A number of civic and neighborhood groups had a press event at City Hall yesterday to push an agenda to reform the embattled Department of Buildings. Among other things, the groups called for an end to “self-certification,” a Giuliani-Era program that allows architects and engineers to certify that their plans comply with zoning and other regulations without city review. The program has been the subject of both abuse and controversy. The groups involved included the Queens Civic Congress, Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance (4BNPA), Historic Districts Council (HDC) and others. They were joined by City Council Members Tony Avella, David Weprin, John Liu and James Vacca and civic activists. (Interestingly, a rezoning in Mr. Avella’s district that he supports was defeated by the City Council yesterday, a move widely interpreted as political payback.) They suggest that Dept of Buildings reforms proposed by Mayor Bloomberg are “a watered-down version of previous proposals.” Queens Civic Congress President Corey Bearak, 4BPNA Executive Director and Brooklyn activist Raul Rothblatt and Historic Districts Council Executive Director Simeon Bankoff were among those that participated.

The group lists three top priorities:

1. Re-inspect hazardous Stop Work Order sites. The Department of Buildings fails to re-inspect construction sites after every hazardous violation, and fails to verify compliance. Some offenders simply pay a fine.

2. End Self-Certification (a.k.a. “Professional Certification”). The crane disasters represent a more serious lack of oversight of the construction industry. City Hall needs to stand for safety all around New York, not just at high-rise crane sites.

3. Work with the community. City Hall needs to harness the expertise of community groups.

See a full agenda of reform ideas by clicking here.

[Photo courtesy of Property Shark; the Scarano building is on the far right]

· Buildings Department Charges Brooklyn Architect [Sun]
· Building Blockhead [NYP]
· Zoning Rules are Flouted by Architect, City Says [NYT]
· Brooklyn Architect Robert Scarano Put on Notice [Daily Intel]
· Charges Filed Against Brooklyn Architect Robert Scarano [Gothamist]

Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brooklyn-related information and images:

· Former Assemblywoman Diane Gordon Sentenced in Bribery Case [Sun]
· Brooklyn Heights Senior Mowed Down by Van in Manhattan [NYP]
· Another Rally to Protest City’s Crown Heights Homeless Plan [NYDN]
· Baby Walrus Celebrates First Birthday at Coney Aquarium [NYP]
· Will New Bond Rules Make Financing Tougher for Atlantic Yards and Other Projects? [NYT]
· Net’s Arena Under Construction by End of 2009? [AYR]
· A Very, Very Cool Look Inside the New Brooklyn Children’s Museum [Brownstoner]
· Sunset Park Alliance of Neighbors Meeting Tomorrow [Best View in Brooklyn]
· High-Rise Heads in Greenpoint [New York Shitty]
· Phoenix Gift Shop [Fading Ad Blog]
· Bike Lanes in the Neighborhood [Clinton Hill Blog]
· Brooklyn Bird Safari [Blather from Brooklyn]

A surprise opening date of June 26 was announced at a Community Board 2 meeting on Wednesday night for the pop-up park on land being cleared for the future Brooklyn Bridge Park. The opening coincides with the date that Olafur Eliasson’s waterfalls are being turned on. Details about the park per Curbed, via the Brooklyn Eagle:

The summer park was announced at a local community board meeting last night, the Brooklyn Eagle reports, and will remain open through Labor Day. It will include four sod mounds “with a slight elevation to improve viewing and to give children something to roll down,” 1,700 square feet of sand, ten benches, 10 picnic tables and, uh, four trees. Yes, four trees, “to provide shade.” (Don’t everybody try to get into the shade at once.) The park will be open from 10AM to 10PM and Rice will operate a concession stand. Veggie tofu meatballs while one angles for a seat on one of the 10 benches or shade under one of the four trees and watches the water fall!

The park was designed by dlandstudio and we’re sure it’ll be a great spot for the summer.

“Summer is here and it’s hot. This past weekend hit record temperatures and what’s better than ice cream to cool us down? Seen for the first time in Dumbo were at least 5 different ice cream/slush trucks (not pictured is a flavored ice cart on Washington and York Street). So what you say? Not if you consider that they were stationed within a six block radius at once.”–Dumbo NYC

The schedule for the Next Wave Festival at BAM has been announced, though we don’t even want to think about things that will take place in October, November and December. The festival schedule can be viewed by clicking here. Interestingly, there are many video previews posted of performances and events as well, and a list of them can be seen by clicking here (Warning: The video preview for A Quarreling Pair will start playing immediately, so turn the sound down if you’re in the office.)

Have a look at the Ravine, “the deep-set forested heart of Prospect Park…Here I dragged Spouse (just off the subway) and Child for a sunset walk; the area is so isolated and remote that I have been reluctant to explore it alone. (Probably a wise choice, although the handful of fellow walkers we met were all peaceable.) We’d only gotten into these depths once before, years ago, and I vaguely remembered a rustic shelter and a waterfall as if I’d dreamed them. And indeed, once we left the well-signed precincts for the woods, we became delightfully lost…”–A Year in the Park

[Photo courtesy of Vaduzuvant/flickr]

This sofa comes to us from Coffey Street in Red Hook, a Brooklyn neighborhood that is soon to be a source of the Street Couches of the Future once Ikea opens its doors. It comes from our Gowanus Lounge Photo Pool. Click here to see the original photo.

Outside the Brooklyn Weather Observatory, the sky is blue and the sun is shining. Today’s forecast is suggesting that it will be sunny and warm with a high of 84. Tonight, look for partly cloudy skies and a low of 69.–Accuweather

One of the better pieces of news to come out of Coney Island recently is that the city is finally going to fix the horrendously deteriorated boardwalk. The city has allocated funds for the project, and tomorrow two state assembly members will be presenting a symbolic $10 million check to add to the pool of available money. A press release announcing the photo op tomorrow notes that “The Coney Island Boardwalk is 85 years old and showing its age.” Indeed, it is. The city promises that work will start in the fall on the worst segment of all, the one that runs from W. 12 to W. 15 Street and has caused countless injuries and falls.

[Photo courtesy of Dalton Rooney/flickr]

Check out this pic added to our GL Photo Pool by Dalton Rooney, who always does superb work. It combines many elements that we like, notably the looming Gowanus Expressway and a stark parking lot.

The Department of Buildings has filed internal administrative charges against architect Robert Scarano, alleging that he made false or misleading statements on applications for buildings at 158 Freeman Street and at 1037 Manhattan Avenue. Mr. Scarano is alleged to have improperly divided a zoning lot into two smaller lots for the two new buildings. Acting DOB Commissioner Robert LiMandri said in a press release that “We will not tolerate anyone who knowingly attempts to mislead the Department with false documents.” Mr. Scarano could lose the ability to file documents with the department if he is found guilty of the allegations.

To see the full press release about Mr. Scarano, click here.

The demolition of what we’re calling the Roebling Oil Field West, aka the expansion of Warehouse 11, the building perched atop our beloved and cleaned up Roebling Oil Field, is coming along nicely. The photo above is from earlier in the week when the Church of the Transfiguration a block away was being framed nicely by the rubble. Of course, the interesting thing about Roebling Oil West isn’t so much the demolition as what will be found when the excavation happens. More oil, perhaps?

Another Oil Field West demolition porn shot, ahead.

Tonight is the opening night for the 2008 season of Celebrate Brooklyn. It kicks off with a Gala Reception and a free concert by Isaac Hayes. This is the 30th anniversary year for the series. GL will be on hand and have full photo coverage tomorrow. The full schedule is up at over at the official BRIC site.

The rest of the schedule if you click here.

Kinetic Carnival has a report this morning that the remaining Reithoffer’s rides on Thor’s Stillwell Avenue property have been or are being removed. Reithoffer was only supposed to operate the ride through the first week of June and half had been removed by last weekend. Another operator is supposed to run a small number of rides on the rest of the property for the season. At least half of the property is being used for parking.

It looks like there’s more trouble for Studio B in Greenpoint. Its cabaret license was before Community Board 1 last night, but was withdrawn, possibly because it has some nasty pending issues with the Department of Buildings and the Department of Consumer Affairs.–New York Shitty

We are fans of the “No Shitass Parking” sign on N. 10 Street in Williamsburg and thought for sure it was toast with a new development going up. Yet, the sign we nicknamed “No Shitass Parking” because someone a long time ago wrote “shitass” between “no” and “parking” has proven to be a plucky survivor. It was removed from an old gate on the property and nailed up on the new construction fence. A four-story building is going on the No Shitass Parking lot.

A shot of work on the No Shitass Parking site it self.

Those who appreciate stories about the NYPD harassing photographers must read this tale from, of all places, Coney Island. It starts with a mother who object to a pic being taken of her child on a kiddie ride and ends with the cops intimidating a photographer into giving up his film. Yes, he was shooting on film.–Village Voice

Last night, City Lore and the Municipal Art Society honored Ten Places that Matter with Place Matters awards. We were on the selection committee that picked this year’s honorees. Here’s a short vid highlighting the winners, which are in all five boroughs. The Brooklyn honorees are the Weeksville Heritage Center and the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center.

Here’s a selection of photos from the Red Hook Ikea preview yesterday of both the interior of the store, the exterior and the waterfront esplanade.

John Martinez may be one of the happiest men in Brooklyn right now. He is part of what is bound to be a cottage industry: putting together Ikea furniture for those who can’t or won’t cope with the sometimes maddening assembly process. “‘We deliver it. We put it together. We make people happy,’ chirped Martinez, an employee of Urban Express, the company contracted by the big-box retailer to offer home assembly services to shoppers unfamiliar with an Allen wrench. The basic assembly of a coffee table, bookshelf or bed costs $30, plus tip, but many customers end up paying more than that for more complicated jobs.”–NYDN

There was an abundance of herring, salmon and other fish–not mention a lot of dessert–at yesterday’s media preview of the new Ikea on Beard Street, which will open at 9AM on June 18. The store will be Ikea’s 35th in the U.S. and the fifth in the tri-state area. Store Manager Mike Baker focused on the specifics of the new operation and played up the benefits to the 500 employees, “many of them from the local Red Hook community.” (Ikea hasn’t said how many employees are residents and guesstimates vary pretty widely, although a significant number of residents are believed to be working there; local jobs were a key selling point for the store, which will dramatically change the neighborhood’s character. As many as 15,000-17,000 cars are expected over the course of a weekend day.) The new store clocks in at 346,000 square feet and features 45 room sets and three model homes. The waterfront esplanade outside, behind the parking lot and the store, stretches for nearly a mile. The store also includes 475 square feet of green roof; solar panels will be installed this summer.

On the bizarre shopping side, customers will be able to camp out starting Monday, June 16 and the retailer will provide porta-potties, snacks and coffee. (Pup tents only; no camping in vehicles, and our friends at Racked will have someone in line blogging it.) The first 35 people in line will get a free Ektorp sofa. The next 100 will get a free POÄNG chair. The first 100 children get a Fanning toy and the first 2,500 people through the door will get a gift card worth $10-$250. There will be an “opening ceremony” starting at 8:15 with the raising of American, Swedish and New York flags and a ceremonial good luck sawing of a log to open the store. The Swedish Ambassador will be on hand too. Ikea says it’s been working with the Department of Transportation and the NYPD to try to get shoppers to “off local streets” and into the store as efficiently as possible. As for us, we are waiting to see the impact on Red Hook and wondering who camps out at an Ikea store opening.

“Once a year the burghers of Brooklyn in the Prospect Park South, Ditmas Park, Fiske Terrace, Midwood Park, and Beverl(e)y Squares East and West neighborhoods open their doors to allow the hoi-polloi to see what residential architecture looked like when houses were built when aesthetic principles, not economic ones, were paramount.” Check out the photos.–Forgotten NY

Williamsburg was among the neighborhoods where crime was reported to have spiked in the last quarter, and we’ve periodically seen reports of problem, particularly in South Williamsburg. Late last night we got an email with the subject line “Subject: Danger in the Neighborhood, please watch out. this is serious.” Whether one believes every incident outlined in the email (and they have not been verified), it does speak to some disturbing things happening that merit caution:

You might have noticed while walking around Williamsburg for the past 2 months a large number of police officers in groups around the neighborhood. Especially in the south side, in the area between Metropolitan ave and Broadway, and between Meeker (expressway) and the water. You might have thought it was because of some random accidents and petty crimes, or a return to the Gulliani police state. This is not the case.

For the past few months there has been a spate of violent muggings and random murder attempts including one supposed successful event. (according to the police officer i just talked to) People walking on the street during daytime and night time hours have been attacked by a single person (maybe different ones) who rode up to the victims on a bike and stabbed the person repeatedly.

Up until this evening for me, this was just hearsay from different sources (including from asking a couple of police officers.) Today I found out that this past Saturday morning around 9 am, a friend of mine (Walter from the coffee shop); who has been in the neighborhood for years, was stabbed in the chest 4 times while walking home from the Metropolitan Pool.

More scary details, ahead.

Brooklinks is a daily selection of Brooklyn-related information and images:

· Huge Package of Ikea Red Hook Stories [Sun]
· Ikea Set to Unveil Red Hook Store [NYDN]
· Ikea Red Hook: The Quiet Before the Store [Racked]
· Three of Six Heat Wave Deaths in Brooklyn [NYT]
· How to Hold a Rally at Cadman Plaza/Borough Hall [AYR]
· Details on Driver of Ambulette that Killed Brookyn Teen [NYDN]
· Luxury in Brighton Beach [Brownstoner]
· Detail on Prospect Park Activities [Brooklynometry]
· Excellent Detail on the Renegade Craft Fair [Brooklyn Based]
· More Dog Run Info [Clinton Hill Blog]
· Some Bed-Stuy Statuary [Bed-Stuy Banana]
· A Stroll Down Nostrand Avenue [Fading Ad Blog]
· Night Lights in the Park [A Year in the Park]
· What Happened to Imagine Flatbush 2030? [Brooklyn Junction]