Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Massive amounts of raw sewage being dumped onto the street

Hello from CORD!

We really wish this was just a bad Halloween prank.  After all, the flooding of the highly contaminated and superfunded Gowanus Canal was atrocious enough this week in Carroll Gardens.  Alas, this is not a Halloween prank.  This is real and we have seen with our very own eyes what a neighbor just wrote in to tell us:

"Massive amounts of raw sewage being dumped onto the street from the building on the corner of Smith and 2nd place. I think it is 134 2nd Pl. Kids and parents are walking through it. Totally disgusting And a mystery."

It is true!  Please see the absolutely disgusting images sent to us below by our source and help us to call 311!  There is a very long hold on the 311 line these days.

Indeed it seems to be coming from the above address and/or the curb cut area at the 360 Smith Street Building.  Is this a sewar back-up??  a flood?  illegal dumping?  we have no idea.....UGH!!!!  

Please be careful and do not walk over there, especially not with your little trick or treaters!  The smell should be warning enough!  I guess we should be happy the F Train is closed due to Sandy!)

We are still trying to reach 311 as this post is being written.

CORD




The pics above were sent in by our Carroll Gardens neighbor 
earlier this evening around 9 PM. 
The pics below were taken by Triada Samaras about 10 PM.









Magnificat Gowanus: Environmental Toxic Sound Video by Artist/Activist Susan Handler

It's Halloween today in Carroll Gardens/Gowanus. 
What better day than today to post a link to Magnifacat Gowanus?

Magnificat Gowanus is the "Environmental Toxic Sound Video" by Artist/Environmental Activist, Susan Handler http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syBxPMJOC7o that explores the toxic Gowanus Canal in artistic/sonic depth shall we say.  This sound video is not only very creepy;  it is unfortunately now true!

Susan Handler co-founded SCRAM in Florida several years ago after her young daughter was partially paralyzed by the spraying of this Malathion in her community.  
SCRAM (Sarasota/Manatee Citizens Rally Against Malathionfought the spraying of the highly toxic pesticide MALATHION in Florida (a dangerous pesticide used for mosquitos for several years) eventually winning the battle!!!
http://fr.wiser.org/organization/view/72d61e9043e1d71e683df88e08115b50

Susan Handler and Triada Samaras recently collaborated with CG CORD members and the other CORD Co-Founders to create Scarring Our Water:  an a community artist/activist project that highlighted the chemicals in the Gowanus Canal and was exhibited on Governors Island in an outdoor exhibition where 100,000 people visited that year.  See LINK
http://triadasamaras.com/Community_Engaged_Art.html

Happy Halloween!

CORD


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Horrific Flooding of the Gowanus Canal Last Night onto our Community Streets

Last night was a catastrophic night at the Gowanus Canal, with the putrid waters of the highly contaminated, federally Superfunded Gowanus Canal spilling out onto the streets of Carroll Gardens/Gowanus creating what was arguably an environmental disaster.

The Gowanus Canal soup spilled over all the way to Bond Street (on the Carroll Gardens side) bringing with it disgusting debris, and a horrible, petroleum like stench from an unknown source.  The Third Street bridge, at Third Street and the Gowanus Canal, which is also the neighborhood's evacuation route, was entirely submerged.

In fact Third Street became entirely impassable last night with the stench of the Canal Waters filling the air near the bridge crossing, and a car seen bobbing in the waters on the bridge.  One of our very own CORD Co-Founders, Triada Samaras, took the pictures here at roughly 10 PM where she reports several people were in the area near the Canal gaping in disbelief, some even bringing their young children to see the site. (See below).

It has been a CORD contention for a long time that our electeds and other officials in NYC need to really see and comprehend the danger of using the Gowanus Corridor for development of hundreds of new units of housing (such as the Lightstone Project proposes) in what is clearly a highly contaminated flood plain.  Do we also need to point another obvious point:  that much of that flooded Canal Water last night seeped into the ground, into the sewars, and no doubt into many resident's basements?  And do we need to ask again the obvious questions:  What sort of health risks are created by such a situation? Or:  How will Carroll Gardens escape a disaster if the escape route is impassable?


We hope this is the last time we at CORD need to see with our eyes such a catastrophe occurring. It really is no fun repeating the same things year after year after year.....Are our Electeds listening?  Is the City of NY listening?

1)  The evacuation route on Third Street needs to be further studied because it was submerged last night.

2) The toxic, Gowanus Canal will, indeed, flood into our streets in some weather conditions, making the surrounding area, which is already a contaminated floodplain in Zone A) even more contaminated (!) and an extremely lousy place to put any new and perhaps unsuspecting residents.  This looks like a development plan that must have spawned the original slogan:  BUYER BEWARE!

We hope our Electeds are listening!  
Please help us contact them and demand some sensible answers and not the usual rhetoric.  Tell them what we already know:  Brooklyn is too GREAT a borough to tolerate such a massive health and safety risk running right through our sidewalks and backyards and stoops and over our children's shoes!

City Councilman Brad Lander  http://council.nyc.gov/d39/html/members/home.shtml 

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz 
    Brooklyn Borough President http://www.brooklyn-usa.org/
    Marty Markowitz
    (718) 802-3700

    askmarty@brooklynbp.nyc.gov

Assemblywoman Joan Millman

In addition, if you are concerned about this issue, please write to us and send us your pics of last night's disaster.  We will post them with your name (if you wish) here on the CORD blog.  CORD can be reached at:  CGcord@gmail.com



All pics above:  Second Street and Bond Street 10 PM



  
All pics above:  Third Street and Bond Street 10 PM






Monday, October 29, 2012

Pre-Hurricane Gowanus Canal Flooding Into Lightstone Site

Here are some alarming images of the Gowanus Canal, ALREADY flooding into the Lightstone Development Site and elsewhere along the Gowanus Canal from Gowanus artist, Margaret Maugenest taken at 10 AM today.  
Please remember, as you view these images, that the hurricane had not hit the canal in full force yet.
As we said at this blog yesterday, this area is  designated as "Zone A" in NYC. It is (obviously) a floodplain and has been evacuated for the second CONSECUTIVE year due to a hurricane.  
Does this look like a good place to put 700 units of new housing?
We don't think so either.
Is the Gowanus Canal a highly contaminated, Federally funded "Superfund" site as well?
One of the most contaminated places in the country in one of the highest density residential areas????
Yup. 

"As a result of years of discharges, storm water runoff, sewer outflows and industrial pollutants, the Gowanus Canal has become one of the nation's most extensively contaminated water bodies."  EPA Link
CORD

Zone A evacuates again! and even as it is bulls-eyed for new housing insanity.......



Taped up windows at stores on Smith and Second Streets this Sunday evening 




With Hurricane Sandy causing the second, major hurricane evacuation of Zone A in a year, a zone that includes the Gowanus Canal and its "corridors", we here at CORD continue to vehemently oppose this City's plan to vastly increase the numbers of residents on this dangerous floodplain, that is Zone A, placing them, effectively, in harm's way, a mere few blocks from where the photos above were taken along the Gowanus Canal.

The current Lighthouse Development Project that plans to add an additional 700 units of housing to a Zone A site on Bond and Second Streets in Carroll Gardens/Gowanus,  is merely the latest example of this kind of insanity, an illogical thinking that ignores the laws of nature entirely in the development of new projects.  To add insult to injury for these imagined new residents of the future, the Gowanus Canal Zone A area, where the new residencies will be supposedly located, is ALSO situated next to the highly contaminated, Gowanus Canal, a current, federal superfund site that is full of numerous contaminants to our environment with both obvious and subtle risks.  

And to make matters even worse, our emergency (escape) route from Carroll Gardens to Fourth Avenue in case of disaster *still seems to be: Third Street (from Smith Street to Fourth Ave) which always floods as Third Street approaches the Gowanus Canal crossing, even in a large rain, let alone a hurricane.  

We wonder how many hurricanes in Brooklyn and how much damage will it take for our city's sanity to return she it comes to planning for our safe inhabitation of NYC?

CORD  

For more reading please see:

What Would Happen to the Polluted Gowanus in Case of a Hurricane?
Hurricane Irene Likely to Cause Big Problems for the Gowanus

* 





Monday, October 22, 2012

"Is the West 9th Street property really the best setting for a shelter, or was it chosen because of "other reasons"?

Hello from CORD!

From the new CGC  ("Carroll Gardens Coalition"):  "Is the West 9th Street property really the best setting for a shelter, or was it chosen because of its well-connected owner?"

http://www.ccgbrooklyn.com/is-the-west-9th-street-property-really-the-best-setting-for-a-shelter-or-was-it-chosen-because-of-its-well-connected-owner/

"Andrew Rice of capitalnewyork.com has expanded on his previous conflict–of–interest story surrounding the proposed Carroll Gardens Homeless Shelter.


Here are some bullets, but please read the full article (Click Here)  (http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/politics/2012/10/6538441/controversial-landlord-behind-mystery-shrouded-carroll-gardens-shel)"


For more, please see the CGC blog link above.


CORD

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Meeting this week re: CG Homeless Shelter

Hello!

Below you will find a letter from our Community Board District Manager regarding the Homeless Shelter proposed for 165 West 9th Street, Carroll Gardens. Please note the meeting (public is invited) highlighted.

What:  Homeless Shelter
When:  Wednesday Oct. 24, 2012
Where:  PS 58 auditorium 330 SMith Street (entrance on Carroll Street)

CORD

Letter from Craig Hammerman:
 


"Greetings!

After the close of business on October 4th, our district office received a faxed notification from Aguila, Inc./Housing Solutions USA, a Bronx-based social service provider, that they intended to open a facility and shelter for 170 single adult males at 165 West 9th Street between Court Street and Hamilton Avenue in our district.


We posted the letter on our website  and shared this information with our board members, elected officials and the Carroll Gardens neighborhood list server on October 5, 2012.  Since then we have been focused on trying to get as much information as we can about this proposal.  We have also invited representatives of both Housing Solutions USA and the City's Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to attend a public Informational Meeting that will be hosted by our Youth/Human Services/Education Committee at their next regularly scheduled meeting.  Both DHS and Housing Solutions USA have agreed to attend this upcoming meeting, which will take place at 6:30pm on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at PS 58's Auditorium, 330 Smith Street (entrance on Carroll Street), Brooklyn.

We are bringing the proposer and oversight agency out to meet with us and the community because, at the moment, it appears that it will be the only opportunity for the community to learn about this proposal in any detail before the facility is opened.  To that end, we welcome the communty to attend this important meeting armed with questions, so we take fullest advantage of this opportunity and extract as much information as we can from our guests.

When we asked Housing Solutions USA for a copy of their formal proposal, they referred us to DHS.  When we asked DHS they said they would consider our request, which we have resubmitted in writing.  Unfortunately, unlike the many items that come before us, at this point we have no formal application or other written material about this proposal to review, share and consider further.

However, through preliminary informal communications with Housing Solutions USA, we have learned certain information concerning their planned operations at this location that we are in a position to share:

o    Residents at the shelter will first be assessed and processed through the DHS city-wide intake facility at Bellevue Hospital.  The placement guidelines for the W9th St. shelter will specify that no mentally ill or chemically addicted ("MICA") clients may be referred to this facility.  If any are sent in error, Housing Solutions will refer them back to DHS."

Best,  Craig


Craig R. Hammerman

District Manager
Brooklyn Community Board 6
250 Baltic Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201-6401

t.
718.643.3027
f. 718.624.8410
w. www.BrooklynCB6.org
e. districtmanager@BrooklynCB6.org

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Community Board 6 Flips then Flops

Our very own Community Board 6 rejected its own Land Use Committee's vote and recommendation last evening regarding the Lighthouse Project and unfortunately voted to conditionally approve the Lighthouse Project.  This was extremely disappointing for the many Community Board 6 citizens who attended and spoke so eloquently at the recent Community Board 6 Land Use Committee Meeting. 


Many residents felt it was a slap in the face and dishonest on the part of the CB 6 General Board.  The community came out in full force at the earlier meeting and spoke overwhelmingly against the Lighthouse Project.  At last night's CB 6 General Meeting the community was not invited to speak again, and instead crowded at the back of the room, looking for the few, available seats.


For more details please see PMFA

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Petition regarding Lighthouse Group Development!

Please sign the petition below regarding the Lighthouse Group Development in time for the Wednesday Community Board 6 General Meeting! Please pass along!
CORD
This just in from the Froggs:
"If you agree that building 700 rental units including two 12 story buildings along the canal is inappropriate at best and will be recklessly dangerous to our health and quality of life,  please sign on and help circulate this and gather signatures in time for next Wednesday's meeting of the full CB6.  Thanks."

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