Thursday, August 28, 2008

Suggested Letter to the Community Board

Hello!
The following letter has been circulated and signed by many Carroll Gardens Residents recently. Please feel free to copy/paste this letter or to compose one of your own and email/fax or send to CB 6 if you are unable to attend tonight's important land use meeting but wish to make your feelings known.
Thank you!
CORD

Community Board 6Attention: Mr. Richard Bashner, Chair250 Baltic StreetBrooklyn, New York
RE: 360 Smith Street (aka 131 2 Place)BSA CAL # 202-08-BZY

Dear Mr. Bashner, Esteemed Community Board Members,
I am a resident of Carroll Gardens. I was shocked when I first learned of the size of the proposed project to be built at the above mentioned site. I never realized that a building of this mass could be placed on our small, residential streets. I was astonished that this type of development would even be permitted!

I wholeheartedly supported the Carroll Gardens Zoning Text Amendment because I believed in the importance and necessity of reining in this type of out-of-scale development.
I understand that Mr. Stein, the owner and developer of the site has requested additional time to complete his now stopped, now non-compliant project. This out-of-character building represents the very reason I supported the text amendment in the first place. I am not anti-development. I do feel, however, that this project, which according to the Department of Buildings’ determination, has only completed “approximately twenty per cent (20%) of its foundation”, certainly could and should be scaled back to comply with the new, more appropriate and hard-won zoning.

I, along with hundreds of others, actively participated in getting the fifteen blocks affected by the amendment properly categorized as “narrow” for zoning purposes. It is an affront to me and the others who worked so diligently, to permit this project, which is barely begun, to be allowed to attain its proposed height and bulk.
I respectfully ask that you vote against this application. Thank you.

Sincerely,
xxx

CONTACT INFO FOR THE COMMUNITY BOARD
Craig R. Hammerman District Manager
250 Baltic StreetBrooklyn , New York 11201-6401
T: (718) 643-3027
F: (718) 624-8410
E: Districtmanager@brooklyncb6.org
E: Info@BrooklynCB6.org

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

We need your help at Thursday's Land Use Meeting at CB 6!

Hello from CORD!

Monday morning we received this heartfelt email from a passionate Carroll Gardens resident, and we are re-printing it for all to see in anticipation of tomorrow night's (Thrs., Aug. 28th) important Community Board 6 Public Land Use Meeting at PS 32 on Hoyt Street in CG. (Meeting details below). It captures the emotions of so many of us.


"Attn: All.....We need your help.
As you know, the Carroll Gardens zoning text amendment passed recently protecting the beautiful 15 blocks of garden streets that truly represent this great neighborhood. It was a tough fight and with the persistent of great people from CORD, CGNA, SoBNA, Cobble Hill, Gowanus, Red Hook, Columbia Heights, and other surrounding grassroot associations, we won. This was a small and significant win for the whole community in helping to prevent the out-of-scale developments that can destroy the integrity of this historic community. The zoning text amendment limited height at a 55' maximum level (approx. 5 stories high).

Our next important step is to get a contextual rezoning study in place to protect the rest of this unique neighborhood. To achieve this successfully, we need to continue to demand for respectful developments throughout this community. The developer of 360 Smith Street (above the subway) is petitioning for an exemption with the BSA (Board of Standard and Appeal) claiming that he has laid a substantial amount of his foundation (according to DOB... only 20%) and is requesting to have an extension to continue his development of 7 stories.

We as a whole community need to stand and say "NO". If he is allowed to continue, not only will this be a contradiction to the hard work and fight to preserve this great neighborhood by so many, but it may be a start in damaging our chances of getting contextual rezoning for us all.
I love Carroll Gardens. I love the sunshine, open space, and the sounds of quiet calm when I walk the streets. I love the friends I have met and the kind neighbors and families of many generations. I love the history and the stories being told while sitting on stoops by tree-lined streets. I LOVE CARROLL GARDENS. This is my "HOME". I will continue to protect it as best as I can. Will you help me too? The Community Board 6 LandUse committee is meeting to heard Stein's petition. We need you to come and stand by us to say "NO" to Stein. We need to let the Community Board members and the BSA know that this community is against Stein's petition. If you can make it, the time and location is below. If not, please cut-n-paste the letter also below and email to the community board at
Thank you everyone. Thank you for all your great support and help..."

Maryann and Ringo"

WHEN: THURSDAY, AUGUST 28th/CB 6 Land Use Meeting

TIME: 6:00 PM

PLACE: P.S. 32 317 HOYT ST. (bet. Union and President)

ENTRANCE on Union St

Monday, August 25, 2008

Important CB6 MEETING This Thursday August 28th

THIS THURSDAY AUGUST 28th COME AND STAND
AGAINST
OUT OF SCALE DEVELOPMENT


The developer of 360 Smith Street (aka 131 2nd Place) has filed an application with the
Board of Standards
and Appeals for permission to continue to build to the fully proposed 70 ' height and bulk.



Many Carroll Gardens residents vigorously pursued our newly passed zoning text
amendment to specifically
prohibit this very type of oversized development.



NOW IS TIME TO TELL OUR COMMUNITY
BOARD, NO!



WHEN: THURSDAY, AUGUST 28th/CB 6 Land Use Meeting


TIME: 6:00 PM

PLACE: P.S. 32 317 HOYT ST. (bet. Union and President)
ENTRANCE on Union St

From http://www.brooklyncb6.org/calendar/#28

Aug 28 Landmarks/Land Use

PUBLIC HEARING on 131 2nd Place/360 Smith Street (BSA Cal. No. 202-08-BZY).

Discussion and formulation of a recommendation on an application
submitted
to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA Cal. No. 202-08-BZY)
for an extension

of time to complete construction pursuant to Zoning Resolution section 11-331,
property located at 131 Second Place aka 360 Smith Street (Block 459, Lot 24).

Continued review of a Certificate of Appropriateness application submitted to
the Landmarks Preservation Commission for the legalization of various storefront
alterations at 164 Court Street, Cobble Hill Historic District.

Presentation and review of a Certificate of Appropriateness application
submitted to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for the construction of
a new 2-story retail building to replace an existing 1-story building at
79-81 7th Avenue, Park Slope Historic District.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Attention Park Lovers! Daniel Squadron Press Conference

Daniel Squadron, candidate for State Senate in our district (the 25 th District) , is holding a press conference tomorrow, saying essentially that we need a real Brooklyn Bridge Park, a park without luxury towers, and one built NOW, so that our children can play in a park that is truly public. He is trying to bring out a lot of families with kids so that he can make this message clear and visual. He asks for your support, especially families with their children, who will naturally be amongst its greatest users!

WHO: DANIEL SQUADRON, Candidate for State Senate

WHAT: Press Conference
WHEN: TUESDAY August 19 at 2pm
WHERE: Pier 6, at the End of Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn

http://www.danielsquadron.org/

Sunday, August 10, 2008

"I don't believe in too nice (developers) " (Josh Skaller)

Here is another comment regarding the developers and development in our neighborhood........

Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2008 00:39:15 -0400
From: jskaller@gmail.com

Subject: "Builder: I Was Too Nice" article in Brooklyn Paper Link


"Thanks for sending this around (See Jim Biber's letter in the 8/5/2008 CORD post below). All the points below are absolutely on point, and a very accurate rendition of what took place at that meeting. I would only amplify it with the following observation: It seems to me that the underlying premise should not go unchallenged. For all of us who believe in community based planning, the mindset of "too nice" underscores the low esteem the developer has for the neighborhood he's building in. By failing to address the primary concern of the community, that the structure simply overwhelmed the surrounding block, he was not working with us at all, but rather at best he was accommodating the minimum in order to secure political cover, while still making money hand over fist on the project.

A developer's primary goal should be benefiting the community he or she is working in - there is still plenty of profit to be made hewing to such an ethic. These buildings impact all of us. In that light, there simply is no such thing as "too nice." I don't believe in too nice. If that sounds overly optimistic, perhaps at this stage it is, but we need goals and standards around which to orient our responses to projects like this. Without them, we always slide into promises not met and poorly executed attempts at appeasement, which is ends up as window dressing - literally.

That there was a rare win for the neighborhood this time around is great! Mr. Biber gets it right - the question going forward should by - if we can do it here, if our elected officials can get it done this time, why not all the time? Let's use those zoning laws for the people instead of against them. If Mr. Stein can't make it work on the site now, perhaps he should be encouraged to turn the property over to a builder who will help working families with a project that stresses affordable, rather than over the top luxury...or would that also be "too friendly."

Yours,

Josh Skaller

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Carroll Gardens resident responds to notion of the "Too Nice" developer

CORD has been asked to please publish this letter written and submitted very recently to the Editor of the Brooklyn Papers by a Carroll Gardens homeowner in response to a recent article on the Oliver House development project at 360 Smith Streets/131 Second Place entitled:

"Builder: I was too nice"
By Mike McLaughlin
The Brooklyn Paper July 31, 2008

"The July 31 article by Mike McLaughlin titled, "I Was Too Nice", tells the story of a sympathetic developer who was simply too nice to the neighborhood and citizens gloating over his current troubles. If this is satire, it is too subtle for me, but if it purports to be accurate, it is simply lazy journalism.

Mr. Stein, though a seemingly very nice guy, has met with the neighborhood, not to ask for our support or advice, but to show us what he was going to do (and in order to be able to say that he had met with us and 'listened'). Here are some observations from one who met with him:

-Changes to the design were, as he explained at the time, because HE wasn't happy with them in the first place. He didn't make a 'far better project for the community' he made a slightly differently decorated oversized project for his own reasons.

-His change of architects was prompted by Mr. Sarano's difficulties and how the fallout from that might affect Mr. Stein's building. After singing Mr. Scarano's praises to us he abandoned him for patently political reasons.

-On the single most important complaint raised by the community – that the building was simply much too large – Mr. Stein was immovable. He refused to give up one square foot of space he felt entitled to. Not even to increase the paltry 12" setback he boasted about at the top of the fifth floor, to decrease the apparent bulk of the project.

-When I asked why he would build a building so much larger than any in the neighborhood he asserted that the zoning laws were designed to define the correct building envelopes and he was simply fulfilling that mission. Now that the law says otherwise I guess he no longer believes in its wisdom.

-The reduction of the public plaza (and the trees he has already removed) is another way in Mr. Stein has callously ignored the greater good. He left only what he was required to leave and removed mature trees where they were in his way.

-Mr. Stein claimed he would be living in the top floor unit. This may have been a way to indicate his commitment to the neighborhood, but as he walked back to his Aston Martin DB9 (parked around the corner) it was hard to square his wealth with living over the subway entrance.

-If the neighborhood is gloating it is because Mr. Stein's smug attitude has finally met the sensibility of the city's zoning experts. This process has been underway for months and if the builder wanted to slip under the wire he had ample time.

To be fair, Mr. Stein deserves to build a project of currently legal size and to make a profit on his investment. The question is whether he should be able to further deface the neighborhood (he owns the unbelievable ugly school next door) simply to maximize his profit. Had he truly worked 'with' the neighborhood we would be supporting his efforts. But instead he employed his very obvious charm to tell us just what he was going to do, and feign a response to our concerns. It is rare that the city government acts quickly enough to save a neighborhood from overdevelopment, but that is really the story you should be covering."

Very truly yours,

James Biber, Carroll Gardens homeowner

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