Slowly, everyone is starting to admit that the Altantic Yards area would be as close to the street as the Prudential Center in Newark, which is a recognized security problem that has led to street closures. Why has it taken so long and what will be done about it?–Atlantic Yards Report

Here are a few Brooklyn-related, Thanksgiving-related vids from the YouTube.

The Turkey Trot…is awarded to Bruce Ratner, the Empire State Development Corporation, and the New York Police Department for dancing around the terrorism and security issue. The Leaky Turkey…goes to Frank Gehry, who came up with this canard last week: “My name is Frank Gehry, and my buildings don’t leak.” Like, ok, at least half that sentence is true. The Jive Turkey…will be delivered to Eliot Spitzer’s home, because today is day 325 after “day one,” when “everything changes”….Etc.–No Land Grab

Sen. Kruger took credit for busing 500 people to the Coney Island Development Corp.’s public information meeting on Monday night. (Others said the total was 100-200.) They were described by the State Senator’s office as people interested in attending the meeting, but one observer told us that many of the people that piled off the buses spoke only Russian or almost no English. Meanwhile, Coney’s Diana Carlin told the Brooklyn Eagle that the bused-in group, many dressed in identical yellow hats, “seemed confused, resigned to being shuffled around by a woman carrying a clipboard. ‘It seemed like they were paid to be there.'”

By yesterday afternoon, there was an entire thread on the Coney Island Message Board devoted to “who paid for the buses,” with prime candidates including developer Joe Sitt, Sen. Kruger and Council Member Dominic Recchia. Members of the pro-Atlantic Yards group BUILD, which was received significant funding from developer Bruce Ratner were also in attendance, wearing the yellow hats that Sen. Kruger’s bus attendees.

Kinetic Carnival offers up a long post this morning dissecting the “unanswered questions” about Kruger’s very prominent new role as the leader of the opposition to the Bloomberg Administration’s Coney plan. Sen. Kruger is said to be planning a run for Brooklyn Borough President.

Of Sen. Kruger’s opposition, Sarah Ryley writes in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle:

Kruger could become the Coney Island Development Corporation’s (CIDC) worst enemy. After promising, in an interview with the Eagle Monday to defeat Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s radical proposal to transfer city parkland to the amusement district, which would require state approval, Kruger effectively shut down the agency’s presentation last night. Kruger said the meeting violated the state’s Open Meetings Law because attendance was by invitation and required an RSVP, though he said he wasn’t aware of that requirement prior to being shut out. And he took the trouble to bus in some 500 people from churches and civic organizations (though he declined to tell the Eagle which ones)…

Kruger said they were angry citizens from Coney Island, Brighton Beach and Sheepshead Bay. “This plan is D-O-A — Dead On Arrival,” he said, noting support from City Councilman Domenic Recchia, Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasney and Senator Diane Savino. For the next meeting, he said he’d organize a boycott.

The flier above is something Sen. Kruger’s office prepared that was handed out at the Coney meeting and posted by Kinetic Carnival. He has promised to block the plan to “alienate” parkland next to KeySpan Park so that it can be sold or transfered to developers in exchange for land in the amusement that would become a city-owned park leased to a private operator. The legislature has to approve the parkland changes. The Eagle also reported that the Senator vows to “lobby as effectively as I can to assure that the bill, if there is a bill, would be defeated on the floor.”

Sen. Kruger made international news this year with his proposal to ban the use of iPods and MP3 players while walking.

While the city may be able to get complete the land use review and gain City Council approval for any zoning changes, effective opposition in Albany could easily delay action until a new Mayor takes office, perhaps one who is more positively disposed to the original Sitt plan to build condos and hotel rooms in the amusement district.

It’s unclear what’s going to end up being built at 340 Court Street with the developers, the Clarett Group, saying that they’ll be putting up a six or seven story building and residents still afraid of a 21-story tower (which is theoretically okay under current zoning). What’s more certain is that the demolition crews got to work yesterday. A GL reader notes: “They have quickly begun tearing down ‘Long Island College Hospital Outpatient Lab’ at 340 Court between Sackett and Union. This morning I woke up to jackhammers tearing up the sidewalk, chairs, etc. being throw into dumpsters.” Carroll Gardens blogger Pardon Me For Asking, who has been all over the 340 Court story, and the day-to-day developments at the site, has noted that “a huge drilly thing” (as seen in the PMFA photo) has also been on the site.

Coney Island Development Corp. Chair Lynn Kelly sent out a letter yesterday apologizing for the cancellation of a chaotic meeting at Coney Island Hospital Monday night. She promised to reschedule the session about the city’s new Coney plan at a bigger venue. The meeting was scuttled after up to 500 people, many wearing identical yellow hats, arrived in school buses hired by State Sen. Karl Kruger. (The auditorium could only hold 200.) Ms. Kelly’s letter said in part:

As you may know, last evening we had to postpone our planned Community Information Session at Coney Island Hospital when, after consulting with hospital security and the NYPD, it became clear that the auditorium simply could not safely accommodate the number of people who attended. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience that this caused and can assure you that we will reschedule this Community Information Session in the near future in a venue that can accommodate larger numbers. We remain committed to ensuring that any and all residents who want to learn about the plan have that chance.

We had originally chosen the hospital auditorium as the venue in hopes of providing the opportunity for true interaction between community residents and planning staff in a smaller “working group” environment, as we had with the successful community-based planning of the Coney Island YMCA. Unfortunately, we immediately recognized that this would not be possible upon the arrival of large groups of individuals who were bused in for the meeting and who we simply could not accommodate in this limited space. Had we been notified by the organizers of this effort in advance that such large numbers were interested and would be bused in, we could have tried to find alternate space. We have the greatest respect for each and every individual who wants to be part of this important conversation and we regret that we were not able to fit everyone…

There are many meetings to come about the Coney Island plan.

Planning on taking something from Miss Heather’s blog and, say, running the story without credit in the paper? Miss Heather has a form that can be filled out and a new email address to which it can be returned so the process is seamless and easy.–New York Shitty

1) What’s up at the Trader Joe’s that supposed to be coming to Court Street and Atlantic Avenue? Our colleagues at Racked, who cover so much territory in this city it makes your head spin, took a peak inside and found….nothing going on. There have been rumors that the deal has fallen through, but it could just be a typically long development timeline. [Racked]

2) There’s good news for people that like to shop at the Associated on Fifth Avenue near Union Street. Our friend Gabby Warshawer at Brownstoner, who’s been doing some thorough reporting on retail trends in the Slope and environs, reports that early rumors we noted of a supermarket expansion into space formerly occupied by Beso and the Donut Shop next door are true. While we mourn the loss as a superb photo opportunity we will mourn–someone save the sign for a museum–increased local grocery options are a good thing. [Brownstoner]

Attention doubters: The Great Park Slope Umbrella Experiment seems to be working. Merchants report that those yellow Buy Local umbrellas sponsored by the Park Slope Civic Council are being used and–this is the important part–returned. Wow.–NYDN

• Protests at Funeral for Teen Shot by Police [NYP]
• Irving Square Park Makeover [Brownstoner]
• State Sen. Karl Kruger as “Community Advocate” [AYR]
• Where Do You Get 500 People in Matching Hats to Shut Down a Mtg? [McBrooklyn]
• Meet the Illegal Sidewalk Cafes of Sheepshead Bay [GerritsenBeach.Net]
• Imagining Flatbush 2030 [Brooklyn Junction]
• Students Raffling Holiday Feast and Makeover for Homeless [NYDN]
• Missing the Bocce Boys of Summer [Pardon Me For Asking]
• Bay Ridge “Drug House Crusade” Noted [Bay Ridge Rover]
• Mess of a Building in the Nabe Gets Cleaned Up [Bed-Stuy Blog]
• Brooklyn Cabbie Killed in Midtown, Family Mourns [NYDN]
• Photos of a Subway Station [Bed-Stuy Banana]

Do you have any electronic devices–computers, monitors, printers, etc.–that need to be recycled? If so, there are opportunities coming up in both Fort Greene and in Park Slope. The Fort Greene recycling drop off spot will be the Habana Outpost on Fulton Street at South Portland Avenue. The dates and times are:

Saturday November 24, from 10 am to 4 pm
Sunday November 25, from 10 am to 4 pm
Monday November 26, from 4 pm to 7 pm

The Park Slope drop off will be at PS 321, which is on Seventh Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets. The dates and times are:

Saturday December 8 from 10 am to 4 pm
Sunday December 9 from 10 am to 4 pm

Electronic devices are responsible for serious environmental issues if they aren’t disposed of properly, so dropping them off at such events is a good thing to do. New York City residents buy 92,000 tons of electronic devices every year.

Neighbors of the notorious Giant Fart Cloud Building, which is being demolished at 5 Roebling Street in the Burg, now have gas. Seriously. KeySpan is digging. The good news is that the phones and internet are back, so they can phone, email and text before the block goes boom.–Bad Advice

Yes, friends, the Prospect Park Track Club’s Turkey Trot 5M is upon us tomorrow morning. It takes place at 9:00AM on Thanksgiving. The race starts at starts and ends near the Oriental Pavilion in Prospect Park. Same day registration is at the Wollman Skating Rink from 7:30 to 8:30 AM. The race begins at 9 AM. There is also pre-registration today from 4PM-7PM at Jack Rabbit Sports, which is at 151 7th Ave/ Carroll St. (4-7pm). Walkers are welcome. Pre-registration is $18 for non-member and $16 for member. Same day registration is $20 for non-members and $18 for members. Proceeds will benefit the Bishop Ford boys and girls track teams. More info here.

Face it, a four-day weekend can present some recreation and leisure challenges, especially if you don’t fancy yourself in the middle of a consumer maelstrom. From the Brooklyn Museum to tying one on at that Williamsburg bar you’ve never tried, here are some non-shopping-related suggestions.–Brooklyn Based

It sounds like it was quite a scene at Coney Island Hospital last night for the first public forum on the city’s new Coney Island zoning strategy and plan, which did not get off to an auspicious start. We couldn’t attend because we’re somewhat under the weather, but had been in contact with Coney Island Development Corp. Chair Lynn Kelly earlier in the day and knew that the 200-capacity auditorium was already full to the bursting point based on RSVPs. Kinetic Carnival, which always produces authoritative Coney Island coverage, describes the scene this way:

The community, the press, some city officials, members of the CIDC, a few nice folks from the Coney Isand USA bulletin board, as well as a bus-load of about 400 to 500 people, all spilled out onto the Coney Island Hospital parking lot due to a cancellation of last night’s Coney Island Development Corporation Information meeting due to an overwhelming amount past what’s allowed at the hospital’s auditorium.

Lynn Kelly was very apologetic and told KC that the meeting was cancelled due to so many people that were not on the RSVP list showing up in bus loads. Roughly over 400 showed up out of nowhere wearing yellow ball caps that read “Bloombergs plan: How much? How long? Who pays?“, which resulted in the cancellation of the meeting. The hospital’s auditorium capacity is no more than 200.

After the meeting was canceled, City Council Member Dominic Recchia, accused the CIDC of doing so “on purpose” to thwart public discussion. The CIDC promises to reschedule the meeting at a venue that can handle a much larger capacity crowd.

One thing that seems clear is that there is an intense level of interest in the city’s plan that was never generated when developer Joe Sitt was presenting his Coney Island plans and that there is some significant opposition to the city’s plan within the local community. The review process is not going to be boring. There is full coverage of the cancellation at Kinetic Carnival as well as a copy of the flier that CIDC was handing out to people that couldn’t be accommodated in the auditorium before the meeting was canceled.

[Photo courtesy of Kinetic Carnival]

Yesterday evening was one of those times when it would have been useful to be in several places at once. At things would have it, we were under the weather an unable to be at any of them. So, we’re grateful to be able to refer to some superb coverage today by people that did attend. Carroll Gardens Blogger Pardon Me for Asking provides some early coverage of the Carroll Gardens Landmarking Forum last night and reports that it was “all about information” and “an important step in Carroll Gardens” that “will help residents decide how best to protect this Brownstone neighborhood from developers.” Many of the questions are reported to have been very nitty-gritty ones about the practical impact of landmarking such as “Will Landmarks make me change my windows and doors if I do not want to change them as a homeowner?” PMFA quotes one attendee as saying of rezoning and landmarking: “If we don’t do anything, we are going to leave the developers to impose their vision on our Brownstone neighborhood.” There is a separate post dealing with Council Member (and Borough President candidate) Bill de Blasio’s appearance at the meeting.

[Photo courtesy of Pardon Me for Asking]

A successful reality in Denmark and now in more than 100 locations in the US & Canada, cohousing offers a contemporary model for creating a secure and stimulating environment for families and individuals. In urban cohousing, people live in individual apartments but mingle in common courtyards, gardens and dining facilities. The Brooklyn Cohousing Group is currently recruiting smart, creative, and community-minded people to locate, finance, design and build a community for 20 to 30 households. As the first co-housing community in New York we hope to embody what is best about being New Yorkers. We are a child-friendly, multi-generational group open to all ages, races, religions, ethnicities and household types…

We want an apartment building with a central courtyard where children play and neighbors gather, friends talk and people sing, and where plants, trees, vegetables and flowers grow. We currently believe that a mix of 20-30 apartments of various sizes is ideal and we intend to build or modify an apartment building to house a community of this size. We are committed to doing so in Brooklyn within 2 years (by the fall of 2009). We aim to locate within walking distance of Prospect Park, in an area with good public schools, near to public transportation and shopping and services. We value the environment and will include ecologically-friendly technologies where economically feasible. We will design a beautiful building and invest in quality construction to create homes we will be proud to live in for a long time.

The meeting is tonight at 6PM at 399 Atlantic Avenue.