By far, one of the loveliest storefronts on Court Street in the Cobble Hill area is #270, the space once occupied by Shakespeare's Sister. For more than 14 years, the gift store/ café was one of my favorites in the neighborhood. It offered quite unique jewelery, paper goods and cool beauty products. It also featured the work of many local artists.
Way before Starbucks invaded the neighborhood, Shakespeare's Sister was the place to go after a film at the Cobble Hill Cinema, since it was just across the street. Back then, nothing else was open after 11 Pm.
When the store closed in June 2008, the owners of Shakespeare's Sister hung the sign in their window:
The storefront sat empty ever since, but just in the last few weeks, there has been some action.
The entire store has been gutted, revealing a huge, sunny space. What exactly will take Shakespeare's place is not yet know.
I only hope that the new place will be as respectful to the neighborhood as Shakespeare's Sister was.
Related reading:
Reader Jacqueline left the following comment on the post "A Moment In Time: Summer Riding Buddies":
Bay Ridge is a great neighborhood, but do we really want to ship our kids off on two trains to get there so they can play on their skateboards? 14-17 years old kids are still kids, and our kids should be able to play in this neighborhood. Remember that song: "Streets are for cars and buses, not for bikes or balls or toys. Sidewalks, parks, and playgrounds are the places for girls and boys." I have balled out many kids who ride their skateboards on the World War I monument at the park. Am upset to see what's happening with the marble base. Talked to the kids about how important it is to respect neighborhood kids who weren't much older than them who died for us with the idea that we should a good life, that they should be respectful. Seems like it's the first time anyone talked to them like they were smart enough to understand (which they were). Wonder where their parents have been and how much their parents connect the past, however recent to the present. We do mostly have a very good life indeed. Healthy neighborhoods, whether in Carroll Gardens, Bay Ridge, or Timbuktu require safe places for kids of all ages to play. When the Gowanus is cleaned up correctly, as I pray it will be, there will be a Frank Verderame park for all kinds of fun things for kids to do, whether they are three, fourteen, or fifty.
The following email received from a reader sent me down to Court Street immediately. It simply said:
"Looks like some real action is happening at the old Blockbuster building. Windows have been sprayed to block what is going on inside and it looks like the ceiling has been removed.
Anyone know what is happening?"
Anonymous commented on the post "Carroll Gardens/ Columbia Street Contextual Rezoning Moves On To Brooklyn Borough Hall":
While there was overwhelming support for the majority of the plan, there was also VERY strong consensus against the different zoning (R6A) for the sections of Henry Street, Carroll Street, First Place and Columbia Street. This would allow buildings of up to 70 feet (60 feet plus an additional 10 after a set-back) on these streets. That would have a severe negative impact on those blocks. This was very strongly voiced at the Community Board's public hearing on June 25, but seems to have been overlooked since then. So, while we should support the basic plan, we should be very clear in asking them to change that specific feature. The community has strongly stated that it doesn't want to sacrifice Clinton, Henry, First Place and Columbia.
Statement from City Council Candidate Josh Skaller (D-39th District) on the Ending of the Public Comments Period Regarding the Proposed Gowanus Canal Superfund Designation
"I am proud that many Brooklynites took the time to express their support for an EPA Superfund designation of the Gowanus Canal. The most important thing is to get the Canal cleaned up. The City has had its chance, and look how things ended up. The City still does not have a plan, and it didn't even think about a plan until the EPA announced it was considering a Superfund designation.
"I support development in the neighborhoods around the Gowanus Canal, but it must be responsible development -- ensuring the safety of tenants and recognizing the concerns of the community. Before we build on the banks of the Canal, we must make sure that it is clean. If not, we risk another Love Canal. People will get sick. That can't happen on our watch.
"I am confident that Brooklynites will reject the propaganda put out by both the developer, Toll Brothers, and the Bloomberg administration. The people will choose a thorough federal cleanup. This will benefit the property values around the Canal, which have long been depressed by the Canal's infamous toxicity, and it will bring green jobs to Brooklyn.
"I hope we can use this conversation as a chance to move forward from the Canal's murky past to a vibrant future with a clean canal, responsible development on its banks, and a new economic engine to empowering our community."
"Are you closing your restaurant?" I asked the owner of the India House restaurant at 139 Court Street back in February, when I saw that his place of business was being advertised by Smith Hanten Real Estate. He seemed bemused and assured me that, no, he was not going anywhere. But he added:
" The owner of the building has tried to rent it out for a long time. I don't have a lease anymore. He wants too much money."
Well, obviously, something happened, because India House is closed now. It has been at that location for as long as I have lived in the neighborhood (25 years.) I am kind of sorry to see it gone, though I have to admit that I only set foot into the restaurant once.
The storefront is for rent for $7,000.
On Smith Hanten's Web site
Court St in Cobble Hill
- Very busy intersection
- Across the street from a new "Trader Joe's"
- Three (3) blocks to Express trains @ Boro Hall
- Basement Included
- Sorry - no food or Liquor allowed
At the request of Community Board 6, community and neighborhood groups, and local elected officials, the Department of City Planning proposes zoning map amendments for an approximately 86 block area of the Carroll Gardens and Columbia Street neighborhoods within Community District 6 in Brooklyn.
The rezoning area includes the neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens and Columbia Street. The Carroll Gardens portion of the rezoning area is generally bounded by Degraw Street, Warren Street and Douglass Street to the north; Hoyt Street, Bond Street and Smith Street to the east; 3rd Street, 4th Street, 5th Street, Centre Street and Hamilton Avenue to the south; and Hicks Street to the west. The Columbia Street portion of the rezoning area consists of approximately 14 blocks bounded by Warren Street to the north, a line between Columbia Street and Van Brunt Street to the west, Hicks Street to the east and Woodhull Street to the south. The areas proposed to be rezoned are zoned entirely R6.
The rezoning proposal has been developed after extensive discussion with the Community Board, elected officials, and neighborhood residents. The rezoning responds to community concerns about recent out-of-scale development permitted under the current zoning by mapping contextual districts with height limits throughout the study area which would preserve the existing built character while allowing for new development and modest expansions where appropriate at a height and scale that is in keeping with the existing context. The rezoning would support and promote the local, vibrant retail corridors while protecting the residential character of nearby side streets.
The proposed rezoning builds upon the Department’s Carroll Gardens Narrow Streets Text Amendment which was undertaken at the community’s request and approved in 2008. That text amendment aimed to limit the size and configuration of new buildings and enlargements on certain streets with deep front courtyards which had been defined as wide streets under existing zoning and therefore permitted a higher density that was out of scale with the existing built context. The proposed rezoning of the Carroll Gardens and Columbia Street neighborhoods fulfills the Department’s commitment to return to the community with a more comprehensive set of zoning recommendations for the larger area.
From: JL
Sent: Tue 7/7/2009 10:53 AM
To: superfund.docket@epa.gov
Subject: Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn, NY, Docket No. EPA-HQ-SFUND-2009-0063Dear Sirs-
As an architect, a LEED Accredited Professional, and a 22-year resident of Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, I write to urge you to approve EPA Superfunding for the environmental clean-up of our nearby polluted Gowanus Canal. The scale and historic nature of this environmental clean-up, and the protection of our neighboring Brooklyn residential communities throughout the clean-up period and beyond, mandate that this endeavor be accomplished under the skilled and watchful eyes of the federal EPA. No other agency or alternate plan details a better understanding of the remediation process that is required, or of the protection of the adjacent neighborhoods that is demanded. There is only one opportunity afforded to accomplish this clean-up correctly, with the focus and detail necessary for a safe and proper job, and it would be remiss of our EPA to let the task --and the health and safety of tens of thousands of nearby Brooklyn residents-- fall into less effective hands. The ONLY agency with the experience, manpower and judgement, unencumbered by local political in-fighting, to get this job done properly is the EPA. When you weigh this matter for decision, please consider the many families and communities that presently co-exist within close proximity to the Gowanus Canal, and the dramatic increase to these numbers that are planned for new residential developments along its banks. We, in Carroll Gardens, are amongst them, and we are worried for our futures, for our community's future, should this environmental clean-up fail to properly remediate the myriad of toxins that have leached into the surrounding land. Help us to ensure Carroll Gardens' future. Approve Superfund status for the Gowanus Canal.
Sincerest thanks
-JL
Anonymous has left the following comment on the post "Must Watch: "The City's Broken Promise: Superfunding The Gowanus":
Cas Holloway is paid a lot of money by us to spin the crap that comes from Mayor Mike's office and sewage overflows. We must remember Mayor Mike loves his middle class like we are his little puppies. People who live live in the projects and eat toxic Gowanus fish as a major source of protein were never even considered until the EPA stepped in.
We all make choices, and everyone who lives in a dreamworld chanting that for-profit development is the key to fixing everything will have to live with the karmic consequences to people's health, whether these are for profit developments like Toll's, or Public Place, as advocated by Brad Lander. They are delusional and it is up to us to remain vigilant and fight the good fight!
I spotted this new sign at 138 Court Street on my walk on Sunday. A new café, juice bar and grill called "Nature's Grill" is opening this summer, right next door to Trader Joe's. Modeled after the original "Nature's Grill" which is located in Bay Ridge, the menu will most probably offer the same healthy choices: Judging by the comments left on Citysearch, this will be a great addition to the neighborhood.
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From: Jeff Miles
Sent: Monday, July 06, 2009 5:16 PM
To: 'munhall.dennis@epa.gov'
Subject: #EPA-HQ-SFUND-2009-0063
Dear Mr. Munhall:
The Gowanus Canal is an important feature of our neighborhood, and served the area for many years as an important economic engine, allowing local industry access to the NY area waterways. That early industrial success has also led to much of the pollution that has branded the Canal for many decades, yet the canal area is poised, by way of recent zoning changes, for something of a re-birth. Having recent experience with rear-garden soil so polluted with lead that tomatoes, grown there, were not suited for human consumption, the need for a comprehensive clean-up is clear. In my opinion and the opinions of many who have studied the issues, now is the time (or perhaps past-time) for remediation of the conditions that have plagued the canal.
The City of New York, without funding in place, has denigrated the suggestion that the canal be added to the Superfund list. Yet the City has already allowed development to go forward, with much more planned in the near future, without taking steps toward remediation. Though this “City Plan” may further the commercial interests of developers, it is likely to complicate any significant efforts to implement a comprehensive clean-up that the area deserves, and it will place the burden for whatever half measures are finally taken squarely on the shoulders of area residents.
Please consider the interests of all the area’s residents. Please list the site.
Regards,
Jeff Miles
Carroll Gardens
Brooklyn, NY
July 4th 2009
July 4th 2009
It is with a great pleasure and enthusiasm that I take this opportunity to introduce you to The Urban Divers Estuary Conservancy's ENVIROMEDIA MOBILE- The traveling
urban nature and maritime museum on wheels.
This summer starting on July 18th, UDEC ENVIROMEDIA MOBILE will emerge at a Brooklyn Waterfront
near you with The Urban Trekker' Tour 2009- a fun filled summer weekends of Environmental Education through Recreation, Environmental Stewardship, Cultural Enrichment, and maritime activities, in conjunction with the organization's 10th Anniversary Celebration in providing its resources and services to various communities along NY Harbor.Please see attached summer e-calendar: JOIN US, FOLLOW IT, Please post, list and HELP SPREAD THE WORD.
Twit @ twitter/urbanoutdoors.
The Urban Divers ENVIROMEDIA MOBILE " Urban Trekker Tour 2009(Designated Official Quadricentennial Ambassador by the State of New York).Activities include:
Sun Sept 27th.11am- 5pm@ Valentino Park- "Nature at the Beach Series"Sun Aug 16th,Sat Sept 26th-11am-5pm
@ Ikea/Erie Basin Park- " International Bay Fest Series"-
WIN A CHANCE TO RECEIVE a FREW HOME OFFICE DESIGN and FURNISHING.Sat July 19th,Sat Aug 15th,Sun Sept 13th,Sat Oct 10th-11am-5pm
@ Bensonhurst Park ( Bay Parkway/Next to Tennis House Bubble)- "International Bay Fest Series"-Sun July 26th,Sat Sept 5th,Sat Sept 19th-11am- 5pmProgram is subject to changes, please confirm, More dates may added later. For more info call 347-224-5828, or email enviromediamobile.udec@gmail.com .OTHER-COME EXPLORE THE RICHNESS and CULTURAL DIVERSITY OF NYC's WATERFRONT.ENJOY A DAY ON THE SCENIC HARLEM RIVER.The 4th ANNUAL HARLEM RIVER REVIVAL and FAMILY & KIDS DAY FESTIVAL- SAT JULY 11th , 11am-5PM" The Nature in the Hood Serie"Activities Include:The Great Muscoota River Paddle- Ecocruise on the Harlem River aboard our unique 32ft Indian shipping canoe that accomodates 21 paddlers at time.Western Performance and Horse Handling by the Federation of Black CowboysPerformance StageBirds of PreyArchery...and more@ The Harlem River Ecology Center located upstream at the Bronx, Harlem River Waterfront, at the southern end of Roberto Clemente State Park , NYC Bridge Park and River Park Towers, just north of the historic High Bridge, now in restorationTAKE THE METRO NORTH - HUDSON RIVER LINE TO MORRIS HEIGHTS STOPS RIGHT AT THE STATE PARK.See you there...The Urban Divers Estuary ConservancyENVIROMEDIA MOBILE
Just got this email from Senator Daniel Squadron's office. Squadron will be talking directly to his constituents via a conference call tonight to update everyone on what is happening in Albany.
Great idea! I know I will be dialing that number...
Here is the message from Daniel Squadron:
Dear Friend,
With all that’s happening in Albany, a lot of people have been asking
me what’s going on and where I think we should go from here.
In order to speak with you directly, share my perspective and answer
any questions you might have, I would love it if you would join a
conference call I'll be having at 6pm.
To listen to the call please dial this number and, when prompted,
enter the six-digit conference code number:
Dial-in: 1-712-432-3100
Conference code: 691380
If you have any questions or thoughts please email them ahead of time
to admin@danielsquadron.org. Please let us know that you'll be joining
us by emailing us at that address as well.
I hope to speak with you this evening!
Sincerely,
Daniel
Anonymous left the following comment on the post Toll Brothers' V.P. Von Spreckelsen Submits His Testimony To The EPA!
You have to admire the optimism of anyone who is opening a business during this harsher economic climate. But Madison Rose, a new designer maternity resale store at 313 Court Street may just be on to a great business idea. In a neighborhood that seems to have more babies and strollers per capita than any other in New York City, it seems logical to open a maternity clothing store. The fact that it is a resale store at which customers can buy at 50% off retail, as well as sell and trade, makes it a brilliant idea. Here are some additional details I found on the store on Craigslist:
A new destination has opened for designer maternity clothes. We are a resale boutique specializing in designer maternity clothing. Our prices start at 50% off original retail. We carry mostly designer brands but we also hand select the best fashionable pieces from lower end brands. Examples of the brands we carry are 7 For All Mankind, Citizen, Rock & Republic, Habitual, Liz Lange Collection, Juicy, Pea In The Pod, DVF, etc.
I am sure that the EPA will be super impressed by a developer such as Toll Brothers calling its reputation into question and urging the federal agency to refrain from listing the Gowanus Canal on their National Priority List as a Superfund Site.
But that is exactly what David Von Spreckelsen, Toll Brothers V.P. is doing. Von Spreckelsen submitted the testimony below to the EPA, as part of the agency's public submission process on the Gowanus nomination.
In his submission, he is urging the EPA to let the City go ahead with its rather shaky alternative clean-up plan.
No surprise there!
The Toll Brothers' VP has been working hard to move the developer's condo project at 363-365 Bond Street forward. First, Von Spreckelsen spent hundreds of thousands of dollars lobbying the New York City Council, the City Planning Commission, the Brooklyn Borough President, Brooklyn Community Board 6, the Mayor's Office and the State Assembly, to facilitate the rezoning from manufacturing to residential of the two blocks along the Gowanus Canal on which the Toll Brothers' wanted to build.
Not surprisingly, the spot-rezoning was approved at every step during the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (U.L.U.R.P.), despite the protests of community members who pleaded with city officials to first clean the Gowanus Canal thoroughly before rezoning its shores. To no avail. The New York City Council approved the spot-rezoning in March, 2009, ahead of a general rezoning of the Gowanus area.
But just when it looked as though the last hurdle had been removed and that the Toll Brothers' Bond Street project could get started, the EPA stepped forward and announced that the Gowanus Canal was one of the most polluted waterways in the country. In April, the federal agency proposed placing the canal on its list of Superfund sites. That was welcome news for most local residents.
But not for the Toll Brothers. David Von Spreckelsen went into over-drive. Just days after the EPA made its announcement, he was quoted in countless newspapers as opposing the listing. He told everyone who would listen, that the Toll Brothers would walk away from their Gowanus project if the canal were to be listed. He hired a consulting firm and joined forces with a handful of Gowanus property owners to oppose the EPA Superfund designation. The Clean Gowanus Now! Coalition, as they called themselves, printed up slick anonymous fliers filled with misinformation. The Coalition hired a young man, named Daniel, to knock on the doors of local residents to spread more untruths about the Superfund program. Daniel freely gave out a telephone number that could be tracked right back to David Von Spreckelsen.
It is unlikely that the EPA will listen to the Toll Brothers' spin. The agency after all is more interested in science and in protecting the public from harmful chemicals, than in covering up facts to help a developer.
The EPA's Public comment period will end on July 8th. If you have not yet sent in your own testimony, I urge you to do so.
Please help insure that the Gowanus Canal becomes a Listed Superfund Site. You can participate by doing the following:
Many New York families are planning summer “staycations” this year, and luckily, adventures await in the heart of Brooklyn at the Prospect Park Children’s Corner, located by the Willink entrance to Prospect Park. Fridays in July and August this kid-centric sanctuary will provide a one-stop destination for storytelling, history, exploration and more. Each Friday the Children’s Corner, made up of Lefferts Historic House, the Prospect Park Carousel, and Propsect Park Zoo, will host Brooklyn Public Library’s Kidsmobile and Prospect Park Zoo’s Animal Tales . With so many activities to choose from, families can look forward to a new adventure each Friday, including the 62nd Annual R.H. Macy’s Fishing Contest at the Prospect Park Audubon Center July 17.
Brooklyn Public Library's colorful Kidsmobile, generously funded by Borough President Marty Markowitz, is a children's library on wheels. This summer the new Kidsmobile will be at Prospect Park every Friday from 12-3:30pm with books, fun programs and library cards for kids of all ages.
There’s more storytelling fun to be had with Prospect Park Zoo’s Animal Tales , a literacy-based program for kids ages four to eleven. Every Friday starting July 10, educators bringing the program to the Kidsmobile will focus on a different animal in the zoo’s collection; kangaroos, emerald tree boas, and California sea lions will come alive as children read and act out tales relating to each animal. Children may read stories and folktales, play games, try on costumes, and touch animal skulls and skins. At the end of each session, children will make an animal-themed craft to take home. From the Kidsmobile it’s just a short walk to Prospect Park Zoo, where kids can meet some of the animals featured in each day’s Animal Tale, plus many more, in person!
Nearby at Lefferts Historic House, families can take a trip back in time with tools, toys and games from 200 years of Brooklyn’s history. Or they can stop by Prospect Park’s old-fashioned Carousel, featuring 51 magnificently carved horses, a lion, a giraffe, a deer, and two dragon-pulled chariots, accompanied by joyous organ music. And on Friday July 17, from 10am-4pm, kids 15 and under can enter the Macy’s Fishing Contest at the Prospect Park Audubon Center, where prizes are awarded daily! The Audubon Center is no more than a 10-minute walk into the Park from the Children’s Corner. For information call (718) 287-3400, x101.
With so much to see and do on summer Fridays, the Prospect Park Children’s Corner is a unique arena where children can learn and explore. The Children's Corner is located inside Prospect Park’s Willink entrance, at the intersection of Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boulevard. For a full schedule of Children’s Corner activities, visit http://heartofbrooklyn.org/childrenscorner
As the end of the public comment period rapidly approaches and all of the meetings have been held and a great deal of information disseminated, CORD is convinced now more than ever, that the nomination of the Gowanus Canal to the National Priorities List as a Superfund site is STILL the best thing that ever happened to our neighborhood.
We do not believe that the City of New York's "alternative" plan affords any tangible benefit to the community in terms of process, result or timeframe.
It is our understanding that the city’s plan is basically an attempt to provide the responsible parties (the polluters) with a deep discount by trying to have a good portion of the polluters’ tab picked up by a federal program known as WRDA. There is a waiting line for the money and long long list of projects that would be ahead of the Canal. And….did we mention?
THE GOWANUS CANAL IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR WRDA FUNDS AT THIS TIME.
The City is expending, by their own admission, a great deal of time, energy, effort (and therefore, money), to lobby the federal government to make the canal part of this program. In essence, the City is adding an additional layer of government , personnel and complications to the process while simultaneously adding additional financial burdens upon the already- strapped New York City taxpayer.
Where is the benefit to the community in the City’s plan? We can’t find it. The EPA through the SUPERFUND program, has the clout to collect the money from the responsible parties, has the expertise and a time improved program already in place to handle situations like our canal. Why does it seem as though the City is trying to stymie it? We can’t figure it out.
The fact sheet can be downloaded from Senator Montgomery's web site here.SUPERFUND IS NEEDED, NOW!
“Superfund” is the easy name for a program the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses to clean the most polluted areas of our country. The NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation asked the EPA to consider listing the Gowanus Canal after finding the incredibly high degree of pollution in the area.
THE CANAL IS VERY DANGEROUSLY POLLUTED
The level of pollution necessary for EPA Superfund listing is measured in “parts per million.” Heavy metals and certain other pollutants in the Gowanus Canal pollution registers in parts per HUNDRED. That’s 10,000 times more polluted than the lowest emergency listing! In addition, every time it rains raw sewage overflows into the canal. The bacteria count in a recent study is shocking, more than 25 times the unsafe level.
PROPERTY VALUES WILL INCREASE
Land surrounding a clean, safe canal will be far more valuable. A thorough and expeditious cleanup will be the best thing for everyone!
SUPERFUND CLEANUP WILL BE THOROUGH AND WON’T TAKE FOREVER
Progress should be seen quickly once work starts, but the complete cleanup will take time. The cleanup has to be thorough and consistent or the canal will return to the current dangerous state. Federal designation commits the cleanup to professional, uninterrupted effort.
RESPONSIBLE PARTIES PAY, AND WORK STARTS IMMEDIATELY
Superfund cleanups are funded by the people who caused the pollution.
The EPA believes much if not most of the cleanup will be the responsibility of National Grid.
*It won’t cost the community money.
*It won’t cost home owners money.
*It won’t cost new business owner money.
*The EPA has said it won’t cost New York City more money than they are already committed to spending.
The EPA starts work immediately from Federal funds set aside for this purpose.
*Congress budgets $320 million dollars annually for the Superfund
*An additional $600 million dollars has been allocated this year alone
*President Obama is reviving the funding stream that will place an additional billion dollars in the Superfund.
The EPA is ready to go!
THE CITY PLAN
New York City has proposed an alternative plan they believe will accomplish a similar clean canal, but the City is not in the business of cleaning toxic sites. While well meaning, the City plan is completely untested and contains questionable assumptions.
*The City plan depends on polluters voluntarily doing the work themselves, to their own standards; but these polluters haven’t done anything up to now.
*The City plan doesn’t intend to clean the whole canal, and a partial cleanup will not be safe.
*The City plan would need special Congressional approval for the Army Corps of Engineers to work on the entire Canal; they legally can’t go north of the Hamilton Avenue bridge!
*The City plan has no guarantees that the funding will actually happen; it relies on the idea that Congress will give substantial special money for years to come for this one project, which is very unlikely.
*The EPA has been doing this for decades and knows what it is doing. The EPA has said *Superfund listing will incorporate all City programs and not delay any efforts currently in progress. Superfund listing guarantees action in ways the City plan cannot.
JOBS
The cleaning process itself will produce new, Green jobs. And a clean Gowanus Canal and vicinity will be a much better employment area!
HOUSING
Current plans for building housing in the Gowanus area would expose families to a life next to dangerous contamination. For the sake of all, the area must be thoroughly cleaned to Superfund standards so housing for all can be responsibly built.
A reader left the following comment on the post "A Carroll Gardener Furious At Mayor Bloomberg's Anti-Superfund Stance":
The major impetus for the City's plan is for the developers, not for the community. It is Developer Toll who said it is against Superfund because of the "stigma" it will bring to the scam they wanted to pull off that the Gowanus is great waterfront property as is so that they can put their mega condo development here. City Planning gave them the spot rezoning regardless of the outcries from the community that this was not appropriate for Gowanus - esp. since it is so toxic as well as other environmental issues. The City has NO EXPERIENCE with the clean-up Gowanus needs and the EPA will give.The City's fall back plan is that the EPA can take over if the City fails -it also puts more of the co$t of NYC taxpayers. Why do we need to go through all this? Give us EPA Superfund, please!
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