Very Important CB 6 Meeting TONIGHT/THURSDAY
Date: Thursday September 25, 2008
Time: 6:00PM
Place: PS 32-Auditorium
317 Hoyt Street
(Union/PresIdent)
Brooklyn, NY 11231
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A community coalition blog concerned with the Carroll Gardens and Greater Gowanus communities in Brooklyn, NY: our land-use and development; our safety; our historical context; and our protection from extreme environmental hazards.
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The first BSA Public Hearing for 360 Smith Street/aka 131
Second Place/ aka Oliver House took place yesterday.
A decision was not made, therefore a second hearing
will take place that is scheduled for
October 28th, 2008. More news to follow.
CORD
What: Two applications* for 360 Smith Street/ aka 131 Second Place/aka Oliver House
When: September 24, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Where: BSA/Board of Standards and Appeals, 40 Rector Street, 6th Floor, Hearing Room E, NY,NY 10006
Directions: F train to Jay st/Boro Hall. A train to Braodway/Nassau. Short walk.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/bsa/html/hearing/hearing.shtml
(More details below after the following letter):
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CORD is still receiving strongly worded letters regarding Councilman DeBlasio's lack of personal support for the community at this Wednesday's BSA hearing:
*Applications #202-08 BZY and #212-08-A will both be heard then.
As it is a public hearing, the public can speak. Three minutes are allotted for each speaker.
The public is also encouraged to write to the BSA.. THE BSA WILL ACCEPT WRITTEN STATEMENTS UP UNTIL SEPTEMBER 24.
What: Two applications* for 360 Smith Street/ aka 131 Second Place/aka Oliver House
When: September 24, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Where: BSA/Board of Standards and Appeals, 40 Rector Street, 6th Floor, Hearing Room E, NY,NY 10006
Directions: F train to Jay st/Boro Hall. A train to Braodway/Nassau. Short walk.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/bsa/html/hearing/hearing.shtml
*Applications #202-08 BZY and #212-08-A will both be heard then.
As it is a public hearing, the public can speak. Three minutes are allotted for each speaker.
The public is also encouraged to write to the BSA.. THE BSA WILL ACCEPT WRITTEN STATEMENTS UP UNTIL SEPTEMBER 24.
A powerful LETTER from a CG Community Member re: our Councilman DeBlasio's non-support at the BSA Public hearings for 360 Smith St this week:
Dear Mr. De Blasio:
Please don't BAIL OUT Billy Stein. Please testify on behalf of Carroll Gardens residents against the height variance. This has been a very hard week for the ordinary tax payer. We are being asked to bail out business speculators at the expense of what our tax dollars would have given us for education, health care, social security, investment in jobs, alternative energy research and infrastructure. We are being asked to sacrifice and inevitably pay more taxes because of it. I have been paying my mortgage and taxes on time for 25 years and now face a 30% reduction in my property value because of speculation gone bad in the markets. Mr. Stein has the right to build Oliver House ,we do not want to deny that, but he should build to conform to the law and to fit into not burden the community. Don't make our community suffer to save Mr. Stein a reduction in profit. We have all been asked to give too much already this week. It is time the government and the law to do something for taxpayers who have not and do not manipulate the system. Mr. Stein has speculated in building Oliver House. The text amendment which we fought hard for should limit his height, our hard work should be rewarded not disregarded. It is time for government to favor us and not make us suffer for the loss of another speculative deal gone bad.
You may feel this is an overly dramatic analogy. In some ways it may be. However, I honestly believe that in our guts and hearts there is a sense of betrayal by elected officials to the influence of money and power and that the little guy is the inevitable loser. This is too big an issue for you, Mr. De Blasio to be neutral on. The vast majority of the Carroll Gardens community has been fighting out of context development very hard and has logged in many hours and tremendous effort to save the character of the neighborhood. The text amendment has been the only tangible achievement. The amount of bitterness and disappointment if this BSA variance is granted will be profound. How much do you want to ask us to bear, how far do we have to stretch to get some sense of control and power over what happens right here where we live and pay taxes. We have fought a good democratic fight within the system ,we have put up with a lot, spent a lot of time and have had to learn a lot to achieve this small accomplishment. Please, Mr. De Blasio stand up with us now, your testimony could be crucial. Many of us have responded to your request for support, we plan on supporting you in the future. We desperately need you now.
Sincerely,
Vincent Joseph
Union-Sackett Block Association
What: Two applications* for 360 Smith Street/ aka 131 Second Place/aka Oliver House
When: September 24, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Where: BSA/Board of Standards and Appeals, 40 Rector Street, 6th Floor, Hearing Room E, NY,NY 10006
Directions: F train to Jay st/Boro Hall. A train to Braodway/Nassau. Short walk.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/bsa/html/hearing/hearing.shtml
*Applications #202-08 BZY and #212-08-A will both be heard then.
As it is a public hearing, the public can speak. Three minutes are allotted for each speaker.
The public is also encouraged to write to the BSA.. THE BSA WILL ACCEPT WRITTEN STATEMENTS UP UNTIL SEPTEMBER 24.
For specific guidance regarding comments, submissions, etc, contact Toni Matias 212-788-8752.
1. | What is the role of community boards and civic groups in the review of BSA applications? |
http://www.nyc.gov/html/bsa/html/faq/faq.shtml | |
Deanna R. Bitetti, District Representative
Office of U.S. Representative Yvette D. Clarke
Brooklyn District Office
123 Linden Blvd., 4th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11226
Ph: 718-287-1142 Fax: 718-287-1223
Email: Deanna.Bitetti@mail.house.gov
From: Burrows, Andrea D - Brooklyn, NY [mailto:andrea.d.burrows@usps.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, September 16, 2008 12:02 PM
To: Bitetti, Deanna
Subject: The Brooklyn PO - Eileen Dugan Senior Center Starts Friday, October 3, 2008
Good Morning Deanna,
As per our conversation yesterday. The USPS will visit the Eileen Dugan Senior Center once a month. We have increased the time frame from 2 hours to 4 hours.
A Clerk will be at the Senior Center on Friday, October 3, 2008 from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM. We will start with once a month for four hours. If revenue increases and necessitates more USPS time, we will accomodate. Days of week will shift depending on time of month and needs of the Cadman Plaza Post Office.
If you have any questions, please contact me.
Thank you.
Andrea Burrows
Customer Relations Coordinator
Brooklyn Customer Services
(718) 348-3606
Fax: (718) 348-3915
The following letter form a Cord Co-Founder was submitted to Councilman DeBasio this week:
"Where are you Councilman DeBlasio?", we ask, as residents of Carroll Gardens who fought long and hard along with you to pass the zoning text amendment . This amendment which limits building height to 55 ft. will have no value, non, nada, if we allow even one new development to be absolved from its mandate. The claims of loss at the 360 site which is barely started, are incidental, and we need our Councilman to stand by our side at the BSA hearing to show his support .
"Our efforts through the past year will be futile if we let this go. You have been a strong force in our arduous endeavor to save our neighborhood and we appreciate all that you have done. It is vital that all our Politians who were proponents of the amendment show their courage and determination by supporting their constituents at the BSA hearing.
Where are you Councilman DeBlasio?" Can we count on you to be there?"Lucy DeCarlo
Second Street
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This is the response Mrs. DeCarlo received BACK from the Councilman's Office. (It is the letter his office already sent to the BSA; The Councilman still has no official plans to stand together with the community at the BSA hearing in order to support us.) Download at: http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=fb64682f98&realattid= .f_fko7t4vj0&attid=0.1&disp= vah&view=att&th= 11c2938124c54f17
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Dear NEIGHBOR:How do YOU feel about whether or not our Councilman should support us at the upcoming BSA HEARING?PLEASE, WRITE IN AND TELL US---WE WILL BE HAPPY TO PRINT YOUR COMMENTS AND/OR FORWARD THEM TO THE COUNCILMAN'S OFFICE--AS YOU INSTRUCTPLEASE EMAIL US AT CGCORD@GMAIL.COM WITH YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS.Thank you in advance.
CORD
Polls for Tuesday’s primary election open at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. in New York City and in Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Erie Counties. In all other counties the polls open at noon and close at 9 p.m.
New York City voters who need information about their polling place or about voting should call the City Board of Elections voter phone bank, at 866-VOTE-NYC.
Voters outside the city can go to https://voterlookup.elections.state.ny.us/votersearch.aspx to find the location of their local polling place, and call their county Board of Election offices if they need any additional information.
Two applications* for Oliver House (aka 360 Smith Street/ aka 131 Second Place) are calendared for September 24, 2008 at 10:00 AM at the BSA/Board of Standards and Appeals. http://www.nyc.gov/html/bsa/html/home/home.shtml
*Applications 202-08 BZY and 212-08-A will both be heard then.
As it is a public hearing, the public can speak and present evidence.
Generally, three minutes are allotted for each speaker. For specific guidance regarding comments, submissions, etc, contact Toni Matias 212-788-8752.
More to follow in up-coming posts.
CORD
Board of Standards and Appeals
40 Rector Street, 9th Floor,
New York, NY 10006
RE: 360 Smith Street (aka 131 2 Place)
BSA CAL # 202-08-BZY
Dear Chair Srinivasan, Esteemed Board of Standards and Appeals 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,
XXXXXX
Thank you all for your continued support!
CORD