Another Gowanus Land Use Meeting!

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Bob Levine, Chair of C.B.6 Land Use Committee

Councilman Bill DeBlasio

Purnima Kapur, Brooklyn Director of City Planning

Proposed Zoning Map

David Von Spreckelsen, of Toll Brothers

Another evening, another meeting....this time, it was the monthly gathering of the Community Board 6's Land Use Committee. On the agenda was New York City Planning's presentation of the rezoning framework for the Gowanus Canal.
Under discussion is the area between Park Slope and Carroll Gardens which is now zoned industrial. City Planning has broken the whole into five sub-areas and into different use-groups, including residential and retail use.

I don't know about you, dear reader, but every time I go to a meeting dealing with the future of the Gowanus Canal, the debate comes back to the most important factor: the pollution from decades of environmental abuse. Without fail, the subject was brought up by members of the audience as well as by at least one Land-Use Committee member.

C.B.6 member Betty Stolz wanted to know if by rezoning some blocks to residential, New York City was actually accepting responsibility and saying that it was safe to live along the contaminated shores of the canal.
F.R.O.G.G. member Marlene Donnelly urged City Planning to study the D.E.P. report on the Gowanus Canal and to make the environmental process central and foremost to the rezoning.
Jean Austin from the Gowanus Conservancy, expressed her disappointment that there isn't a more concerted effort being made to mandate and to implement a green manufacturing district.
All very good questions. Without answers, it seems to me that we are putting the cart in front of the horse when it comes to the Gowanus rezoning.
On the way home, I asked Mr. Pardon Me if he would ever consider living right on the shores of the Gowanus Canal. "No way!" was his immediate response.
Exactly! Those of us who live close to the polluted waterway know that it is just too risky.
Because, honestly, what's the use of having a great apartment with views if you don't have your health...