Thursday, September 25, 2008

CB 6 Meeting Tonight Toll Bros/126 First Place Public hearings!


HELLO From CORD!


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

Sep 25 Landmarks/Land Use


PUBLIC HEARING on 126 1st Place (BSA Cal. No. 217-08-BZY).


PUBLIC HEARING on 363-365 Bond Street (ULURP Nos. C090047ZMK and C090048ZSK).

Discussion and formulation of a recommendation on an application submitted to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA Cal. No. 217-08-BZY) for an extension of time to complete construction pursuant to Zoning Resolution section 11-331, property located at 126 First Place (Block 459, Lot 17).

Discussion and formulation of a recommendation on ULURP No. C090047ZMK, an application for an amendment of the Zoning Map.

Discussion and forumation of a recommendation on ULURP No. C090048ZSK, an application for a special permit to modify height and setback requirements, rear yard regulations and inner court regulations at 363-365 Bond Street (Block 452, Lots 1, 5, 15, 19 and Block 458, Lot 1).
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Please write for Hoyt Street by the Week's End!

Dear Neighbors, please help the Hoyt Street Alliance and support our very
responsive Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and State Senator Martin Connor, by
sending an e-mail to Tobias Russo (see below) in support of this amendment.
It basically changes a rule that restricts bars from opening within 200' of
a church or a school, but measured the distance from door to door of a bar
and the church or school. Unscrupulous bar owners could show the location of
a door in plans submitted to the State Liquor Authority, but move the door
to suit their business at a later date. Also, a bar's entrance may have no
bearing on the bar's nuisance factor. A more accurate and meaningful
measurement is from property line to property line, as this bill proposes.

Your help would be greatly appreciated as we continue the fight to maintain
the residential character of our block. Our Assemblywoman and State Senator
went out on a limb for us and it would be sad to see the amendment fail for
lack of citizen support.


Here is a link to the Amendment's text.

http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A11364&sh=t

Sincerely,
Mary Hedge, Hoyt Street Alliance


tobias.russo@chamber.state.ny.us

BSA Update for Carroll Gardens 360 SmithSt/131 Second Place/Oliver House

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

Monday, September 22, 2008

BSA PUBLIC HEARING this WED!/ A Call for help from Councilman DeBlasio

NEWS FLASH: THIS IS IT!

The public hearing sessions at the BSA/Board of Standards and Appeals for :
360 Smith Street /aka 131 Second Place/ aka Oliver House
will take place this coming Wednesday!

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):

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CORD is still receiving strongly worded letters regarding Councilman DeBlasio's lack of personal support for the community at this Wednesday's BSA hearing:


"I am very disappointed with the letter that Councilman diBlasio sent to the BSA. I believe that the Councilman should support the community's efforts to prevent the developer from building a 70 foot building in a highly visible location in Carroll Gardens. Such a building would significantly negate the benefits of the recently passed Carroll Gardens Zoning Text Amendmant which the Councilman was instrumental in passing.

The community has gathered a considerable amount of information to challenge the developer's main contentions in his BSA applications. We can refute the developer's contention that he should be vested because of the amount of work completed on the foundation. We can also refute his contention that he would suffer an undue hardship if his project is not completed as currently designed. Since the Councilman's duty is to represent the community, I think that the Councilman should present this information to the BSA.

As you know, the developer was very aware of the neighborhood's efforts to obtain stricter height limits on buildings in our neighborhood before he started his project. However, he was never willing to reduce the height of his planned building. I personally attended meetings where the developer discussed his plans. While the developer expressed a willingness to consider some design changes, he consistently refused to consider scaling back on the height of the building.

In view of these facts, I firmly believe that the Councilman should strongly support the community's efforts to prevent the developer from constructing a building that does not fit in our neighborhood. The passage of the CG text amendment clearly shows the value of Councilman's support. Please help us again."

Mary Mattner
Carroll Gardens Resident

MORE BSA GUIDELINES:

*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.

We will need your support at this public hearing!
Perhaps, you will be willing to speak before the BSA; perhaps, you will choose to share your thoughts with the Board via a letter.
Please do not be afraid to participate. Listen to what your neighbors have to say, listen to how they feel about where we live and let your voice be heard as well. This is your chance to make change happen. Take it!.

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.

BSA PUBLIC HEARING this WED!/ A Powerful Letter from a Carroll Gardens Member

NEWS FLASH: THIS IS IT!

The public hearing sessions at the BSA/Board of Standards and Appeals for :
360 Smith Street /aka 131 Second Place/ aka Oliver House
will take place this coming Wednesday!

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.

We will need your support at this public hearing!
Perhaps, you will be willing to speak before the BSA; perhaps, you will choose to share your thoughts with the Board via a letter.
Please do not be afraid to participate. Listen to what your neighbors have to say, listen to how they feel about where we live and let your voice be heard as well. This is your chance to make change happen. Take it!.

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.


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

Saturday, September 20, 2008

NEWS FLASH: THIS IS IT!

The public hearing sessions at the BSA/Board of Standards and Appeals for :
360 Smith Street /aka 131 Second Place/ aka Oliver House
will take place this coming Wednesday!

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.

We will need your support at this public hearing!
Perhaps, you will be willing to speak before the BSA; perhaps, you will choose to share your thoughts with the Board via a letter.
Please do not be afraid to participate. Listen to what your neighbors have to say, listen to how they feel about where we live and let your voice be heard as well. This is your chance to make change happen. Take it!.

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.



Thursday, September 18, 2008

“I’d like to see less height.” Councilman Bill DeBlasio, Feb 16, 2008

“I’d like to see less height.”
Councilman Bill DeBlasio, Feb 16, 2008 Edition of the Brooklyn Paper,
This New Stein Way Is Almost In Tune, by Mike McLaughlin RE: 360 Smith St


“I believe in this text amendment. I believe we need to protect this neighborhood…. I think we’ve got to protect what we have.”
Councilman Bill DeBlasio, May 7, 2008, Borough Hall, Borough
President Markowitz’s Public Hearing RE: wide streets


Dear Councilman DeBlasio,

When you spoke at the Borough President’s Public Hearing in May, about the need for the wide streets text amendment as, “one piece in the much bigger battle” .…and the “overdevelopment pressures”….

What exactly were you battling and what did you think we needed protection from?

Were you speaking of the pressures of possible hypothetical overdevelopment? Or were you referring to the activities going on right before your eyes?

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 10:00 AM will be the perfect time for you to ask for what you’d like to see, defend what you believe in, help shelter what we have......WILL YOU BE THERE to represent Carroll Gardens at the Board of Standards and Appeals Hearing to do just that, or not?

CORD

"What a shame. Mr. Deblasio."

The Latest from CORD/Coalition for Respectful Development www.carrollgardenspetition.blogspot.com

Here are some of the responses we have received from our question in last week's post here: Link


Dear NEIGHBOR:
How do YOU feel about whether or not our Councilman should support us at the upcoming BSA HEARING?
Please write to us at cgcord@gmail.com if you would like to speak out.
CORD

1) "What a shame. Mr. Deblasio.

"You have to step up and ensure Carroll Gardens remains a Low rise Brownstone neighborhood, with great Family's who treasure the way it always has been. Thank you."

Marissa
Resident Henry Street

2) Steven Hart continues to speak on the CGNA listserve:
(See his letter on our CORD blog yesterday)

Here are some excerpts:

"It should be no surprise to anyone that the entire economy has been thrown
into exactly these conditions because of the same protectionist policies
toward corporations and the same capricious lack of regulation in capital
markets. .....(edit)

....."Now what do we do here in Brooklyn? Take Mr. Stein's fiasco on Smith St.
One approach is to turn him loose in the vague hope that his tumor-sized
project will somehow provide employment and get built in some form that will
not be as visually reprehensible as the school he built directly across the
street...... (edit)

....."Certainly no elected official will stop either Stein or Ratner for the simple reason that
they seem to benefit from these developers somehow (edit).....

.......The exception might be Mr. DeBlasio who seems unable to find his footing in
any matters of substance unless they propel him upward on the political rock
face that he has chose for his ascent. Having chosen to follow Mrs. Clinton
to the top, his efforts there came to nothing (edit)....

.....Now is the chance chance for both of these officials to weigh in with the BSA to insure that the widest economic needs of the Carroll Gardens community are met. What
does that mean?....(edit)....

That means no more whiz bang schemes to revolutionize the area and turn it
into someplace else. What we need is economic stability. We do not live inTexas and we do NOT need boom and bust yahoo fiscal policy. We need to secure what we have against the economic turmoil that is here and it is
going to increase. We do not need our homes diminished in value to
accommodate a one-shot developers infusion of capital financed by a bank
that may not be there next week." (End.)

Steven Hart
Boerum Hill


IN OTHER NEWS:

Thank you Representative Yvette Clarke and her wonderful assistant, Deanna Bitetti, for your help obtaining some postal service here in Carroll Gardens! The P.O. will be at the Eileen Dugan Senior Center ONCE A MONTH starting Friday, Oct. 3!

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









Tuesday, September 16, 2008

More letters to Councilman DeBlasio and progress made on Hoyt Street!

The Latest from CORD/Coalition for Respectful Development www.carrollgardenspetition.blogspot.com

Here is another response we have received a local resident re: our question:


Dear NEIGHBOR:
How do YOU feel about whether or not our Councilman should support us at the upcoming BSA HEARING?
Please write to us at cgcord@... if you would like to speak out.
CORD www.carrollgardenspetition.blogspot.com
Dear Councilman DeBlasio

In your own website announcing your interest in the Borough Presidency you say:

"I'm running for Brooklyn Borough President to strengthen and
protect Brooklyn neighborhoods.

As Borough President,
no one will fight harder to make Brooklyn more affordable for working families, stop out of control and irresponsible development, protect our environment and improve the quality of life in every neighborhood."

(emphasis added)

Now it's time for you to live up to your own rhetoric:

Your failure to attend the BSA hearing and to speak against the outrageous abuse of the zoning process, the law, the neighborhood's best interest by the developer of 360 Smith Street will, in my view, completely undermine your legitimacy. This is, after all the work you and the neighborhood has done, the final showdown.

You can't just put slogans on your website, you have to live up to them. When the public eyes were on the project you held rallies and spoke out against the architect. Now, when the spotlights have dimmed and the real work needs to be done, we need your full and unqualified support.

I hope you can live up to your own promises, and that they are not simply election hype. Your constituents would not stand for that.

Respectfully yours,


James Biber
Carroll Gardens resident and homeowner

And some good news and a call for participation from the HOYT STREET ALLIANCE!

Dear Neighbors, please help the Hoyt Street Alliance and support our very
responsive Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and State Senator Martin Connor, by
sending an e-mail to Tobias Russo (see below) in support of this amendment.
It basically changes a rule that restricts bars from opening within 200' of
a church or a school, but measured the distance from door to door of a bar
and the church or school. Unscrupulous bar owners could show the location of
a door in plans submitted to the State Liquor Authority, but move the door
to suit their business at a later date. Also, a bar's entrance may have no
bearing on the bar's nuisance factor. A more accurate and meaningful
measurement is from property line to property line, as this bill proposes.

Your help would be greatly appreciated as we continue the fight to maintain
the residential character of our block. Our Assemblywoman and State Senator
went out on a limb for us and it would be sad to see the amendment fail for
lack of citizen support.

Here is a link to the Amendment's text.

http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A11364&sh=t

Sincerely,
Mary Hedge, Hoyt Street Alliance

Monday, September 15, 2008

The neighborhood speaks out to the Councilman DeBlasio

Here is another response we have had to the question about Councilman DeBlasio we posted below last week:


Dear NEIGHBOR:
How do YOU feel about whether or not our Councilman should support us at the upcoming BSA HEARING?
Please write to us at cgcord@gmail.com if you would like to speak out.

Thank you!
CORD


"I have followed this process closely for some time. It is clear that the community has the right approach to restraining capricious development. What is more, it therefore obvious that it is the best economic interest of the community as a whole to adhere to the zoning changes that were enacted, and NOT grandfather in Mr. Stein's design. That was the spur to the initiative, but hardly the only instance of irrational development in the area.

"If the councilman cannot see fit to serve the interests of his constituents that have been carefully and rationally demonstrated and passed into law, then he should resign his position and go to work for whatever agency or industry that would better serve his ambitions. That seems to have been his history in any case."

Steven Hart
Boerum Hill

Please read more at the last two posts below.

Friday, September 12, 2008

The neighborhood speaks out to the Councilman DeBlasio

Here are some of the responses we have already received from our question in yesterdays' post:

Dear NEIGHBOR:
How do YOU feel about whether or not our Councilman should support us at the upcoming BSA HEARING?
Please write to us at cgcord@gmail.com if you would like to speak out.

"I could say that I am very disappointed with Mr De Blasio posture. But what strikes me as a logical conclusion is that he has other interests which conflict with ours.
Too bad. I will remember that in elections day."

Iliana Mindlin

"Dear CORD,

Thank you for all your hard work. I support your efforts and would like to urge Councilman De Blasio to step up to the plate and support the on-going efforts of CORD. Please keep Carroll Gardens from becoming just another unaffordable high rise neighborhood with no character and just for the very rich."

Thank you.
Carrie Rubinstein

4th Place

"Thank you for the recent communication about the building going up at 2nd Place and Smith Street.

"As Councilmember Bill de Blasio has been showing up so strongly on this issue and taking the ball down the field so to speak, it makes no sense to me why he would not wish to “touch down” for the community by showing up at the hearing on September 24. If he does not, it will make a very strong statement to the Carroll Gardens Community especially about the lack of follow through.

"I strongly encourage Councilmember to go for the goal: “touch down.”

"Appreciate your continued efforts to preserve this fine community."

Diana


Javier B. García
15 4th St.
Apt. 2
Brooklyn, New York

"Councilman Bill deBlasio:

"As a Carroll Gardens resident and your constituent, I urge you to
stand with the community and CG Cord in the upcoming BSA hearing."

Sincerely,

Javier B. García

"I own the house at 70 1st Place.

The Developer has apparently misrepresented the extent of the foundation.
For this reason, he is no longer credible and should not be trusted.
He was aware of the community opposition to the height of the building
when he commenced the project, flouted this community sentiment and
undertook the risk that the decision on limitations would go against him.
Therefore, he should not be "grandfathered in" and allowed to continue
to violate the new rules.

I would expect Bill di Blasio to continue to support the residents and
home owners of the neighborhood in oppostion to this out of scale
illegal development."

Barbara Lowe


Thursday, September 11, 2008

"Where are you Councilman DeBlasio?"

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

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 INSTRUCT
PLEASE EMAIL US AT CGCORD@GMAIL.COM WITH YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS.

Thank you in advance.
CORD

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

It's PRIMARY DAY!!

It's PRIMARY DAY!!

What does this mean? It means today it is our civic responsibility to vote!! Let our electeds know that we DO care who our leaders are and we ARE monitoring their ability (or not) and willingness (or not) to represent us, the Constituents.

Over-development is one of the most important issues in this election, threatening life as we know it in our beloved Carroll Gardens, and your vote can help reign it in.

Vote for the candidate of your choice but remember to go VOTE!

Let the electeds know you care! Vote and remind all your family and friend to do the same! Thank you. Our community depends on your participation in this critical aspect of our democracy.

Thank you.

CORD

Primary Day Information

Primary Day Information from the NY Times:


Published: September 8, 2008

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.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

The public hearing at the BSA for Oliver House/360 Smith Street will be held on 9/24/2008.

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

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Rationality and Democracy in Brooklyn, USA last Thursday 8/28/2008

Last Thursday evening, Aug. 28th, the Land Use Committee of CB 6 rationally decided that developer Billy Stein shouldn't continue with his current plan until another hearing takes place in mid-September.

From the Found in Brooklyn Blog: Democracy in Brooklyn, USA.

"The developer of 360 Smith Street took his case to build his building tall than allowed by new zoning language to the Land Use Committee of Community Board 6 last night and lost. The vote against the developer’s appeal (which will got the Board of Standards and appeals in any case) was unanimous with three abstentions." (edit)

"A contingent of residents went to the meeting, according to special GL Correspondent, and spoke against the allowing the building to go to 70 feet rather than the currently allowed 55 feet. Community representatives also apparently pointed out errors in the BSA application. The local group CORD turned in 500 letters opposing the application to be allowed to continue to the 70-foot height." (edit)

See Also: The Gowanus Lounge Blog:

"Carroll Gardeners Rallying Troops for August Dog Days Meeting"

"Community Board Committee Says No to 360 Smith Developer"


CORD would like to thank all of the 500 plus people who signed letters of support. These letters were handed in (as reported above) last week to CB 6. We will also be handing in the originals to the Board of Standards and Appeals when that hearing comes.

CORD would also like to thank all of the people who volunteered to collect their neighbor's signatures--and if they were not able to get them all back to us by last Thursday nite's meeting, they can still return these letters to us and we will see that they are turned in to the BSA. (See cut-n-paste below.)

CORD would like to also thank State Senator Marty Connor (and Oscar Jonas) and Assemblywoman Joan Millman (and Claire) for their much appreciated support last week.

And of course, CORD would like to enthusiastically thank all those who came out last Thursday to the CB 6 land use committee meeting and who spoke out against the appeal of the developer Mr. Stein with such clarity and passion. This is truly what Democracy in Brooklyn is made of!

If you did not get a chance to sign the letter yet and wish to do so,
please cut-n-paste the letter below (or compose one of your own) and email to CORD at cgcord@gmail.com



Attention: Ms. Meenakshi Srinivasan, Chair

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

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