felt captured the essence and passion of this wonderful neighborhood and you, its committed residents.

Likewise, our Assemblywoman, Joan Millman and her staff members reached out to Chair Burden and requested a rezoning. Her assistant, Paul Nelson spoke movingly of the Assemblywoman’s unconditional support of the text amendment at a Community Board 6 Land Use Meeting. His comments and that meeting will be remembered for a very long time to come..

Borough President Markowitz and Richard Bearak, Deputy Director of Planning and Development, not only enthusiastically urged City Planning for action, but backed up their request with hard information, numbers and a fact painted realistic picture of a neighborhood basically under siege by overdevelopment. The Borough President then went on to host a wonderfully attended public hearing followed up by a whole hearted recommendation in a ten page, comprehensive report that boiled down to a huge, YES!

Last, but certainly not least, Councilman DeBlasio, and his tireless assistant, Tom Gray, have been at the forefront leading the charge for this amendment. Whether you heard the Councilman announce back in January that City Planning had agreed to introduce this zoning text change, or you were fortunate enough to hear the Councilman speak at the Borough President’s hearing; if you experienced Tom’s personal flyer deliveries directly to the doors of affected homeowners, or his incredible patience in obtaining answers to literally hundreds of questions, there is no doubt that our Councilman and his Assistant deserve our praises and our gratitude. Well done!!

We also wish to thank our Community Board which genuinely considered and deliberated all aspects and possible ramifications of the amendment before voting, YES. We appreciate their thoughtfulness and applaud their ultimate decision.

We are not quite done yet……as we move on now to the City Council hearings and vote, we must ask for the support and assistance of each of our Electeds and, of course, each of you, one more time. We have had the following confirmed by Tom Gray, just yesterday………… the amendment is scheduled for Council Land Use Sub Committee hearing on Monday, July 21st. Per the City Council Technical Staff, it will be held at 9:30 AM in the City Hall Committee Room.

We hope that you will consider coming and speaking out at the hearing. If speaking out is not for you, then we hope you will come and stand side by side with your neighbors in a show of support. The next hearing will follow on July 22nd. That is the full Land Use Committee, Chaired by Councilwoman Melinda Katz. It is our understanding that although open to public observation, this hearing is not open for public testimony. Finally, on July 23rd, the full Council will meet and vote on the amendment.

Please join us as we move on to this final phase. And please do join us in expressing our gratitude to all of our Elected Officials who have helped us get this far.

CORD/Coalition for Respectful Development

www.carrollgardenspetition.blogspot.com

cgcord@gmail.com

Monday, July 7, 2008

The Red Flag Before Gowanus Development

This week's Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill Courier (July 4th issue) features a front page article by Gary Buiso titled,
"Built on Muck: Contaminated Gowanus Clouds Future Development"
.

In it, several prominent locals are somberly voicing their concerns as to the wisdom of situating a residential development atop such a severely contaminated site.

"This is one of the most polluted sites to ever have housing on it-and that only raises the level of concern," states Roy Sloane, Community Board 6 Landmarks/Land Use Committee member on page 1.

"If one person gets cancer or gets sick, I will never be able to live with myself," he is quoted as saying later in the same article (p.34).

Another Committee Member, Pauline Blake, is quoted as saying to the development committee, "Your design is going ahead prior to the completion of the clean-up. How do we know it will be clean enough?" (p.34).

Buiso writes, "The importance of a proper clean-up of the Public Place site can hardly be underestimated. Coal tar which can be hazardous to human has been found 150 feet below the surface. 774 units of housing in nine buildings whose heights will range from 6 to 12 stories are planned for the site" (p. 1, 34).

Bob Levine, the chair of the landmarks committee commented, "Too many variables exist to welcome the plan carte blanche", and, "You're putting the cart before the horse" in response to the planning of development phase that is already occurring before the clean-up of the site" (p.34).

Because environmental clean-ups and safety concerns affect us ALL here in Carroll Gardens, not only those of us living near Public Place, we are wise to keep our eyes clearly focused on this clean-up before anyone makes Public Place: "Home".
CORD


(See the complete article at the Courier website or at the newsstands this week)

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Planning Commission Approves CG Text Amendment by Unanimous Vote


CORD wishes to thank Amanda Burden, Purnima Kapur, Winston Von Engel, Jen Posner, and all of the the City Planning Commissioners for UNANIMOUSLY voting in favor of the Carroll Gardens Zoning Text Amendment.


For the latest, read Gowanus Lounge.com and Curbed.com



From: www.curbed.com

Caroll Gardens Close to Going Tumor-Free After Planning Vote

Wednesday, July 2, 2008, by Robert

2008_08_Carroll%20Gardens%20Streets.jpg

The long running fight in Carroll Gardens to change city zoning so that very narrow streets are actually defined that way for zoning purposes, limiting the heights of new buildings, passed the City Planning Commission this morning. Old zoning has defined streets that are 50 feet wide (counting sidewalks) and that can barely handle parked cars and still allow one to drive up the middle as being up to 130 feet wide because front yards are counted (the "gardens" in Carroll Gardens). The change means a reduction in the height of new buildings from up to seven stories on "wide" streets" to five stories on "narrow" streets. It also helps eliminate large tumor additions to existing buildings. There's a final City Council vote on July 23 and the measure is expected to pass. A bigger neighborhood downzoning that many residents are pushing for is still at least two years away, however.
· Carroll Gardens Streets to Get Narrower (on Paper) [Curbed]
· Carroll Gardens Zoning Text Amendment [nyc.gov]


Planning Commssion Approves Carroll Gardens “Narrow Streets”

from: www.gowanuslounge.com


July 2nd, 2008 ·

The “narrow streets” zoning text amendment that would redefine a number of narrow Carroll Gardens streets as actually being narrow for zoning purposes was passed by the City Planning Commission today by a unanimous vote. The measure would define the streets as 50 wide rather than the current 130 feet (which counts front gardens) and cut the height of future buildings from a maximum of seven stories to five stories. The measure will go to the City Council on July 23 where it is expected to be approved by a wide margin. An overall Carroll Gardens downzoning is still a number of years in the future, even though local officials and community groups have been pushing for immediate action. The Zoning Text Amendment moved relatively quickly through the process because it wasn’t subject to a full land use review.

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