Thursday, March 26, 2009

Question Several Brooklyn Candidates This Evening March 26!

Question Several Brooklyn Candidates This Evening March 26!

CBID/Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats


http://www.cbidems.org/

holds first chance to question those who want your vote for local city offices.
Candidates for citywide municipal offices will be heard and endorsement votes will be held: Mayor, Public Advocate, Comptroller.
Title:
Endorsement Meeting #1: Citywide Offices
When:
March 26, 2009 19.00 h (7:00pm)
Where:
Park Slope Methodist Church - Brooklyn
6th Ave & 8th St (downstairs)
FOB (Friends of Bond) and all of the Carroll Gardens groups should take this opportunity to directly those who want to represent up as we face critical issues in our future communities.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Come to the CORD/SoBNA Dazzle Me! Political Forum!


CORD in conjunction with the South Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance (SoBNA)

Are very pleased to announce and request your presence at

THE VERY FIRST 39TH COUNCIL DISTRICT

*DAZZLE ME*

FORUM

COME, MEET AND PARTICIPATE IN AN INTERVIEW with the seven candidates who are hoping to fill the seat of councilman Bill DeBlasio and become our next representative on the NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL ………

WHEN: SATURDAY APRIL 25TH, 2009

TIME: Begins at 10:30 am PROMPT! Ends at 1:00 pm

WHERE: CARROLL GARDENS LIBRARY AUDITORIUM 396 Clinton St. @ Union St. Brooklyn, NY 11231

PLEASE USE THE UNION STREET ENTRANCE (HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE)

SPACE IS LIMITED - SEE BELOW FOR SEAT RESERVATION INFORMATION!

These men all want to work FOR US as our representative on the NYC Council. DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS you would like to ask? DO YOU HAVE CONCERNS and want to choose the BEST PERSON POSSIBLE for this job? Here is your opportunity!!

We are taking your questions from now until April 15th. Your submissions will become part of the event. If you would like some of your concerns addressed...please submit your question(s) to:

Via email: CGCORD@GMAIL.COM or via phone: 347-661-8819All questions (duplicates excluded) will be submitted to the candidates on the day of the event. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ATTENDING, WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU RESERVE A SEAT ASAP. YOU MAY DO SO BY USING EITHER THE EMAIL ADDRESS OR TELEPHONE NUMBER ABOVE.

Light refreshments will be served immediately following the "interviews"

Thursday, March 12, 2009

It's Time to BE the Change" State Senator Daniel Squadron

From the desk of newly elected State Senator, Daniel Squadron:

"It's time to be the change."

This is an opportunity for all to speak out for their community. The smallest of voice can make a difference.

Please save the date March 15th and join Daniel Squadron at his first community convention...see his message below.

Daniel Squadron writes:

Dear Friend:

At my swearing-in ceremony a few weeks ago, I announced that I will be hosting the first-ever 25th Senate District Community Convention in March.

As part of my plan to make our state government more open and accessible than ever before, I am inviting constituents from all over my district to join me at this convention, on March 15th. At our convention, I will ask you to help me shape my priorities and strategies as I work hard for our district in this, my first year in office.

(Please note that the community convention is rescheduled from the original March 1st date!)

I hope you will bring your ideas, and your perspectives, on what our state government can do to improve our communities and step up more effectively to respond to these difficult times. I want your ideas on housing, on transportation, on the state budget, and on the myriad issues that we can take on to make New York a better place to live.

If you would like to join us for the 25th Senate District Community Convention, please RSVP today to convention@danielsquadron.org. The convention will be on Sunday, March 15th, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC), 199 Chambers Street (just west of Greenwich).

Please RSVP today to convention@danielsquadron.org! I look forward to seeing you on March 15th.

Best,

Daniel

Daniel Squadron
State Senator
25th Senate District

(Please see Senator Squadron's recent testimony on the Gowanus rezoning posted at the PMFA blog. Link)

State Senator Squadron's Testimony


"This rezoning is only one piece of the puzzle. Consideration of this area along the Gowanus Canal should be part of a more comprehensive process that includes the vulnerable neighborhood of Carroll Gardens and goes as far as the Columbia Waterfront. This area -- from the canal to the waterfront -- is historically, architecturally and culturally connected. While I feel that expediency in the rezoning of each is positive, it is critical to understand the entire context; this process should include it all." (See PMFA for rest)

CORD

A Lovely Tribute to Bob Guskind from Phil DePaulo

CORD has just received this lovely note from Phil DePaulo:

"Yesterday we celebrated the life of Bob Guskind at the historic chapel at Green-wood Cemetery. A small group of friends and family exchanged stories and the impact Bob had on our lives. I hope the ceremony brought a moment of comfort for Bob’s wife Olivia and his mom Sally. It was great to meet some of Bob’s friends from his days in Washington and connect faces to the stories Bob told me about his past. He was very lucky to have friends that loved him unconditionally. I remember the pastor saying that he attends many funerals that no one had anything to say about the deceased and how moved he was about the stories he had just heard about Bob. In life you meet very few people like Bob and that’s why it’s so hard to say goodbye. But yesterday was beautiful and I think Bob would have been very pleased. Bob’s memorial is posted on the Gowanus Lounge site. I hope you will take a moment to read it"


www.gowanuslounge.com

Phil

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Write re: GOWANUS REZONING until MARCH 20TH!

Write in your re: GOWANUS REZONING comments ACCEPTED until MARCH 20TH!

This is NOT the year to be shy at these meetings as we have an ELECTION YEAR, dear voters! This means that we need to let our elected officials know that if we do not get the help we expect and deserve for our communities, from the very people we put into office to do the same, then we will surely change directions once we have a ballot in our hands. CORD

Public Scoping Meeting on the proposed Gowanus Rezoning and Related Actions:

A public scoping meeting was held on the proposed Gowanus Rezoning and Related Actions on Tuesday March 10, 2009, at the Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201.

Written comments will be accepted by the lead agency at the meeting and until the10th calendar day following the close of the public hearing,

Friday March 20, 2009. Copies of the Draft Scope of Work for an Environmental Impact Statement and the Environmental Assessment Statement may be obtained from the Environmental Assessment and Review Division, New York City Department of City Planning, 22 Reade Street, 4E, New York, New York 10007, Robert Dobruskin, AICP, Director (212) 720-3423; or from the Office of Environmental Coordination, 253 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, New York 10007, Robert Kulikowski, Ph.D., Director (212) 788-2937.

View the Draft Scope of Work [5.38 mb].
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/env_review/gowanus/draft_scope.pdf
View the Environmental Assessment/Statement/Environmental Assessment Form [3.1 mb].
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/env_review/gowanus/eas_form.pdf
View the scoping notice.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/env_review/gowanus/scoping_notice.pdf

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Statement from Munical Art Society on Gowanus Development/Alternative Plan

The first step in the comprehensive rezoning will take place
Tuesday, March 10th.

What: Gowanus Rezoning Public Scoping Meeting
(http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/env_review/scope.shtml#gowanus)
Where: Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St.
When: 3/10/2009
3:30pm-4:30pm and 6:00pm-7:30pm

This is NOT the year to be shy at these meetings as we have an ELECTION YEAR, dear voters! This means that we need to let our elected officials know that if we do not get the help we expect and deserve for our communities, from the very people we put into office to do the same, then we will surely change directions once we have a ballot in our hands. CORD

Here are a few excerpts from The Municipal Art Society of New York's ( MAS NYC) article and statement on the development of the Gowanus .

Gowanus: A Great Place to Work, But to Live? By Susanna Schaller March 9th, 2009

" The City is proposing to rezone 25 blocks along the canal to allow for a mix of uses, including residential, commercial, retail, light industrial, community facility and artist spaces. Brooklyn Borough Hall will have a hearing tomorrow about the rezoning. MAS will be there and share how the thriving manufacturing district could be a tremendous opportunity to nurture and safeguard existing businesses and create space for new industries and sorely needed job growth."

(edit)

"MAS’ concern is that the City’s plan provides incentives to build eight to twelve story buildings along the northern portion of the Canal. But, is this a good place to allow mid-to high-density residential development?"

"The area lies in a flood plain, and locals who walk or bike across the canal are often met by the putrid odors rising from the canal due to the lack of adequate storm-water and sewage infrastructure. If it rains, the situation becomes even more dismal as the area’s streets become flooded by water contaminated by raw sewage. The Gowanus Canal has also been the site of intensive industrial activity for over 150 years, and those businesses left behind petroleum and other environmental contaminants that pose serious health risks." Link

MAS NYC has issued a Statement and the site features maps.

"In our statement, we propose some creative solutions that might be applied to protect and strengthen light manufacturing job growth."

Statement: http://mas.org/images/media/original/MAS-position-gowanus-rezoning-3_9_09-final-maps.pdf

The following info was received from Tom Gray at Councilman DeBlasio's ofc. today. If you have any questions re: this info. please contact Tom directly (See contact info on r.h. side of this blog)

Frequently Asked Questions:
(E) Designation
What is an (E) designation?
An (E) designation (shown below) is a zoning map designation that
provides notice of the presence of an environmental requirement
pertaining to potential hazardous materials contamination or noise or
air quality impacts on a particular tax lot. (E) designations are
established as part of a change in zoning that would allow additional
development to occur on property, or would permit uses not currently
allowed. It is not a notice of a building violation.

How does an (E) designation affect my property?
After the establishment of an (E) designation, you may continue to use
your property in any legal manner, as you did before the (E)
designation, for as long as you like. However, in general, before any
new construction or change in use can take place on your property, the
environmental requirements of the (E) designation need to be
satisfied.

Who put the (E) designation on the Zoning Map?
(E) designations are established on the Zoning Map by the City
Planning Commission and City Council, as a part of a zoning change.

Why was an (E) designation placed on my property?
Zoning changes are subject to an environmental review pursuant to
state and local law. If an area is proposed to be rezoned, and the
accompanying environmental analysis indicates that development on your
property may be affected by noise, or air quality, or hazardous
material contamination, then an (E) designation is likely to result.

An (E) designation can occur because the property:
• Was used as or is in close proximity to a gas station or some other
underground fuel oil tank;
• Is located in or contiguous to a manufacturing district; Has a
history of manufacturing uses;
• Is located next to a building with a history of manufacturing uses;
• Is located on a heavily trafficked street or highway; Is located
next to a railroad;
• Has some other environmental condition on the property or nearby
that is a cause for concern.
These designations assure that appropriate testing and remediation, if
necessary, occur on properties that are being rezoned.

I just found out that there is an (E) designation on my property. What
do I have to do now?
The (E) designation is not a building violation and does not affect
any legal use on your property. However, if you are planning to build
on your property, enlarge the existing building, or change the way the
property is used, you will not be able to obtain a Building Permit
until the environmental requirements of the (E) designation are
satisfied.

Where can I find the environmental requirements of the (E) Designation
for my property?
The Zoning Resolution includes a list of adopted (E) designations that
describes the environmental condition that needs to be addressed for
each property. This full list of adopted (E) designations, list by
Block and Lot Number: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/zone/ceqr.pdf
In order to obtain specific information about (E) designations on your
property, you will need the tax block and lot number of your property.
If you do not know your tax block and lot number, you can retrieve it
using the GeoQuery Address Translator on the Department's homepage.

For more information regarding the (E) designation requirements
affecting your property, please contact the Department of City
Planning Environmental Assessment and Review Division at (212)
720-3427.


How do I satisfy the environmental requirements of an (E) designation
for hazardous materials?
Satisfying the requirements may involve the submission of the results
from sub-soil testing or other documentation to the Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP). To discuss the specific tests or
documentation needed to satisfy environmental requirements for your
property, please contact DEP at (718) 595-4433. No testing should
commence before conferring with DEP.

In order to obtain a building permit from the Department of Buildings,
you will need to present a report from DEP specifying that these
environmental requirements relating to the (E) designation have been
satisfied.

I think that the (E) designation was placed on my property by mistake.
How can I have it corrected?
If you believe that an (E) designation was placed on your property in
error, your concerns should be expressed in writing to: Environmental
Assessment and Review Division Department of City Planning, 22 Reade
Street, NY, NY, 10007. Be sure to indicate the tax block and lot(s) of
the subject property and clearly state why you believe that the (E)
designation is in error and include any relevant documentation.

I plan to develop several lots, but only one of them has an (E)
designation. How does that affect my other lots?
In the case of a merger or subdivision of tax lots or zoning lots with
an (E) designation, involving either improved or unimproved
properties, the (E) designation will apply to all portions of the tax
lots or zoning lots.

Where can I get more information on (E) designations?
Additional questions can be directed to the Department of City
Planning's Environmental Assessment and Review Division at (212)
720-3628.

Sunday, March 8, 2009

In Memory of Robert Guskind:

In Memory of Bob Guskind:

We will be re-posting, in the days and weeks to come, some of the Gowanus Lounge posts featuring our numerous, overdevelopment issues in Carroll Gardens that Bob Guskind so consistently and passionately helped us bring to the public eye. Bob not only featured the hard news about Carroll Gardens, but was generous enough with his blog to let ordinary people from Carroll Gardens speak. This gave the everyday Carroll Gardener a boost of a kind that is difficult to explain. It spread courage and communication about the real issues facing Carroll Gardens to our streets, and gave a voice to the real people in the Carroll Gardens. It was no accident that Bob coined the Carroll Street Subway Plaza (F train) wall with all the neighborhood protest art work, the Democracy Wall. Bob was a true believer in democracy and it spread like wild fire throughout our neighborhood. Our C.O.R.D petition and coalition was born, naturally, of the same spirit. We offer our profound thanks to Bob, as well as our sincere condolences to his wife, family, and friends.

P.S. To the Zoning and Franchises Committee of the New York City Council who failed to show up to hear your constituents and community members testify on the Toll Brothers/Gowanus project last Wednesday (with the exception of Councilmember Tony Avella), we are very sure that Bob would join Katia from PMFA blog and CORD in saying: SHAME ON YOU!!! and see the devastating environmental report below***

CORD

First the history:

http://www.gowanuslounge.com/2009/01/22/a-carroll-gardens-residents-letter-about-development/

January 22nd, 2009 ·

"This letter from an architect who identifies himself only as JL, comes our way via the CORD neighborhood group. We’re running it because we think it makes some interesting points about how development is outstripping the community’s ability to handle it:
"As a trained architect and urban planner, but more importantly, as a concerned 20-year resident of Carroll Gardens, I write to register my utter incomprehension of the real estate development scenarios being played out in my Brooklyn neighborhood. The scale and density of the developments planned and conceived for the Carroll Gardens area, since it’s creation a part of ‘brownstone Brooklyn’, are grotesquely out-of-place and severely at odds with the realities of the current economy. Just as the laissez-faire de-regulation and greed of the financial industry fanned the flames of the present economic disaster, ill-conceived planning motivated by the greed of outside developers will lead to the unraveling of Carroll Gardens’ charming neighborhood fabric. In the same year that our fire-house has been abandoned due to the inadequacies of City funding, the Toll Brothers development alone aims to add some 500 additional housing units to the area."

"At the same time that the MTA threatens service cuts and austerity measures, the current wait for morning and evening F-line service has entered the realm of the ridiculous, with the subway platform crowds swelling as already fully packed trains pull into the station. So, now, add a significant percentage of these developments’ occupants into the mix, and an already bad commute just becomes that much worse. I implore you to join our rush-hour commute from Carroll Street to Manhattan one weekday morning between 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM, and enjoy the wait for a train that just might offer enough space to squeeze onto. Meanwhile, with the rush to development at both the Clarett Group and Oliver House sites, the community has so far been left with nothing more than huge holes in the ground –now more blight than benefit. On-street parking has become increasingly more difficult, as crossing both Court Street and Smith Street has become more dangerous."

"These being just a few examples of the contradictory logic at play here, there appears to be a disconnect, whether political or financial in nature, I don’t know. However, the irony of these facts is not lost on the neighbors of Carroll Gardens, as we remain actively engaged in the fight to protect the unique character, historic charm, look, feel and sense of community which is our neighborhood. Whereas our Mayor seems to speak frequently of ‘quality of life’, I can only assume that the billionaire quality of life is far more immune from these mundane daily concerns than our working middle-class quality of life."

4 responses so far ↓

  • 1 s // Jan 23, 2009 at 12:27 am

    AMEN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 2 Thomas // Jan 23, 2009 at 3:18 pm

    How true…
    Nothing more than greed and hubris from a suburban developer.

  • 3 Anonymous // Jan 23, 2009 at 9:09 pm

    Totally true. I hope the cultural changes in our country this week kicks these developers and accompanying GREED IN THE BUTT!

  • 4 jerry farina // Jan 26, 2009 at 12:43 am

    how I wish Public Place was going to be turned into a park instead!

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

Now today's news:

***PMFA blog is reporting today on the following

Below is a report prepared by the Environmental Liability Management Of New York, L.L.C. in 2005 on 363 Bond Street, the Toll Brothers site. It was sent to me by a reader who obviously shares the concerns of many Gowanus and Carroll Gardens residents. Pretty scary stuff...wouldn't you agree? (PMFA)

Toll Brother’s, May 31, 2005, PHASE II INVESTIGATION REPORT 363 Bond Street,
Prepared by: Environmental Liability Management of New York, LLC.

"On April 15, April 20 and 21 and on April 28, 2005, ELM conducted the Phase II Investigation activities, which consisted of the advancement of ten (10) soil borings, five (5) of which were completed as ground water monitoring wells.

Evidence of petroleum contamination (odors, staining or elevated photoionization detector [PID] readings) was noted in all ten soil borings/ground water monitoring wells installed during this investigation. Soil was noted to be saturated with product in two boring locations: MW-5 and SB-1. Additionally, free product was encountered in two monitoring wells: MW-3 and MW-5; however, no free product was noted in the soil samples collected from MW-3.

Elevated concentrations of VOCs, above New York State Department of Environmental Conservation [NYS DEC] Technical and Administrative Guidance Memorandum 4046 [TAGM 4046] Recommended Soil Cleanup Objectives [RSCO5]) were noted in soil in five sampling locations: MW-3, MW-5, SB-1, SB-3 and SB-4. …….

SVOCs were detected in soil at concentrations atypical of urban fill material in 6 boring locations: MW-2, MW-5, SB-1, SB-3, SB-4 and SB-S. One or more soil samples collected from each of these boring locations contained concentrations of total SVOCs above 100,000 ppb. Samples from two of the locations, MW-S and SB-1, contained concentrations of total SVOCs above 500,000 ppb, which is the TAGM 4046 RSCO for total SVOCs.

Pesticides were detected in soil above TAGM 4046 RSCOs in two boring locations: MW-2 and MW-5. Pesticides were also detected in ground water above Class GA Standards in MW-5.

Metals were detected in soil above TAGM 4046 RSCOs in all 20 soil samples collected. …. Mercury was detected at concentrations one order of magnitude greater than the TAGM 4046 RSCO of 0.1 ppm in soil collected from five boring locations: MW-2, MW-4, MW-5, SB-1 and SB-5. ….Lead was detected in soil at concentrations exceeding the upper limit of the average background level in metropolitan areas in one or more samples … Arsenic and lead were detected at concentrations above their respective Class GA concentrations in ground water collected from monitoring well MW-5." |elm|




Friday, March 6, 2009

A Tribute to Bob Guskind

I have just posted these words at the now up and running Gowanus Lounge blog, where people are invited to post their memories of Bob Guskind. T.S.

Triada Samaras/C.O.R.D. Co-Founder
// Mar 6, 2009 at 11:51 pm

I am never going to forget the immense support that C.O.R.D. (Carroll Gardens Coalition for Respectful Development) received from Bob and from Gowanus Lounge over the past couple of years. Bob was a true friend to Carroll Gardens: He passionately and thoroughly had been reporting on all of the major projects threatening our historical neighborhood with over-sized and ill-conceived development. He was also exceptionally bright. He personally called me to appear with him on a B-CAT segment featuring our Carroll Gardens “Democracy Wall”, called “A Walk Around the Blog” (2/2008) which we have proudly featured on the right hand side of this blog ever since. The Democracy Wall stood at the Carroll Street F train stop in enormous neighborhood protest to the coming “Oliver House” project. What a supporter Bob was! Indeed, it was Bob that coined the word: “Democracy Wall”. Bob could also be found in person at some of the many neighborhood meetings and events in the tiny amount of “spare” time he had in between his two full-time jobs.

Dearest Bob: You will sorely be missed. Rest in Peace, our friend.

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

And now for some history, here is a very early blog post at this blog. LINK

(Bob broke this story and featured us many, many more times after this....Hundreds, really, too numerous to count at this sad moment....)

Cord Blog: Saturday, June 23, 2007

"This is our All Hail to Bob!!!! corner:

"To: "Bob" Robert Guskind, masterful journalist at www.gowanuslounge.com and www.curbed.com, and today's newly appointed "Guardian Angel of 360 Smith Street" where would CORD and Carroll Gardens be today without your superior, unflinching, astute, timely, courageous, and thankfully sometimes hilarious(!) coverage of our story? We thank you, thank you!

"A brief history: Bob was the first journalist to break our story both at Curbed and at Gowanus Lounge when he featured our "Heavy Metal" nightmare that began on Memorial Day here in Carroll Gardens. That weekend, residents surrounding the proposed site, learned for the first time about the "imminent" changes coming to our corner: a massive new project now called "360 Smith Street" by developer William "Billy" Stein planned for the corner of
Second Place and Smith street: a 46 unit, 70 foot high towering project over the F train Station at Carroll Street and involving the public subway plaza.

"Until Memorial Day, most residents had neither heard of the "imminent changes", nor the developer, Mr. Stein, not the chosen architect, Mr. Robert Scarano whose architectural license and self-certification ability Councilman Bill deBalsio has recently called on NY State and NY City and local residents to revoke! And, most residents did not fully understand the "AS OF RIGHT" ruling (now challenged in our petition) that allows developers in our beloved neighborhood to proceed without caution or warning to implement vast changes to our Brownstone Blocks without our input, consultation, support, or even knowledge. To date, we have not seen any architectural drawings of Mr. Stein's 360 Smith Street project despite our repeated requests. Nor have any of the proper local and community organizations/politicians stepped up to the plate to help us ACTUALLY SEE and discuss what our block will soon look like.

"We at CORD have now taken the position that "As of right" is JUST PLAIN WRONG !
and we have called for a MORATORIUM! on all buildings and alterations OVER 50 FEET until the politicians and other proper authorities can figure out a way to immediately protect our neighborhood in Carroll Gardens with proper re-zoning and landmarking. The "five-year long" re-zoning process that we we heard about at the CGNA meeting on June 11, is not acceptable. What will Carroll Gardens look and feel like in five years if we do not get immediate help from the politicians? We refuse to support any politicians who do not accept responsibility for our neighborhood.

"Mr. Guskind has also provided invaluable links and story references at Gowanus Lounge to the many other blogs who have recently picked up our story. In addition countless local and city-wide newspapers and journals have kindly and intelligently been also covering our story including: the New York Times, the Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill Courier, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, the Brooklyn Papers, the Daily News, and more. To all of these sources as well. we send our enormous, heartfelt THANKS! to those who are keeping our corner and our new petition and blog in the news! (Look for coming archives of these sources as well). Sincerely yours,
CORD

"FYI: Here is Bob Guskind's coverage (to date) at Gowanus Lounge and at Curbed:

"From www.gowanuslounge.com
1) 5-25-2007
Smith Street Could Get Very Very Shiny
2) Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Smith Street Revolt Brewing Over Shiny New Building?
3) Thursday, May 31, 2007
More Heavy Metal Backlash in Carroll Gardens
4) June 1, 2007
Carroll Gardeners Continue to Oppose Smith Street Building
5) Saturday, June 02, 2007
Not a Good Week to be a Controversial Brooklyn Architect: Scarano
Rally Planned
6) June 3, 2007
Anti-Building Signage Torn Down on Smith Street
7) June 5, 2007
Battle of 360 Smith Street: Fight for Your Right to Plaza
8) June 6, 2007
Major New Developments in the Battle of 360 Smith Street
9) Thursday, June 07, 2007
Robert Scarano is Having a Bad June
10) June 8, 2007
GL's Guide to Elected Officials & Community Board 6
11) June 11, 2007
Battle of 360 Smith Street: Strategy Session Tonight
12) June 12, 2007
New Shots Fired in Battle of 360 Smith Street
13) June 13, 2007
The Big Carroll Gardens Issues: Rezoning & Landmarking
14) June 15, 2007
More Curious Street-Level Developments in Battle of 360 Smith
Street: Mystery Paint Job
15) June 15, 2007
A Little Brooklyn Tour de Scarano
Scaranos copy 6-15-2007
16) Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Battle of 360 Smith Street: Councilman Circulates Scarano Email
Second Place Plaza
17) June 20, 2007
Carroll Gardeners Busy With Robert Scarano Wikipedia Page?
18) June 21, 2007
Carroll Gardners Post Online Petition, Report Illegal Work

"From Curbed www.curbed.com
1) Thursday, May 24, 2007
Heavy Metal Coming to Smith Street?
2) 5-30-2007
Scarano Pushback on Smith
3) Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Carroll Gardens 'Monstrosity' Seem to Have Fan Club
4) June 1, 2007
Carroll Gardeners Now Tossing Bricks at Big Smith Street Building
5) Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Will Carroll Gardens Fight 'South Beach' Look?"



NEWS FLASH: Avella/Brennan PRESS Conf. re: Proposed DOB rules

Friday, March 6, 2009

NEWS FLASH: Avella/Brennan PRESS Conf. re: Proposed DOB rules
CORD has just been informed of this from other local community groups:Tony Avella's office and Jim Brennan's office will be holding a Press Conference prior to the DOB hearing tomorrow FRIDAY, March 6th on the Steps of City Hall at 2:00pm sharp.Please try to attend, and tell your friends! The more people that show up the better!

CORD

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Robert Guskind 1958 - 2009: Founder of Gowanus Lounge Dies

For Robert Guskind 1958 - 2009

to Bob:

Your passing has us speechless, today. We will miss you sorely as you were the best kind of Friend a neighborhood coalition could ever have.

Again and again you showed us your spirit and your integrity and your courage. You were a true leader in the World of Brooklyn Blogs: the Best!

Know that you have left the world a better place.
We love you.
Rest in Peace.

CORD

We will always remember this walk around Brooklyn we took with you in the winter of 2008:

http://onlytheblogknowsbrooklyn.typepad.com/only_the_blog_knows_brook/2009/03/robert-guskind-a-walk-around-the-blog.html

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Zoning & Franchises Subcommittee Public Hearing regarding

The last hurdle for the Toll Brothers' Gowanus Project is the City Council.
Today, the Zoning and Franchises Subcommittee is holding its Public Hearing on Toll Gowanus!

CORD IS URGING as many people as possible to attend or to send in a written testimony.

Below is the information:


Zoning & Franchises Subcommittee Public Hearing regarding
Toll Brothers at 363-365 Bond St


City Hall
Committee Room (R to City Hall or A to Chambers St.)
March 4, 2009 9:30am

Written testimony can be sent to Tony Avella,
Chairperson of Zoning & Franchises

avella@council.nyc.ny.us

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