I.R.O.N.Y: Those big, blow-up rats that are brought out to protest non-union work at development sites and businesses are made in a non-union shop. “Go figure. On a rare trip to Midtown East for a meeting Wednesday morning, we spied an all-new yellow “union rat” peering into the second floor windows of an office building undergoing a (presumably) non-union renovation, and got curious about the nasty-looking inflatable critters and where they come from.” Answer: from a non-union company in Illinois. It’s unclear whether the blow-up rat business is traditionally unionized.–INSIJS

This flier is posted around Bushwick. It says “please give him back,” which leads us to conclude that Poffy did not run away of his own volition. The photo comes from our Greenpoint Correspondent, who like us, loves animals.

Anyone who’s walked down Union Street in Park Slope has probably seen the sometimes funny and sometimes weird posters in the window of a home. There is a man and a story behind them, of course.–Gothamist

It just could be that the way to get improvements at a Brooklyn Post Office that everyone’s unhappy with is to start a campaign of collection complaint that make their way into online, print and television media. So it is with Boerum Hill’s Times Plaza Station, aka the Nightmare Post Office. (A couple of weeks ago, we featured some details of the problems here and here.) There was also a News 12 story on the issue. There are actually signs that things may be improving, including an email on the Boerum Hill Group that says things are better:

went to the post office last week to mail packages. you can tell that they are very aware of the complaints. every teller was working, they’ve cleaned up the forms table and i could hear construction going on in the back. the manager was out front helping people with the self-postage machine and answering questions. two days later, a package was delivered when i was there and handed to me with a smile. its working!!!!

Meanwhile, some neighborhood representatives met with postal official last week (Archie Warner, the Manager of Customer Service Operations from the Brooklyn Postmaster’s Office and Andrea Burrows, the Customer Relations Coordinator). Here’s some detail about that get together, in which the postal officials noted that “frustration was evident” from the community, but that managers in the postmaster’s office weren’t always aware of service problems. They said a search is underway for a better space for the station and also promised to look into problems with package delivery. As for bitter complaint about the service offered by clerks at the post office they said “The Brooklyn Postmaster has personally spoken with each clerk about this issue, and there will be job-related repercussions if no improvements are made, or if improvements turn out to be of a temporary nature.” Also:

An agreement was reached that the entire community will look for the promised changes in the post office, and will promptly report any problems. Such a report should contain the name of the clerk (all clerks are required to wear name tags) and/or the clerk’s ID from the receipt. By the same token, exceptionally good service should also be reported, with the clerk’s ID…It was furthermore understood that if improvements fall short of expectations, or are not maintained indefinitely, this matter will be brought before the press, the politicians, and the Postmaster General in Washington DC.

We know there will be follow up on this one.

On Tuesday, we ran an item about weekend work that developers hoping to build a 14-story Karl Fischer building at Grand and Driggs have been doing. Presumably, they are working to get out in front of a downzoning that would allow a four-story building on the site. If a foundation is complete before the downzone, the taller building can go up. In most neighborhood, such situations have led to significant amounts of after-hours and weekend work as well as charges of forged documents and other practices to try to get projects approved. In any case, photos of work that took place on Sunday were forwarded to us yesterday and are above. (The photo below is from a different day and is included as some demolition porn.) Here is bit of the email that came with them:

These are photos taken by a number of people on with different views of the construction site. They show the dust, a wrong way truck on the street, work on Sunday before 9am and lack of hardhats for workers…

All indications are that it will be a long few months on Grand Street. Residents are working to try to speed the approval process on the downzoning, but they’re also hoping for honest enforcement (or just-plain enforcement) of building rules. We look forward to an array of photos and videos from residents documenting any illegal or unsafe work. As always, readers are invited to send photos and information about this or any other development site to thegowanuslounge (at) gmail (dot) com.

The city’s plan to put a school that would serve people moving into upscale Williamsburg housing has created a lot of tension with Latino Williamsburg residents in whose school it would have been housed. “The new institution at Public School 84, on Berry St., would have catered to the neighborhood’s growing group of white families, the Hispanic families charged – an arrangement that smacked of segregation, they said. City school officials backtracked on plans for the new school this week, saying there was no final approval, and they denied the Hispanic parents’ characterization. Still, the incident exposed an ugly side of Williamsburg’s fast-paced gentrification.–NYDN

There was a fatal accident yesterday at a 13-story building under construction at 525 Clinton Avenue. A worker plunged 13 stories to his death when scaffolding collapsed and another was seriously injured. A third worker was unhurt. Brownstoner had both an early report and a follow up yesterday. An early eyewitness report said a worker had been blown through a window, but the Department of Buildings later reported a scaffolding collapse. The accident happened at 10:15 AM and the victim, Jose Palacios, was a resident of Astoria. He and other workers were applying stucco to the building. There was a high wind advisory in effect during the day and the Department of Buildings had issued an advisory to building projects in the city to take appropriate safety measures. Here is DOB’s email about the accident:

Earlier today, Buildings inspectors and engineers responded to emergency calls about a pipe scaffold collapse at 525 Clinton Avenue in Brooklyn. Upon inspection, Buildings engineers and inspectors determined a three-frame pipe scaffold installed on the roof of the new building under construction had collapsed. Sections of the pipe scaffold collapsed onto the 2nd floor and 12th floor setbacks of the new building under construction.

Preliminary reports indicate three workers on the pipe scaffold were performing stucco work on the exterior of the rooftop bulkhead at the time of the incident. The workers were employed by a sub-contractor, Bell Tower Enterprises, retained by the general contractor overseeing construction of the new building, Clinton Court Development LLC. Buildings forensic engineers are investigating to determine the cause of the collapse. While preliminary reports indicate high winds may have contributed to the collapse, Buildings forensic engineers are looking into whether the scaffolding was secured to the roof and the rooftop bulkhead.

The Stop Work Order on the building indicates the collapse was due to the scaffold not being properly secured and the high wind. The building has had six violations in the past. We posted a video of loud Sunday construction work at the building several months ago. Mr. Palacio’s death was the third fatal construction mishap of the year.

Related Stories & Posts:

• Breaking: Worker Killed at 525 Clinton Avenue [Brownstoner]
• Scaffold in Building Death “Not Properly Tied to Wall” [General Greene]
• Third Fatal Construction Mishap of 08 Sparks Investigation[Sun]
• Blown Away [NYP]
• Scaffolding Falls, Killing Worker in Brooklyn [NYT]
• Wind Knocks Construction Worker Off 13th Story Scaffold in Brooklyn [NYDN]
• High Winds Blamed for Deadly Scaffolding Accident [NY1]

Here is a long list of options for entertaining yourself on Super Bowl Weekend and beyond, including, but not limited to, possibilities for the game itself. There are sports bars (suprise!), art parties, live music and more.–Brooklyn Based

Yesterday, City Council Member Bill de Blasio formally introduced a resolution calling for an immediate downzoning study for Carroll Gardens and a halt on construction of anything taller than fifty feet both of which were subjects of a rally on Tuesday. The Carroll Gardens group, CORD said that “for all intents and purposes, he asked for the interim moratorium that we have been hoping for” and that CORD is “most appreciative of this first step. Councilman DeBlasio promised this to us back in September and he has delivered. ” The CORD group also said that “we think it took courage to take this very politically unpopular idea to the Council Chambers.”

A moratorium measure introduced in 2005 by Council Member Tony Avella has languished. That proposal would have banned all development and demolition once a rezoning study started. Mr. de Blasio did not sign on as a supporter of that bill.

“We think that this is the way change begins,” CORD said in an email sent out last night. “It starts with thinking about things differently, challenging what is no longer working and looking for a way to do and make things better. What was introduced on January 30th, in the NYC Council Chambers was a small, but very good first step. We must remember that real change takes determination, purpose, conviction and tenacity. It takes resolve. January 30th was Resolution Day.” It is unclear what impact the resolutions will have. The City Planning Department has said it is committed to a Carroll Gardens rezoning study. At the same time, a significant upzoning of neighboring Gowanus is far along in the process, which can take 18 months or more before plans are submitted to the City Council for approval.

Like many retail strips in Brooklyn where businesses are facing skyrocketing rent, Smith Street currently has its share of empty storefronts. They come from old businesses being squeezed out and from restaurants that have gone belly up. Is Smith Street “fizzling”? Well, here are photos of ten vacancies.–Pardon Me for Asking

A volunteer with the Union-Sacket Block Association uploaded videos of Tuesday’s rally on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall calling for fast action on the downzoning of Carroll Gardens. The two vids (Part I is on top and Part II is below it), which show a significant part of the rally, are below:

It’s fair to say that Greenpoint residents aren’t fans of the big sewage treatment plant in their midst that leaves the neighborhood smelling like a toilet at times. The stench will eventually dissipate when the huge project at the treatment is done, but for now, it remains fragrant. “As a community, we are literally crapped upon, constantly,” said Richard Mazur of the North Brooklyn Development Corporation at a public meeting with the city’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) last Wednesday.–Brooklyn Downtown Star

The plans for Williamsburg’s landmarked Domino Plant will be presented to Community Board 1’s Landmarks Committee tonight. The meeting is at the Board’s District Office, 435 Graham Avenue, which is at the corner of Frost Street. It takes place at 6:30PM. It will include presentations by Susan Pollock, Project Director/Community Preservation Corporation and Mr. Michael Wetstone, Architect/Beyer Blinder & Belle. An application for approval of the plans will go before the Landmarks Preservation Committee on February 5. They include removal of all of the interior “structure,” the creation of a courtyard on the eastern half of the building to provide light and air for apartments on the upper floors (with retail and community facilities on the lower three floors and a five-story glass addition to the filter house (the taller portion of the structure, where the smokestack is), with mechanical equipment enclosures on top. Some of the changes, like the five-story glass addition are significant.

The New Domino development would have 2,400 apartments. The preserved factory building would be surrounded by towers up to 40 stories tall. The total project would be 2.86 million square feet–Brooklyn’s largest after Atlantic Yards.

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

• New Rentals at 126 Fourth Avenue [Brownstoner]
• Landmarking vs. Rezoning: Lessons from Other Neighborhoods [Brooklyn Streets]
• Carroll Gardens as ‘The Next Williamsburg’ [Brooklyn 11211]
• Beware of Dog [New York Shitty]
• Cyclist’s Death Raises Money for Transportation Alternatives [NYDN]
• Lowen’s Pharmacy, Two Day Later [Bay Ridge Blog]
• Preferential Parking Permits for Some Neighborhoods? [Kensington Brooklyn]
• Fulton is the Armpit of the Neighborhood [Clinton Hill Blog]
• Coney Island Big Hits and Little People [Kinetic Carnival]
• Last Exit to Middle School [Brooklynometry]
• Super Bowl Sunday in Brooklyn [About Brooklyn]
• Green Things to Do Today [Green Brooklyn]
• Who Is Bay Ridge’s Swifty Burlap? [Right in Bay Ridge]
• Ah, the Prospect Park Geese in Winter [A Year in the Park]
• What’s Up with the Von King Park Dog Run? [Bed-Stuy Blog]
• Cool Bed-Stuy Signs [Bed-Stuy Banana]

Coney Island is featured in one of the MTA’s new “art cards” on the subway. This photo, which was posted by Rapid T. Rabbit on the Coney Island Message Board, is from the 4-5-6 line. The posters are actually available for purchase through the New York City Transit Museum’s online store.

Today is the last chance for interested buyers to do an on-site inspection of five connected parcels of land on Atlantic Avenue. Fittingly, the auction will take place on Valentine’s Day. The last-chance look is today at 11AM.–McBrooklyn

Parked on Columbia Street at Summit Street in Red Hook.

What, exactly, is going on the 3 1/2 acre parking lot at 85 Jay Street in Dumbo? It’s hard to say, but work crews were spotted there doing something and it’s of interest because it’s one of the most desirable parcels of undeveloped real estate in all of Brooklyn. The land is owned by Watchtower, which has been selling a lot of property over the last 18 months.–Dumbo NYC

This sidewalk sofa comes to us from Lewis Avenue in Bed-Stuy. Not the combination of sofa and bags of concrete. The photo, of course, is courtesy of our Greenpoint Correspondent.

Says Forest City Ratner spokesperson Bruce Bender after the company has endured several days of media speculation about whether further delays in its Atlantic Yards project will cause problems in sagging credit markets: “We remain completely committed to making Atlantic Yards and its numerous benefits a reality for everyone. Regardless of the opponents’ delay tactics, we will continue to move forward as quickly as possible.”–No Land Grab

The story of Samantha, the dog-napping victim from Windsor Terrace, has ended happily, although the story is still strange and disturbing. We got an email last night that said:

There were signs up in stores all over Windsor Terrace. Today Samantha’s owner was going to the stores carrying Samantha, who has been retrieved! Her owner told me that Samantha was put up for sale on the street. Someone bought her for $650 and then saw the story about her missing on the news. Now she is home again. (The whole story is strange–I’ve never seen anyone selling a dog on the street…)

Samantha’s story was run here on Saturday, on New York Shitty and on many other blogs and online news sites before being picked up by the print media and television. We’re not entirely sure who buys a dog for $650 “on the street,” but we’re certain that print and TV will be “breaking” the story shortly.

Yesterday morning, Carroll Gardens resident, community activists and local politicians gathered on the steps of Borough Hall to try to create some momentum for a downzoning of their neighborhood, which is under increasing development pressure. The 45-minute long rally was organized by City Council Member Bill de Blasio, who is introducing a City Council resolution asking the Department of City Planning to move quickly on rezoning the neighborhood. Mr. de Blasio said that the City Planning Office is committed to a study of rezoning the neighborhood, but the Department’s timetable has always been 18-24 months.

Gary Reilly, who produces the Brooklyn Street, Carroll Gardens blog and is running for Mr. de Blasio’s seat next year, said that he wanted to prevent Carroll Gardens from “becoming the next Williamsburg.” He later wrote in his blog:

A quick note on the Williamsburg comment, before it’s taken out of context – I’ve got nothing against Williamsburg. What I’m opposed to is what crap developers and their architects like “Hot Karl” Fischer have done there . . . and for the record, Hot Karl is currently straddling Carroll Gardens and making his first deposit at 100 Luquer Street. We can’t have more of that.

Meanwhile, blogger Pardon Me for Asking wrote:

Had it not been for the tireless work of the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association and C.O.R.D., we may not have gotten as far in our effort to protect C.G. I guess this is the place where I should thank our Councilman Bill de Blasio for his contribution. His announcement that City Planning will begin consideration of our rezoning request was welcome news. Also welcome was his resolution for a moratorium on construction until City Planning initiates the the rezoning even though it is not legally binding. In another positive development, the city is going to review and clarify the wide-street issue, hopefully closing a loophole for developers to build higher on blocks with deep gardens which were being counted as part of the street.

The Carroll Gardens rezoning push picked up speed last May after early renderings of the “Heavy Metal Building” at 360 Smith Streets were circulated and has been pushed with particular vigor by the CORD group. Yesterday, CORD launched another email and letter writing drive, this time urging residents to contact the Mayor and ask for help to “preserve” the neighborhood in the face of development pressure.

Related Stories/Posts:
Carroll Gardens Downzoning Rally [Brooklyn Streets Carroll Gardens]
Carroll Gardens is Mad and Isn’t Going to Take It Anymore! [PMFA]
At Rally, News of Carroll Gardens Downzoning Progress [Brownstoner]
PM Update: Rally Calls for “Short and Happy” Carroll Gardens [GL]
Keeping Carroll Gardens from Being the ‘Next Williamsburg’ [Curbed]
Carroll Gardens Residents Seek Zoning Change to Protect Low-Rise Character [BDE]

Yesterday’s rally to call for a downzoning of Carroll Gardens was an uplifting thing. There has been little doubt that the neighborhood would be rezoned at some point. Yet, the key issue remains the point at which it will happen. Getting the zoning changes enacted will take time, and a game of what we call “Beat the Downzone” is likely to ensue among developers intent on taking advantage of the old zoning. In this sense, it is imperative that local representatives and citizen groups work behind the scenes to try to speed up the timetable.

There are limits imposed on what is possible by the city’s land use process and timetables that must be followed. Studies must be conducted. Public sessions must be held and votes must be taken. This will all take time. It is why everyone needs to work to find a mechanism that would allow for big zoning-busting developments to be stopped while the downzoning process goes on. Currently, even if a moratorium could be enacted, it would have to follow a similar process to zoning and would, in and of itself, take 12-24 months.That’s why there needs to be a legal mechanism that will stop the clock at the beginning of a zoning study–a legal “moratorium” mechanism, if you will.

This is not just an issue for Carroll Gardens. It is one of the most critical land use issues in all of New York City. In this sense, City Council Member Bill de Blasio or any other leader who can develop a workable, effective solution and get it through the City Council would be making a critical contribution to every neighborhood in New York City that is under development pressure and awaiting a downzoning that will take two years to happen. Without it, developers will rush to complete buildings, working around-the-clock and violating city laws with impunity to make it happen. Yesterday, we ran an item about an ongoing Beat the Downzone Match on Grand Street in Williamsburg in advance of a rezoning that would chop a planned 14-story building to five. Ironically, these are the worst developments in the city in terms of adding insult to injury by assaulting neighborhood quality of life with work at all hours. With an interim moratorium, neighborhoods would be protected. Rallies are uplifting and great for community spirit, but someone needs to take the lead and make sure a measure is enacted. Who ever does so would earn a great deal of political capital in neighborhoods where it will make a positive difference.

The CORD group, which helped to generate significant attention for a Carroll Gardens downzoning and has pushed for an interim moratorium on buildings taller than 50 feet, is now pushing an effort to write Mayor Bloomberg. (Their petition drive for the moratorium has attracted more than 3,000 signatures.) The letter was posted yesterday on the CORD blog. Here are a couple of excerpts, as they underscore neighborhood fear of overdevelopment:

We have sought relief from the hyper-development that is taking place here through moratorium petition (3000+ signatures), contextual downzoning application (an undetermined wait time), amendments to the zoning text (a fairly lengthy and only partial solution), City Council Resolution (valiant and appreciated, but unbinding), expansion of our historic district (a volatile, divisive topic) and a rally at Borough Hall organized by our Councilman and Assemblywoman….We are all concerned. The pace here is fast, and all too often, homeowners are paying the price in property damages, simply for living next to, nearby or behind a developer who has hired careless workers employing, at times, questionable practices.

Read the local blogs, Mr. Mayor, take a look at our local papers. We have been crying out for months for help. We are not anti-development. All we want is thoughtful, responsible, respectful development. We love where we live. We would like to preserve it. Won’t you please help us?

The post includes a link that residents can use to send the text as an email to the Mayor’s office.

Workers are up on the roof of the old International Longshoreman’s Association building at 340 Court Street poking holes in the roof. Hard to say what they’re doing other than prepping the building for demolition. “First one, then two little masked figures.
Poke, poke, poke. Just a little longer, then this place comes down!”–PMFA