The two proposals to develop the deeply polluted Public Place site in Gowanus/Carroll Gardens are from the Related Companies and The Hudson Companies. Related is partnering with Monadnock Construction Inc., Catholic Charities and Donna Walcavage Landscape Architect. Hudson is joined with the Fifth Avenue Committee, Jonathan Rose Companies and The Bluestone Organization. The Gowanus Canal Community Development Corporation is a partner with both. Unveiling of the proposals is supposed to be late next month.–Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Among the many changes that neighborhood activists have been pushing in Carroll Gardens is a change in old city zoning regulations that define some very narrow streets in the neighborhood as “wide streets,” allowing for the possible development of tall buildings. The Department of City Planning has apparently agreed to a zoning text amendment that would redefine 1st Place through 4th Place as “narrow streets,” severely restricting the height of buildings that could be developed. (Currently, the gardens in front of buildings are counted as part of the street.) The news comes via City Councilmember Bill de Blasio who announced a “major development to help protect the character of Carroll Gardens.”

The text of his email says:

I along with community leaders, Brooklyn Community Board 6, and Carroll Gardens residents have brought to the Department of City Planning (DCP)’s attention concerns about the zoning implications of the ‘wide street’ definition in the R6 zoning district on 1st through 4th Place in Carroll Gardens. I am happy to announce that in response to these concerns, DCP has agreed to put forward an application for a change to the zoning text whereby these streets would be defined as ‘narrow streets’ for zoning purposes, permitting a lower Floor Area Ratio (FAR) and maximum building heights that are more in keeping with the surrounding character and context of the neighborhood.

This zoning text amendment would go through a public review process, and DCP hopes to have this ready for referral by the City Planning Commission in March.

Neighborhood reaction is pending.

This sign is at 340 Court street on the Union street side. The dumpsters are gone. This sign put up a few weeks too late, I’d say. It’s also taped to a rotten piece of plywood, held in place by a drawer. It was flapping in the breeze…

We had photos on Monday of an enormous pile of bags on the roof, which were later reported to be tossed down to a dumpster at night.

The uproar about 475 Kent continues. Here is the latest:

1) The “explosive grain” from the illegal matzo factory has been removed from the building and the state Department of Agriculture has been informed.

2) The building is supposed to be open from today through Sunday from 10AM-4PM so that people can move things out. Everyone agrees (including a city official off the record), however, that “moving” 150 people out of building will be impossible. After Sunday, the building is supposed to be padlocked.

3) One resident advises on the 475kent website:

the way i see it is that we need to start developing a not only a legal strategy, but a media and communications one as well. these are not mutually exclusive. there is still a great deal of press interest in the story and we need to start using that media interest to begin to serve our legal aims. the fact that the grain has now been removed is a fine place to start. there’s a wealth of messaging opportunity there.

on another front, we need to start a coordinated effort to pressure our electeds to take this issue on. i am very encouraged by councilman yassky’s statement from last night. now we need to get assemblyman lentol and our state senator, marty connor, who is facing a well financed primary fight, involved as well. one side note: connor is being challenged by a man named dan squadron. he’s young, but he’s pretty sharp. if he decides to make an issue out of this, which is a very smart thing for him to do, connor will absolutely have to address it as well.

4) Residents are talking things through with attorneys and are likely to files some suits, specifically seeking an injunction and an order allowing them back into the building once major code violations are fixed.

[Photo courtesy of jaredswafford/flickr]

A couple of weeks ago, we posted about the impending closure of the No. 1 Dry Cleaner on Smith Street, which was being pushed out by a massive rent increase. Well, they’re closed, and if you’ve ever wanted to see a dry cleaning operation taken apart piece by piece, here’s your chance.–PMFA

Time Equities and its partner Lucky Boy do not want to present a project that does not have community support. We thought the mews approach did because it was supported verbally and in writing by a number of community residents and local architects based on meetings we held in November and December. The mews design was also recommended for approval by the Landmarks staff who reviewed the plan.

It may be that some community members who took issue with the mews did not attend these meetings. The benefit of the Landmark process is that it gives all stakeholders a chance to be heard. Several concerns that arose at the meetings led to changes.

We value feedback from the community and the commission and will continue to address concerns, such as those that arose in the early meetings which led to design revisions of the Henry Street façade of the new townhouse.

At this point, we will re-conceive the project in a traditional street wall approach and try to present a plan that is responsive to the input received at the most recent Landmark hearing. As we did last time, we will reach out to the community and Landmark staff prior to presenting the final concept to the commission.

The same email was sent to Lost City and, we suspect, will appear on other blogs later in the day as well. It will be interesting to see the developer’s new plans.

The latest Park Slope mother-child issue is a new policy at Union Hall that is said to bar mothers with toddlers and older children. The word comes via a Union Hall employee that says the bar and popular hangout has been having issues with minors being sent in as bait by the police without ID. They have apparently been threatened with closure if anyone under 21 is found on the premises. (Actually minors are legally okay if they are with a parent or guardian.) Infants are still allowed, but any kids that are old enough to walk are out as are strollers because of “fire codes.” The story originated with the Park Slope Parents email list but has also made its way to the Park Slope Forum on Brooklynian, where a poster writes:

For parents that hang out at Union Hall.–Strollers and children who are able to walk are no longer allowed in. This is causing a little bit of a tizzy among some parents in the slope who are invoking some kind of . Personally, why in god’s name do you want to take your kid to a bar? Please, I love to take a break from mine.

Stay tuned for further updates, protests, corrections and/or reactions to Union Hall’s toddler and stroller policy.

The Park Slope Food Coop prides itself on serving organic produce and, at least in one case, it includes a very hearty frog. The frog traveled from South Florida to the Park Slope Food Coop in some lettuce and then spent three days in a Prospect Heights fridge. “Rather than get hopping mad, Brechbuhler and daughter Orla, 7, made their new amphibian amigo a home-away-from home in a jar filled with lettuce leaves, water and fruit flies they corralled from a nearby garden.” Happy ending.–NYDN

2) A reader writes that a new barbecue spot is going to be opening on Third Avenue and Sixth Street in Gowanus. We don’t know if this is a new location for a South Slope/Greenwood Heights restaurant that is said to be closing. In any case, our tipster writes: “We were walking our son to daycare this morning and noticed that on 3rd and 6th (I think)–across from the big commercial project with the blue plywood fence–the brick building on the corner with the corrugated metal doors had ‘Brick Oven Barbe-QUE Coming Soon‘ written on them. It wasn’t there yesterday. We’re psyched.”

3) Work is progressing on Bar Toto’s sister establishment, which will be opening at Third Avenue and Ninth Street in a space that looks like it’s going to be quite nice. It’s named Bar Tano and will feature a long zinc bar, pressed tin wall and grilled pizzas. The same reader who informs about the barbecue spot says that the new restaurant “is set to open in the next few weeks apparently.” If a couple of more eateries open, does it mean that Third Avenue is the new Fourth Avenue?

From A-Z, as in auto repair to watch repairs, here’s a very useful list of places in Brooklyn to get things fixed and to get some services like electrical work and plumbing. And, the places have been culled from comments left on blogs, so that they’re not just random picks. Bookmark this baby, because you never know when you’ll need to get that wallpaper hung.–Brooklyn Based

There has been a great deal of confusion about the date of the rally being planned by City Council Member Bill de Blasio to support a resolution he is introducing calling for a quick rezoning of Carroll Gardens and an interim moratorium on development more than 50 feet tall. At first, it was said to be January 29. Then, a flurry of emails indicated it was January 24. We saw at least a half dozen emails expressing frustration with the confusion, but late yesterday afternoon Mr. de Blasio’s District Director Tom Gray sent out an email setting January 29 as the date. The email said:

Join Councilmember Bill de Blasio, Assemblymember Joan Millman, The Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association, Carroll Gardens Coalition For Respectful Development, Baltic & Warren Neighbors, Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood Association and The Union-Sackett Association and support a resolution calling upon the Department of City Planning to immediately commence a downzoning study of Carroll Gardens to protect our neighborhood.

The rally will take place at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, January 29 at City Planning’s Brooklyn Office, which is located at 16 Court Street. Mr. de Blasio’s measure is a resolution, which by definition, has no legal authority.

• Michelle Williams Returns Home to Brooklyn [NYDN]
• Carlton Avenue Bridge Closes for Two Years [AYR]
• Carlton Avenue Bridge Closing Impact [No Land Grab]
• 10 Jay Street to Add Five Stories [Dumbo NYC]
• First Residents Move Into Downtown Brooklyn [Sun]
• 6 Members of Brooklyn Family Charged with Vehicle Fraud [amNY]
• Thoughts on a Navy Yard Wegmans Clarified [Clinton Hill Blog]
• 17th Street Ghost [Brooklynometry]
• Water Taxi Adds South Brooklyn to List of Suspended Services [NYP]
• Will the Sunset Ferry Ever Return? [Sunset Park Blog]
• Wednesday Food and Drink Roundup [Brownstoner]
• Weekend Events [About Brooklyn]
• Homeland Security and Real Estate Sales [New York Shitty]
• Standarized Classroom Testing is a Waste of Time [OTBKB]
• Heaven’s Gate [Bed-Stuy Banana]
• Riviera Suites Gets Some Hay [GerritsenBeach.Net]
• Cento 100 is Coming [Bay Ridge Rover]
• Made in Brooklyn: Bags from Recycled Sails [Sail Brooklyn]
• Horse Statues in Prospect Park [A Year in the Park]

Way back in November 2005 I went wandering about the part of Brooklyn that’s not quite Cobble Hill and not quite Park Slope, that was dangerous in the 60s and 70s and just safe enough now, along Third Avenue between Pacific and Union Streets. The area really doesn’t have a name, so I usually call it what it was called in the past: Gowanus, after an Indian tribe or chief. Indeed Mohawk Indians formerly made this neighborhood their home. A stroll along Third Avenue stirs up a lot of ghosts and memories, from the old ballpark where the Brooklyn Superbas, Bridegrooms or Dodgers played (they had a lot of nicknames when they played at Washington Park before Ebbits Field opened) to the office of Edwin Litchfield, the man who dredged the Gowanus Canal, to some of the old places here. Like much of Brooklyn, this area is poised for a lot of change.

The page includes some great pics from a couple of years ago.

So, what’s the little addition to the building in Williamsburg at Grand and Driggs? “It has a light glowing through the window, so someone has definitely set up shop in there. We asked an architect about the structure, and she said, ‘looks like a small room, some sort of extension off the building.'”–Gothamist

The controversy continues over 475 Kent Avenue, whose residents were ordered out on Sunday night–one of the winter’s coldest–because of an illegal matzo factory and stored grain in the basement as well as a raft of fire code violations. Yesterday, Council Member David Yassky sent out an email with a statement calling on the city to allow the 150 residents the city displaced back into their homes as quickly as possible. “This is terrific hardship for those turned out of their homes, and a fast resolution to this situation is absolutely necessary,” Mr. Yassky’s statement said. “During the holiday season in 2000, the City forced tenants in DUMBO out of their homes because they lived in non-residential loft spaces. As a result of public outcry, the Administration pledged not to evict residents of illegal lofts spaces in the future. However, this is precisely what happened over the weekend.”

The Council Member acknowledged “real safety concerns regarding 475 Kent Ave” but called on the city to allow residents “back into their homes as quickly as possible.” He said that once the “explosive grain” was removed the city should allow residents back. “The City has stated that the building will not house tenants until there is a full Residential Certificate of Occupancy– this can take months, and is entirely unacceptable, in addition to seeming to be a policy reversal,” the statement said.

Mr. Yassky suggested that “if the City is implementing a policy of making homeless citizens out of loft residents, that is very dangerous indeed.“

Later in the day, Mr. Yassky put up a post at 475 Kent’s new website, detailing the situation as of yesterday evening. As it turned out, the city didn’t allow anyone back into the building, but says people can go back after the “grain hazard” is removed tomorrow. The city provided Mr. Yassky with a “fact sheet” that says, among other things:

§ No occupancy will be allowed until extensive modifications are made to the building to make it safe and habitable.

§ Commercial occupancy – Commercial occupants will not be able to reoccupy their places of business until such time that all violations have been corrected.

§ Residential occupancy – Filing, by owner, for conversion to a residential building status will be necessary.

In the meantime, there is rampant speculation about why the evictions took place, with many people suggesting that a desire to convert the building to condos or to thwart rent control is behind it. A complaint to the Department of Buildings on January 19 about a defective sidewalk shed prompted an inspection that led to the evictions. (That such a complaint would be investigated within 48 hours is rather extraordinary in and of itself.)

An email we got yesterday afternoon from one of the 60 people that had expected to be be allowed into the building to retrieve belongings expressed deep anger over the continued handling of the situations. Residents had been promised access to the building from 10AM-4PM and were, instead, still out in the cold waiting in early afternoon. The subject line of the email we got was “Total Fucking Clusterfuck at 475 Kent.” It said: “it’s a mess. the city (FDNY, NYPD, OEM) should be ashamed of themselves. i have never seen such piss poor organization or execution in my life. at this rate, it will take weeks or months for people to remove their belongings.”

The last evacuation of a loft building was of one belonging to Josh Guttman (the Greenpoint Terminal Market landlord) in Dumbo during the Giuliani Administration. The public outcry over that situation led to a halt to such evictions by the city.

Related Stories:
Evicted Residents Don’t Know If They Can Ever Return [amNY]
Residents Might Be Allowed Back for Belongings on Thursday [NY1]
475 Kent Evacuation Paving the Way for Condos [Gothamist]
‘Commune of Creative Types’ in the Burg is Emptied Out [Brownstoner]

I know people on that block and the construction shakes their foundations. It’s impossible to drive there, too. My friends are still waiting for at least a repaving. It sort of dropped off the radar when it shouldn’t considering other waterfront issues.

Columbia Street hasn’t been torn up forever, only for more than two years. The project started in October 2005 and it’s slated to wrap up this spring. It has included installing new water mains, new sewer lines, new sidewalks, plus landscaping. In addition, part of the new Brooklyn Greenway is being built on Columbia Street.

• Two Killed in Stolen Car Crash on Ft. Hamilton Parkway [NYDN]
• Navy Yard Tow Pound Building Clad in Yellow [Brownstoner]
• State of the Brooklyn Condo Market [Urban Digs]
• Brooklyn South Narcotics Corruption Case Could Nix Arrests [Sun]
• Atlantic Yards Demolition Update [No Land Grab]
• Atlantic Yards Will Spawn Jane Jacobs Investigative Theater [AYR]
• The L Train Commute [NYT]
• Sweet Nostalgia on Henry Street [PMFA]
• No Standing [Not Another F*cking Blog]
• Happy Bruce Ratner’s Birthday Day [No Land Grab]
• Signs of Higher Intelligence [Bed-Stuy Banana]
• Lost Briefcase Found in Photo [New York Shitty]
• Coney Back in the Day: Cow on the Trolley Tracks [Kinetic Carnival]
• B Side of the Dub Pie Truck [Brooklynometry]

• Onetime Idyllic Dad in Upscale Brooklyn [NYP]
• Neighbors Shocked by Ledger’s Death [NYDN]
• Heath Ledger Found Dead in NYC Apartment [Gothamist]
• Star’s Tragic Death in Soho [NYP]
• Heath Ledger, Actor, Is Found Dead at 28 [NYT]
• Heath Ledger Dies at 28 [NYDN]
• Heath Ledger of ‘Brokeback Mountain’ is Dead at 28 [Sun]
• Heath Ledger Found Dead in Soho Home [Metro]
• Brooklyn is Sad About Heath [OTBKB]