Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Carroll Gardens Downzoning Rally



Despite freezing weather and spotty rain, scores of our neighbors rallied this morning on the steps of Borough Hall in support of downzoning Carroll Gardens. This is just the beginning . . . all of the work we've done to date has been to get the ball rolling. I want to thank Bill deBlasio and his office for working with the community and helping to make this happen. We wouldn't have gotten these results without his help.

And now we keep the process moving - we can't rest until the process is complete, and the community is protected.

A quick note on the Williamsburg comment, before it's taken out of context - I've got nothing against Williamsburg. What I'm opposed to is what crap developers and their architects like "Hot Karl" Fischer have done there . . . and for the record, Hot Karl is currently straddling Carroll Gardens and making his first deposit at 100 Luquer Street. We can't have more of that.

Pictures from Pardon Me For Asking (which has a lot of good pics). There were also people behind the cameras, and to the left . . . all in all a great turnout.


Media coverage:
Brownstoner
Gowanus Lounge
Curbed
Pardon Me For Asking

This one is not a link to the coverage . . . But Fordham University Radio (90.7FM) did a piece on the rally today, and also plays some really terrific music.

News 12 Brooklyn (Channel 156 in Brooklyn on Cable TV) will be featuring the Downzoning Rally story today starting at 5:30 PM then repeating it throughout the evening.

And NY1 was on the scene as well.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't worry, Gary, we know what you meant. I like Williamsburg, too. Always have. and Greenpoint. I think we have the luxury, perhaps, of not having scores of industrial space with price tags on them. 340 Court and the subway plaza are the open doors and we must control what goes there. Thanks to everyone at the rally and all our great advocacy groups. Short & Happy!

Anonymous said...

Thanks Bill Di! Let's spend a year studying this as developers rape Carroll Gardens, and you focus on your and Hillary's election.

A quick and easy fix is for Bill Di to file a (non-ULURP) zoning text amendment to define the places of Carroll Gardens as non-wide streets!

Rezoning will not happen before these project are built - where has Bill Di been for the past six years?

Anonymous said...

No offense taken, though as I noted here, you might be careful what you wish for.

Gary said...

Halden, that is an excellent point . . . a few people in the nabe have vocally opposed landmarking, but I and many others support it. We're actively working that separately and I'm hoping we can score on that front too.

Anonymous said...

My neighbors are so completely ignorant of landmarking. "I won't be able to hang a wreath at christmas without calling the DOB..." Sigh. Most blocks like Union between Smith and Hoyt, directly behind the landmarked blocks, is so dirty and hit and miss, it will never happen there. I actually live on that block and just discovered that MY building already has landmark status. What people don't get is if the building they live in is landmarked, they don't have to revert the building to the way it was in 1898..duh! My landlord has probably violated 1 million things if that were the case. Even after the landmarking info meeting people were confused. Look, what ever is happening we should be glad it's happening now. Better late than never.