Courtyard Crackdown: Finally!

Someone finally got someone's attention about the well-documented problem of public space being used to as private space. Interesting that it is the DOB ticketing the cars, as it would seem that the DOT has jurisdiction over public rights-of-way. Wonder why no one has gone after Hannah Senesh? From the Brooklyn Paper:

"Three homes were ticketed after the Department of Buildings’ inspection, a visit that followed a stunning report in this newspaper that many residents of Fourth Place between Smith and Court streets were violating city zoning, which forbids parking in the front yards along First, Second, Third and Fourth places.

Decades-old zoning designed to preserve the gardens that give the neighborhood its name designates such front yards as part of the street and not the homeowner’s lot, giving the city oversight about what is permissible there.

Two homes were summonsed for illegal front yard parking. The third home was found to have an illegal curb cut."

Smart Parking Policy/Dumb Parking Policy

The few Park Slope residents who drive cars (let me make that clearer: the MINORITY of drivers) want to make it tougher for everyone else to live. From the Brooklyn Paper:

"Park Slope community leaders (ed. self-declared) continue to slam the brakes on a scheme that would jack up the price of parking in the spot-challenged neighborhood by a whopping 33 percent, and stretch the hours when those rates are in effect.

Last week, Community Board 6 tabled the two most contentious aspects of a plan to extend “Park Smart,” a controversial city initiative that frees up parking spaces by making it pricier to park during peak hours, from noon to 4 pm."

This is in sharp contrast to a city with progressive, liveable streets, like Seattle, which is embracing change for the better:

"Mike McGinn, the bicycling mayor, is counting on cars to salvage the city's transportation fund.
His budget proposals, released Monday, would affect anyone who drives into downtown and the other busiest neighborhoods, through higher taxes and meter fees of $4 an hour in and near downtown. Even the residential parking zone fee would increase for street parking in certain neighborhoods. And that's in addition to a likely $20 car-tab fee.

Why look to parked cars for money in a weak economy? Because people have been quite willing to put up with parking-fee boosts the past few years — and the city sees a potential gain of at least $20 million next year."


First CB6 went wild about the potential loss of a few spaces for massive progress on Prospect Park West, and now this. I feel sad for anyone on CB6 with any knowledge of transportation.

Why High-Density Zoning on Fourth Avenue is a Failure

The Park Slope Civic Council is hosting a forum on November 6th to try and wrap their heads around the current situation that is 4th Avenue. No need for discussion, guys, the WSJ hit it right on the head.

"While the 2003 rezoning resulted in 859 new apartments—either built, under development or in planning—the design of many of the new buildings have come under attack. They've done little to improve the character of the neighborhood or make it more pedestrian friendly because they have parking garages, air vents or concrete slabs at street level rather than shops and cafes, critics say.

The result is that Fourth Avenue remains relatively desolate, attracting little of the street activity that has made Park Slope one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the city."

The solutions to 4th Avenue's problems are simple; eliminate a lane of traffic, expand pedestrian and bike space and change the draconian zoning regulations that dis-incentivize (made up word, yes) the creation of mixed-use development and instead result in a plethora of "community facilities" (read: "Commercial space limited to medical uses") which do nothing to the streetscape (second made up word).

Doesn't Anyone Have a Job?

Marty Markowitz' shameful example has apparently emboldened a few people who still think that having an expressway through Park Slope and next to the biggest city park in the borough is a good idea. Maybe Marty wants a speedier trip home to Kensington from Borough Hall? From the Brooklyn Paper:

"Since the bike lane was first proposed last year, it has been one of the most controversial issues in Park Slope.

Many cyclists and pedestrians hail the lane as a safer path that has reduced the well-documented speeding on Prospect Park West by eliminating one lane of car traffic. But drivers and other locals say the lane is ugly, has exacerbated traffic, reduced parking, and increased the danger for pedestrians who must dodge cyclists traveling in both directions.

Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan has said that the agency will finish compiling data on Prospect Park West traffic by January.

Dueling bike lane protests on Thursday, Oct. 21. Supportes gather at Grand Army Plaza on Thursday, Oct. 21 at 8 am. For info, e-mail rsvp@parkslopeneighbors.org. Antis gather at Prospect Park West and Carroll Street at 8:30 am. E-mail ppwbikelane@gmail.com for info."


Don't either the supporters or opponents of the lane have any place to be at 8 or 8:30 on a Thursday? Jobs? Kids to care for? Or is it just a convenient time for some yentas who think cameras might come out at that time?

Breaking, and Shocking: Old House has Old, Badly Maintained Facade Fall Off

The wood-frame house at 341 Sackett Street took a lot of damage from the weekend/holiday storm and is now worse for the wear. From the Brooklyn Paper:

"“The storm knocked off [the wall],” said Tom Hassan, a resident of the building between Court and Clinton streets. “It happened all at once.”

The crack first appeared after the storm and expanded on Tuesday before splitting the facade in half, said Hanna Abuhamdeh, a relative of the building’s landlord who lives at the residence. There were no injuries."


Sackett Street was closed off until at least 9 pm last night, although there appeared to be no danger to anyone driving by.

One Decent Idea for the BQE, One Horrible One

A snazzy idea always gets people riled up, so there's been some chatter lately about a wacky proposal to construct a new tunnel from the Gowanus to the BQE, cutting out the portion that runs through Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Downtown Brooklyn. A much better idea, which sort of came from the New York State DOT, is to tunnel the existing cantilevered portion under the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. From the New York Times:

"The rationale for the project was to create a bypass while the B.Q.E. — notorious for its lack of shoulders, impossibly short merge lanes and low clearances — is almost completely rebuilt. A tunnel, though, would live on to relieve congestion on one of the city’s most heavily traveled routes, which now carries 140,000 vehicles a day. Early state estimates — before the idea of a tunnel was formally broached — put the cost of the entire project at $254 million and predicted construction would begin in summer 2017. "

But then they get to Roy Sloane's horrific idea of DOUBLING BQE capacity in downtown Brooklyn.

"A fourth tunnel idea that would skip Brooklyn Heights entirely has been put forward by a local graphic designer, Roy Sloane. He would bore an almost three-mile tube straight under the heart of Brooklyn, from the Brooklyn Navy Yard, below the streets of Fort Greene, Boerum Hill and Park Slope, to emerge at a spot near the southern end of Red Hook. Mr. Sloane presented the idea to state transportation officials at one of the brainstorming sessions they have scheduled every month for residents.

“Why not think big?” Mr. Sloane said. “Engineers tell me that the most elegant solution to any problem is a straight line.”"

This proposal also includes keeping the existing BQE route as well, as a "local" arm.

Perhaps Mr. Sloane's background as a graphic designer does not afford him comprehension of basic transportation theory (then why is he addressing the subject?) but here is a basic fact regarding the construction of more roads, tunnels and bridges: they always create more traffic. New roads do not alleviate traffic, they create more traffic. When Robert Moses built roads with two lanes of traffic, they became jammed with two lanes of traffic. When they were expanded to three lanes, they got jammed with three lanes of traffic. When they were expanded to four lanes, guess what happened? More traffic to fill that fourth lane. Or, the LIE.

Tunneling the festering wound that is the BQE is not a bad idea (a better one might be doing away with it altogether), but building a second one is a HORRIFIC one.

Some More Whining About the Cobble Hill Towers' New Owners

From Curbed:

"What would any rental-to-condo conversion, even one that promises renters the opportunity to stick around, be without tenant fears that they'll be forced out? It would be unlike any condo conversion we've ever seen! And it would not be Hicks Street's Cobble Hill Towers. Tenants in the complex have already gone through the first few stages of conversion anxiety, including arguing that the insider prices are too high and that gentrification is coming. And now come the worries that the building will try to force out its renters."

What are we missing here? The commenter clearly states that he or she has only lived in the complex for one year and that the rent was $2,300 a month. So, the apartment is already deregulated and the renters do not have stabilization or control protection. So, the owners can charge whatever they want since the apartment is deregulated. 


Also, forcing that particular renter out would only be counter-productive for the owners, since they can be evicted anyway in the instance of a sale.

Ummm, us?

Local semi-retired Blogger Brooks is continuing his series "Who Goes There", this time on Carroll Gardens recent mainstay Marco Polo.

"Marco Polo Ristorante was founded in 1983, at which point most of the residents of Carroll Gardens had probably never seen a Yuppie. Today, long after the hipster horde has descended on the Brooklyn neighborhood, the eatery stands as a stolid reminder of the area's still-strong Italian-American roots. A block west from Smith Street's restaurant row—and wholly unconcerned with that high-falutin' noise—it is housed in a boxy brick building with a formal green awning. Though only two stories tall, it seems to dwarf everything in sight, and is certainly big enough to house all the ghosts of Carroll Gardens Red Sauce Joints Past. "


And present!

Joan Millman Apparently Doesn't Understand the MTA

Streetsblog recently culled some ridiculously ignorant and regressive quotes from our own Joan Millman regarding what she feels is the real problem with the MTA: the MTA.

"Millman represents one of the most transit-dependent districts in the city, and her constituents cope with torrents of traffic bound for free East River bridges every day. When she had the chance to get behind the single most transformative policy for the city’s streets and transit system — congestion pricing — she failed to say a word until it was much too late. If the MTA had $420 million in annual revenue from congestion pricing, its fiscal problems wouldn’t be so severe today.

By now, the MTA has been audited to death, and it’s clear that no amount of efficiency wrung out of the agency can offset the effects of long-term, systemic neglect and disinvestment on the part of the city and state — especially the state. It’s not clear which DiNapoli report Millman was referring to at the hearing, but recent findings from DiNapoli’s office have identified $56 million in potential overtime savings each year, and $13 million in potential annual savings on fuel contracts. Meanwhile, the agency had to plug an $800 million deficit this year, and its yearly debt payments are expected to increase $1.5 billion by 2020."

Come on Joan. We've defended you recently, but way to pander to the lowest common denominator! The majority of the MTA's issues have nothing to do with management or waste but budget shortfalls and raiding of transportation funds for automobile-centric development.

Gowanus State of Mind

Double Dipping? Not So Much

There has been a little chatter lately about Joan Millman and the fact that she draws a pension from her time as a teacher. The Brooklyn Paper has run a few stories on the topic, most along a similar vein:

"There is something untoward about a state legislator who collects a pension while still doing the people’s business in Albany. But in the case of two Assemblywomen who are facing stiff primary challenges, the transgression ranges from mildly offensive to genuinely repugnant.

Assemblywoman Joan Millman (D–Carroll Gardens) worked as a city school teacher for 27 years before being elected to the legislature in 1997. Before that election, she put in for her pension. After taking office, she declined to defer her retirement payments, despite the fact that she would now be earning two paychecks from the public."

First of all, I see no issue with collecting your pension when you retire. If you've worked for decades at a job, and you have qualified for your pension, whether or not you choose to enter a second career should be irrelevant. In fact, Joan Millman should be applauded for doing something productive with her time. Are there some that feel that Ms. Millman would better serve the public by NOT having a second career, as would be her economic incentive if she couldn't draw her first pension?


There is a legitimate issue though, as to why public officials can draw their first pensions regardless of their second career's salaries, but others may not. That is an inequity.

Cement Shoes Probably in the Offing

If I had to choose one business to steal from, the South Brooklyn Casket Company would rank somewhere between the Federal Government and Umberto's Clam House. Apparently not everyone shares my apprehension. From Courier-Life:

"Gary Comorau has been selling South Brooklyn Casket Company T-shirts and other garb on his own website — but now the multinational funeral company that bought the Gowanus gravemaker in 2005 wants to put his business venture six feet under on the grounds that he is violating their copyright.

But Comorau is whistling past the graveyard.

“I’ve ignored their ‘cease-and-desist’ letter,” he boasted this week. “My company has no assets, and I don’t sell many shirts. Who cares?”"

I wonder if cement shoes come in sizes.

Super Fun Superfund Site Profiled

From The Dirt (a blog published by the American Society of Landscape Architects), some "love" for Gowanus:

"The Gowanus ”micro-neigborhood,” surrounded by Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill and Park Slope is filled with ”half-empty warehouses and semi-derelict factories,” post-industrial scenes that give the area a “special cultural edge, like a miniature Baltimore or Detroit.” Except, in this case, The New York Times writes, terrifying pollution is substituted for crime. Still, the site attracts many locals: Jennifer Prediger, a producer of environmental videos, said: “There’s no place in Brooklyn, or in New York City, that feels kind of more pleasant than being right here, which is odd given that that is a toxic waterway. But it’s actually quite lovely. It’s the loveliest toxic waterway I’ve ever spent time on.”"

More about Oysters!

More fun about oysters, as reported by Gothamist:

"With the NJDEP's ruling that water-purifying oysters are at too much of a risk from poachers, environmental group NY/NJ Baykeeper was forced to pull up the oysters it had cultivated along Raritan Bay. Scientists say the oysters could restore the waters to health, but the FDA is worried the oysters, which absorb toxins in the water, could find their way into the edible seafood supply. Christine M. Lynn of NY/NJ Baykeeper told us, "Everyone we work with in New York is as surprised and confused by the NJDEP decision as we are.""

It is a legitimate concern, but so is the concern that someone could eat a fish out of the Gowanus. Let the oysters grow!

Profile of Buddy Scotto

From something called Capital New York, there is a long, fairly detailed profile of Buddy Scotto, and his status throughout the years here in Carroll Gardens.

"He’s switched, in the anticlerical, Italian-American tradition of his neighborhood, between soft loyalties to both Democrats and Republicans just for the chance to realize his ambitions for his home. He built an unlikely political empire out of the casual acquaintances made in the surprisingly stately, somewhat macabre parlor of the Scotto Funeral Home and carried by the weight of Italian-American neighborhood loyalty.

And so as Carroll Gardens becomes home to one of Brooklyn’s yuppiest Restaurant Rows, a sort-of Division II Manhattan for recent college graduates and a single-family brownstone dream for magazine editors and downtown types, it’s perhaps unsurprising that this power-base is thinning out.

“Buddy’s influence is definitely waning,” said the young neighborhood activist and blogger Katia Kelly. “One simply has to look at the results of the November Council election, where his candidate, John Heyer, lost terribly in Carroll Gardens, though Buddy introduced him to everyone in the neighborhood.”"

The debate about Buddy's influence in the neighborhood is silly; he is who he is, and much like the rest of the neighborhood, he has changed and so has his influence. It's like trying to point out the dying influence of the Catholic Church. Yes, that sector can not rally the troops like they used to be able to, but then again, neither can anyone else. 

I do disagree, however, with Katia, that John's candidacy was harmed by his association with Buddy. Buddy helped him immeasurably, but the reason John lost was all on John, as well as the strength of the other candidate, who had a bigger population base in his "home" district. 

What is happening is the population on which he influences is older, moving away, and slowly becoming crowded out by the monied, the young, the transplants, and, yes, the educated. No longer are funeral directors seen as persons of power, influence and education as they used to be.