340 Court Street - Latest letter from SoBNA asking Clarett to reconsider a meeting with USBA and community members

Mr. Dan Hollander
Vice President
The Clarett Group

Dear Mr. Hollander;

We are writing to you today on behalf of the South Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance (SoBNA) and Union-Sackett Block Association, a member of the Alliance.Part of our mission is to work with developers to help incorporate community input into new development projects. Since attending the public presentation of 340 Court Street, now known as “The Collection”, we have been fervently hoping that the Clarett Group would agree to meeting with a small group of community leaders including representatives from the Union Sackett Block Association to discuss the design.

Baltic & Warren Neighbors, a group within SoBNA, has had a very successful ongoing working relationship with L&M Development Partners in regards to the Columbia-Hicks Project, a new residential development planned in the Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood. Ron Moelis, a principal in L&M Development Partners, has said on several occasions that the Columbia-Hicks project benefited from community involvement and in turn was a better development project as a whole.

We understand the Columbia- Hicks Project had to go through the ULURP process because of the zoning changes involved and that 340 Court Street is an “as of right” project. However, wouldn’t it be beneficial for all if the community welcomed this new building wholeheartedly into Carroll Gardens?

We urge you to reconsider, we believe by holding this meeting you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We would be very pleased to meet with you in a small group at your earliest convenience and prior to the meeting we would be happy to provide you with an agenda.

We look forward to hearing from you,
Sincerely,

South Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance

June 4th Dept. of City Planning Carroll Gardens Wide Street Zoning Text Amendment

Please be advised that tomorrow is the City Planning Commission Public Hearing and Carroll Gardens Wide Street Zoning Text Amendment is on the calendar
Date/Time/Location:
Wednesday, June 4th, 2008, 10:00 AM in Spector Hall
22 Reade Street, New York, New York

This text amendment that is very essential to protecting Carroll Gardens from further falling victim to out of scale development.
Let's change this improper designation for good!

The public is encouraged to sign up to speak in front of the commission, but written testimonies will also be accepted. Please send your written comments to:
City Planning Commission
Calendar Information Office Room 2E
22 Reade Street
New York, NY 10007

May 7th Public Hearing-Carroll Gardens Wide Streets Zoning Text Amendment

A zoning text amendment has been introduced by the City Council to City Planning for Carroll Gardens. It is designed to protect the blocks of First, Second, Third and Fourth Place from Henry to Smith Streets, and extending to Second, Carroll and President Streets between Smith and Hoyt Streets. The text amendment would re-classify those blocks as "narrow" streets as laid out in the original plans of 1846. SoBNA supports this text amendment and believes it is imperative that the improper wide-street designation be changed to protect the openness of the signature front gardens for which Carroll Gardens is named.

Please attend this important public hearing to make your voice heard!
Date:Wednesday May 7th Time: 5:30 PM

Brooklyn Borough President Public Hearing :
Community Room, Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn
Calendar Item
Carroll Gardens Zoning Text Amendment
Community District 6, 080345 ZRK

For more info regarding the CG zoning text amendment CLICK HERE:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/carroll_gardens/index.shtml

April 24th Carroll Gardens Wide Streets Zoning Text Amendment

A zoning text amendment has been introduced by the City Council to City Planning for Carroll Gardens. It is designed to protect the blocks of First, Second, Third and Fourth Place from Henry to Smith Streets, and extending to Second, Carroll and President Streets between Smith and Hoyt Streets. The text amendment would re-classify those blocks as "narrow" streets as laid out in the original plans of 1846. We believe it is imperative that the improper wide-street designation be changed to protect the openness of the signature front gardens for which Carroll Gardens is named.

We support this zoning text amendment as a proactive measure, which will allow for harmonious new development while preserving and enhancing the brownstone community that is Carroll Gardens. We urge both our advisory and elected representatives -our Community Board members and the Brooklyn Borough President to join with the Department of City Planning and the City Council to approve and implement this text amendment with all expedience.


Community Board 6-Landmarks/Land Use
250 Baltic Street
Thursday April 24th
6:00 PM

Announcement

We are pleased to announce that the Hoyt Street Alliance has joined SoBNA-welcome HSA!

We are Pleased to Announce the Newly Formed South Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance/ SoBNA

A coalition of South Brooklyn neighborhoods has been created to introduce community-based planning.

The primary goal of the SoBNA is to build sound neighborhoods through community-based planning that engages the residents, small businesses, elected officials, city government and developers.

We are committed to supporting the unique character of each of our neighborhoods, enhancing the quality of life for our residents through cooperative planning for much needed mixed-use development. It is our goal to advocate for our communities through civic involvement, education and community building.

Our Mission Statement

We are the South Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance .We are your neighbors and your friends. We are your fellow riders on the subway; the people at the next table in the coffee shop; the parents and grandparents of the children who attend the local schools. We share this neighborhood, its streets and services, with you and with one another. We think that this is a great place to live. The beauty, lower density, human scale of our buildings, safety, and the more neighborly lifestyle of our brownstone communities are some of the many reasons people have chosen to live here. We share a respect and affection for this community and wish not only to preserve it, but make it even better.
Over the last two years, we have watched the quality of life here begin to erode under the pressure of out-of-scale development, structures that dwarf our existing neighborhood buildings. Development is based simply on maximizing the square footage and height allowable. New development has had neither respect nor regard for this lovely place, its needs and limitations, its character, or the very residents who have lovingly maintained it. What we want, is to maintain the integrity of our neighborhoods; implement the proper and appropriate infrastructure improvements before we have nothing left of our neighborhood to protect and enjoy.
We are members of many different civic groups. We have joined together. We now represent a single united force dedicated to the preservation and improvement of our neighborhoods. We are not anti-development, but rather, wish to work with developers who have the ability to incorporate the special charm and character of this neighborhood into their design.
Our goal is to achieve respectful, thoughtful, responsible development. In order to realize this, there is work to be done. There are laws to be changed, agencies and programs to be funded, processes that must be reevaluated. We will insist that the men and women, who have been elected to office by us, work for us to this same end.
Let us begin.