Is Lightstone Group Tearing Down Gowanus Building On Development Site Without Proper Permits?

photo credit:Jeff Anzulewicz

Meanwhile, back in Gowanus...
I am still in France but have received a string of emails from Gowanus residents reporting that workers began tearing down the roof of an old brick building at 363-365 Bond Street, between 1st and 2nd Street yesterday. The building is located on the site of the 700-unit, 12 story Lightstone Group development.

According to reports, a crew of about 25 men with pick axes and saws started demolishing the rooftop of the building yesterday afternoon. Gowanus residents became concerned when they realized that no permits had been posted. More troubling was the fact that no asbestos monitoring equipment was present on site and the crew did not wear any protective gear.

Residents contacted Councilman Brad Lander's office and Community Board 6 to ask that the work be done according to local laws, with proper permits, and proper protections for workers and the local community. They also placed several calls to 311. Inspectors came out to the site later in the day and work stopped yesterday afternoon at about 2 pm.
Today, a crew was back building a plywood fence around part of the building. In addition, red and yellow caution tape with the words "Danger-Asbestos" has been put up.
NYC Department of Buildings has recorded a 'pre-filing' for the site on its web site. A permit for a plywood fence has also been recorded. There is, however, no sign of a demolition permit.

In addition, Lightstone has applied for the NY State  Department of Environmental Conservation Brownfield Cleanup Program. The program requires that any action on the site be first approved by the agency. It is likely that demolition work would also need to be approved.

This not a very good start for Lightstone Group and its highly contentious project.  Stay tuned for more...it's bound to be a long hot summer in Gowanus.

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'We Are Gowanus' Members Attend Community Board 6 Meeting To Express Concerns About Proposed Rock & Roll Playhouse In Gowanus

We Are Gowanus member  Katya Jestin addressing Community Board 6 on Wednesday night.

 Katya Jestin of We Are Gowanus

 Members of We Are Gowanus in the audience

At this month's Community Board 6's general meeting, which was held this past Wednesday, members of We Are Gowanus (WAG) took the opportunity to express concern about Peter Shapiro's proposed Rock And Roll Playhouse (RRPH), which is slated to open in Gowanus later this year.

In anticipation of the developer coming before Community Board 6's Permits and Licenses Committee to seek a full liquor license for his proposed venue, WAG wanted to make sure that CB6 members  were aware of issues regarding the conversion of the 6,570 SF building at 280 Bond Street between Sackett and Degraw Street that will house the Playhouse.

According to its web site, Rock and Roll Playhouse will offer "family friendly programming during the day, as well as programming for adults, such as educational talks, jazz and theatrical performances in the evenings."

Speaking for WAG,  Katya Jestin explained that the development is totally incongruous with the existing R6B zoning.  Furthermore, she pointed out that Peter Shapiro's insistence that the Rock and Roll Playhouse will be a theatre around children's programing is inconsistent with what he told members of WAG.

At a meeting in early May with homeowners whose property abuts the warehouse, Shapiro spoke of the evening programing in terms of a late night music venue featuring jazz and possibly other music seven days a week for those 21 and older. It would also feature a full bar with a last call around 1:30 AM, 2 AM on week-ends.

WAG is suggesting the disharmony between what Shapiro said to WAG, what the DOB plans show, and what he is saying to the public can be explained by the fact that the impresario's pitch  of a day time children' space is "a supterfuge meant to dull community opposition so that his liquor license and building modifications sail through city bureaucracy."

"We ask all of you to please keep in mind all the facts, to examine this closely, and to consider what we have told you when he comes before you," Katya Jesting told the Board.

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Homeless Shelter For Scarano-Designed Building On West 9th Street In Carroll Gardens?

Late last week, Craig Hammerman, Community Board 6's district manager distributed the letter above that was sent to his office from Housing Solutions USA/Aguila Inc., a Bronx-based non-profit organization that provides services  to homeless families in the Bronx as well as in Manhattan.
The organization intends to submit a proposal to the Department of Homeless Services to house 170 single adults at 165 West 9th Street  right at the corner of Court Street near Hamilton Avenue.

The 7-story building in question was built in 2002, but its 10 residential units and commercial space have remained mostly empty to this day. (According to a resident of West 9th Street, some of the upper apartments have been occupied off and on for the past few years.)

Why the units at 165 West 9th Street have never been rented or sold at market value may have to do with some problems with the construction. The project appears to have been self certified by Robert Scarano** of Scarano & Associtaes Architects. Long the darling of Brooklyn developers for his creative floor-area calculations and use of illegal mezzanines to maximize building height, floor area, and lot coverage, Scarano eventually lost his license after he went too far. In permits filed in 2001 for this particular building, there is mention of mezzanines.   It is interesting to note that a final Certificate of Occupancy has only been issued in 2010.
Recently, construction work has been performed on the interior.

Daniel Kreitzman, owner of Fat Cat Wines at 538 Court Street, just around the corner from this  building,  expressed his concern to Community Board 6 in an email.  He writes:  "We were all expecting a free market rental building to open in that space to really increase business and revitalize the neighborhood. Instead this is the worst thing that could possibly happen to businesses with an already fragile economy. There have been so many positive changes in the neighborhood because hard working people have been willing to put there life savings and heart and soul into opening businesses here at the bottom of Court Street."

Acording to a response from Craig Hammerman: "We are in the process of setting up a public Informational Meeting for the Community Board and community to learn more about this proposal firsthand, and will be sending out a followup announcement as soon as the meeting details are confirmed."

**Carroll Gardeners may better remember Scarano for the 'tumor building at 333 Carroll Street and the mezzanines at the Satori Building on Bond Street.

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Your Community Board Needs You: Councilman Brad Lander Encourages Residents To Apply

Want to have a voice in your community? Councilman Brad Lander has just issued a call for local residents to apply to the boards in his district. As a board member, you can advocate for issues important to our community, including land use, zoning, and municipal service delivery.

Councilman Brad Lander writes:

I hope you'll consider applying for a seat on one of our neighborhood community boards. There will likely be a few vacancies on our local boards, and we want to encourage as many interested applicants as possible.

Community boards are the most local body of government, and they play a role in many issues that affect our neighborhoods. The community boards weigh in on land use and zoning matters, local infrastructure needs, municipal service delivery and many other neighborhood issues.

My City Council district overlaps with three community boards:

Community Board 6 (covering Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Columbia Waterfront, and Park Slope)

Community Board 7 (covering Windsor Terrace and Sunset Park)

Community Board 12 (covering Kensington and Borough Park).

Each board consists of up to 50 volunteers — people who live or work in the area — appointed by the Borough President and City Council Members. Community boards meet once each month (except for the summer) and have a range of committees. There are always many more applicants than there are slots, but applications also stay on file from year to year, so we are encouraging anyone who is interested to apply.

If you would like to submit an application, or to learn more, please contact me at lander@council.nyc.gov or 718−499−1090 and we will send you the materials that you need.

It's a great way to be involved in making our communities even better places to live.

Councilmember Brad Lander

Serving the neighborhoods of Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope,

Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, and Kensington

456 5th Avenue, 3rd Floor * Brooklyn, NY 11215 * 718-499-1090

To learn more about our own Community Board 6, which represents Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, the Columbia Street District, Gowanus, Park Slope and Red Hook.

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