Celebrating Community
UPDATE: The introductory webinar was held on August 12. As predicted below, it was an undemocratic neighborhood meeting. We were told that over 400 people were online, but there was no further information as to who they were, what they looked like, or whether they had anything to say. It was the kind of ZOOM meant for a one-way conversation, […]
Members of the Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group were smiling in their Zoom squares when Christos Tsiamis, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) engineer leading the Gowanus Canal Superfund cleanup, reappeared on their screens on March 23. Tsiamis had not attended the group’s monthly virtual meetings since December, when he expressed concerns over changes utility company National Grid made last summer […]
On February 25, Council Member Carlos Menchaca blasted a Red Hook developer’s decision to avoid the City’s public review process to pursue a major rezoning. The following statement was delivered during a Brooklyn Community Board 6 meeting on the proposal: “The developer first approached my office about their ‘Model Block’ concept over two years ago. At the time, the concept […]
After an hour or more of picketing and soapboxing outside, a raucous, emotional crowd filled the auditorium of Sunset Park High School to capacity on September 16. Following a six-month delay for a comprehensive evaluation, Councilmember Carlos Menchaca had, apparently, reached a verdict on the Industry City rezoning and had invited the community to hear it. By the end of […]
Good urban planners know that, in order to create cohesive neighborhoods and healthy local culture (and, even more importantly, in order to preserve the environment), cities must value density and use their land efficiently – particularly if they want to create enough housing to meet demand. That’s why most planners find golf courses so repugnant. Sure, they’re nice for the […]
In June, the Gowanus Landmarking Coalition, an advocacy group for historic preservation, earned a significant victory – albeit an incomplete one – when the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) agreed to calendar five buildings in Gowanus. This decision increased the likelihood that, in the form of longstanding anchors like the American Can Factory and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Powerhouse, some of […]
Manufacturing businesses, including contractors and repair shops that have been in Gowanus for years, have been wondering about their futures will look like once giant skyscrapers become their neighbors. The southern portion of Gowanus has been part of the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Business Zone (IBZ) since 2006. The IBZ is a zoning designation created by the Bloomberg administration to supposedly […]
For the first time in the face of a proposed city-initiated rezoning, strategic advocacy by the Gowanus Landmarking Coalition – comprised of grassroots, neighborhood and citywide advocates – has led to the proposed calendaring of a set of neighborhood landmarks, prior to the proposed rezoning. “We view this as a great first step by the Landmarks Preservation Commission,” said Gowanus […]
The Sunset Park Landmarks Committee, an activist association of neighborhood preservationists, celebrated a major victory on June 18 when the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) responded to their six years of organized advocacy by voting unanimously to protect four historic residential sections of Sunset Park. The Sunset Park North, Sunset Park South, Central Sunset Park, and Sunset Park 50th Street historic […]
Currently, many Red Hookers are upset about the tearing down of the longstanding warehouse at 202 Coffey Street by UPS, which purchased the property over a year ago. This reaction is similar to the demolition of the unique Revere Sugar factory by Thor Equities back in 2006. In both cases, the buildings were sold without landmarking status, and thus the […]