Monday, August 29, 2011

Do Carroll Gardens and Gowanus have a viable evacuation route in case of emergency?

Do Carroll Gardens and Gowanus have a viable evacuation route in case of emergency?

CORD has been pondering this very question this weekend.
According to several startling pictures shown on the PMFA blog, the Third Street planned "evacuation route" floods easily in ANY large storm, let alone a hurricane!

This would seem to be a very dangerous way to try and evacuate thousands of people in a hurricane OR other emergency situation. With two major weather events in the past week, an the anniversary of a major terror attack around the corner, it does not seem to be unreasonable to us to imagine that one day, thousands of people might need to be evacuated from our area too.

How will residents in the hundreds or thousands leave our area safely, over a flooded Gowanus Canal and a flooded Third Street/ Bond Street intersection? Furthermore, the City is still thinking about adding thousands more residents here, adding to the problem we now have, even without them. Where is the planning in all of this?

We are hoping that our readers will begin to ponder this same question and to ask themselves: What will happen IF....???
We think most will agree it is better to be safe than sorry.
Isn't it up to us as a united community to demand answers to these vital questions regarding our own health and safety?


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