August 2011 ~ Travel

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

A Moment In Time: Furniture Shopping

Published on: 2:48 PM by Unknown - Leave a Comment

Checking out an armoire at the corner store on Court and Second Place

With Construction Fence Down, Carroll Gardens Finger On Luquer Fully Revealed

Published on: 6:07 AM by Unknown - Leave a Comment

It looks as though the out-of-context, oversized, Karl Fischer-designed finger building at 100 Luquer Street is nearing completion after almost four years.

Just yesterday, Reader Grady noticed that the construction fence had come down. Workers were pouring cement for a new sidewalk this morning and it looks as though they had paved in front of what looks like the building's entryway.

Construction of the 11 story building first began in 2007. It was delayed numerous times due to NYC Buildings Department violations and stop-work-orders. (A total of 57 complaints and 20 ECB violations, 7 of which are still open.)

What do you think? Love it or hate it?

One thing is for sure. The views from the top floors of this place are probably amazing, but the noise of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway just next to it would drive many crazy.

Just take a listen. I took this video from the Nelson side of the building at around 11 Am.

A Moment In Time: Little Chat

Published on: 2:22 PM by Unknown - Leave a Comment

Setting a little time aside for a chat on Court Street

No, Mazzone's Hardware On Court Street Didn't Sell Out To Puzzo's

Published on: 1:26 PM by Unknown - Leave a Comment

No, no. Vince Mazzone and his family have not sold out to Puzzo, as the new signs and awning in front of their hardware store would indicate. After all, the Mazzones have operated their hardware store at this location for decades and they aren't going anywhere.

The signage, as Vince explained in an email he sent around yesterday is just a movie prop for a new TV show entitled Over/Under, about a day trader who has a gambling problem. Vince Mazzone writes:

Should you be passing the corner of 4th Place & Court Street at any time on Tuesday or Wednesday (Aug. 30th & 31st) and notice a new outdoor sign on our building and a new family name on the sign - WE ARE NOT SELLING OUR BUSINESS.
On Tuesday, a TV production company will be modifying the look of our store (both inside and outside) for the Wednesday filming of several segments of a new TV series -Over/Under.
On Tuesday we will be open for business-as-usual.
On Wednesday we will be closed for the entire day. We will have staff members positioned outside for customers who may have questions. And as usual, our Paint Center located at 211 Smith Street in Cobble Hill will be open
from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Vincent

Don't scare us like that again, Vince

At Last Night's CB6 Meeting, National Grid Presents Remedial Design And Pilot Test For Carroll Gardens' Former Gas Works Site

Published on: 8:01 PM by Unknown - Leave a Comment

Tracey Bell of National Grid

Andrew Prophete of National Grid

Gary Riley, Environmental Protection Chair

Community Board 6

Last night, at a special Community Board 6's Public Safety/Environmental Protection and Permits & Licenses Committee meeting, Tracey Bell, Andrew Prophete and Michael Zukauskas of National Grid, together with some of their colleagues, gave the community an update on the development of their remediation plan for the heavily contaminated former gas manufacturing site in Carroll Gardens.

NYS Department Of Environmental Conservation, which is overseeing the brownfield clean-up, was supposed to attend as well, but were unable to travel due to the recent hurricane.

The vast track of land, located between Smith Street and the Gowanus Canal, was once the site of a Citizens Gas Light Company's 12th Ward Gas Work plant where coal and petroleum products into flammable gas for surrounding neighborhoods. Citizen later sold to Brooklyn Union Gas, which became Keyspan, which is now National Grid.The plant was decommissioned in the early 1960's.

What was left behind was a heavily contaminated site. The results of the Remediation Investigation showed contaminants like coal tar in depths up to 150 feet in the ground.

The responsibility for the clean-up falls on National Grid under the supervision of NYS DEC.

To date, National Grid has completed 50% of their remediation design, which has been approved by DEC. Tracey Bell, Andrew Prophete and Michael Zukauskas, in their presentation, stressed that the site presents enormous challenges and that the clean-up is highly complex.

First, there are the enormous amounts of coal tar which saturates the ground. The remedial design calls for a number of recovery wells on the site, into which the tar will collect, so that it can be taken away. (Since December 2010 alone, 7,000 gallons of the tar have been pumped out of the ground.)

Second, the coal tar has been oozing into the Gowanus Canal for decades. To prevent the lateral movement of contaminants into the waterway, the remedial design will include an elaborate 50 foot sheet pile construction wall which will serve as a barrier. The fence will be 25 feet below the canal's mud line and 25 feet above. The joints will be heavily reinforced.

Thirdly, the 72" Bond Street sewer line traverses the site. A section of the mostly brick tunnel needs to be relocated because its current location will interfere with the construction of the barrier wall. Since the flushing tunnel is still in use, the work will need to be carefully coordinated.

The proposed remediation calls for the removal of the top 8 feet of soil throughout the site, which will be backfilled with clean soil to street level.

As part of storm water management and to prevent ground water from leaking into the canal, a High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) liner will be installed 2 feet below grade throughout.

The next step for National Grid is to perform pilot tests for feasibility and on all materials.

The company representatives made sure to mention that these tests will be loud and sometimes disruptive. "We will be moving lots of heavy machinery onto the site." Mr. Phrophete warned.

After the presentation, Gary Reilly, chair of CB6's Environmental Protection Committee, asked National Grid's representatives how the site's remediation plan has changed since the US Environmental Protection Agency declares the Gowanus Canal a Superfund site in 2010. The (EPA has named National Grid as a Potential Responsible Party for the company's role in polluting the canal.)

Andrew Prophete answered that the federal agency has concerns about the design for the barrier wall, the 8 foot cap and the safety of building on the site. "We want to convey that its a safe and constructible design" Mr. Prophete stated. "I am not sure the EPA is totally convinced yet."

He was also quick to mention that the DEC, not EPA is supervising this brownfield clean-up and that DEC has authorized National Grid to move ahead with the already approved remedial plan.

For further information or updates on the remedial work, go to National Grid's Citizen's website here.

Picture(s) Of The Day: "This Self Awareness..."

Published on: 2:00 PM by Unknown - Leave a Comment

Self Expression On Smith Street

Big Fat Inflatable Union Rat Shows Up At Alchemy's 340 Court Street Site

Published on: 7:56 AM by Unknown - Leave a Comment

A rat's work is never done in New York City. This inflatable rodent showed up this morning at the corner of Court and Sackett Streets, to protest in front of the development site at 340 Court Street, which has recently been acquired by Alchemy Properties, a development, marketing and consulting firm. Alchemy took over the project after the Clarett Group pulled out.

The big, fat rat belongs to Local Union 361, which represents ironworkers in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk.

After years of delay, construction of the 7 story, 32 unit condominium development at 340 Court Street has just resumed. The steel frame has been going up steadily in the last two weeks. Obviously, the work is being done by non-union workers.

According to the local's web site, the picket line was established in front of 340 Court as of Thursday last week.

*Thanks, M, for the use of your photos.

Post-Irene: How Are You Getting To Work Tomorrow?

Published on: 4:12 PM by Unknown - Leave a Comment

UPDATE: According to the MTA web site: "With very limited exceptions, service has resumed across the subway system on all lines. However, service will be less frequent than normal, and customers should expect longer waits and more crowded trains. Frequency of service will improve over the course of the day."'

Also Sanitation is picking up garbage and recyclables. I just chased them down the block with my paper recycling can. I hadn't put it out last night since I thought that they would only pick up garbage.

So, no subways and only a few buses will be running on Monday morning.

Do you have any idea how you will be getting to work tomorrow? For those who don't have an understanding boss or don't have the luxury of taking the day off, how about organizing cab or car service sharing?

Want to meet up on Smith or Court Street with other commuters? Leave a comment and start talking amongst yourselves either on this post or on PMFA's Facebook page.

Thought this could take the stress out of a stressful Monday morning commute and would give neighbors an opportunity to meet.

Gowanus Flooding And Park Slope Tree Damage

Published on: 1:04 PM by Unknown - Leave a Comment

Third Street at the bridge over the Gowanus this morning was flooded. Incidentally, that is Carroll Gardens' Hurricane evacuation route. Good thing Irene was 'just' a tropical storm.

A bit further afield, a giant tree fell over at Montgomery Place in Park Slope

Feel sorry for the car owner

More photos, these from Reader Rick who took them this morning. Thanks for allowing me to post them here on PMFA, Rick.

Hey, Mayor Bloomberg! Remind Us Again Why We Should Allow New Buildings In A Flood Zone

Published on: 10:03 AM by Unknown - Leave a Comment

(photo above courtesy of Hudson Companies' Inc.)

Simp pump under the front entrance of Third and Bond

A smaller hose coming out of the front door of the building

After Hurricane (Tropical Storm) Irene, some serious basement pumping is going on over at Third And Bond, Hudson Companies' Inc new condo building. It was built right in a flood zone, one block away from the Gowanus Canal.

One has to feel bad for those new owners. This will be an ongoing problem for them. Hudson Companies probably don't advertise that little fact in their shiny brochure.

After Irene, one can only hope that Mayor Bloomberg has a better understanding of why it's folly to build more housing in flood zones.

Update On Gowanus Canal: After High Tide, Water Receding

Published on: 9:28 AM by Unknown - Leave a Comment

Just took another walk down to the Gowanus Canal and found quite a few people on the Carroll Street Bridge on this Sunday after the storm.

The water level had gone down since the high tide mark at 8 AM. The owner of The Yard at Carroll on the Canal is checking out the situation. Earlier, his property had been flooded.

Some traces of the flooding are still visible between the trees on the property

The residents of the Satori, the condo building on Bond between Carroll and President obviously took precautions, piling sandbags against the building's front door.