Tonight, Community Meeting On Centralized Parole Facility In Gowanus

Tonight, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, together with Councilman Brad Lander and Community Board 6, will be hosting invited a meeting about a new proposed centralized parole facility in Gowanus. Representatives of NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision will be on hand to answer questions from the community.
The department is intending to relocate its operation from downtown Brooklyn to a brand new building that is currently being constructed at 5 Second Avenue, near the Gowanus Canal.
The new three-story 55,000-square-foot building will allow about 5,000 parolees to check in with their supervisors.

Previously, the site was used as a bus repair facility.  

It is important to note that this is not a prison, as it was rumored.  It is also important to note that zoning on the site allows such use.  Perhaps, our politicians and the Gowanus business community can help introduce job training programs to better reintegrate the parolees by providing them with real skills and jobs and to keep them working in Gowanus.

Community Meeting on Centralized Parole Facility

Monday, September 15, 2014

6:30 PM

78th Precinct Stationhouse

65 Sixth Avenue (at Bergen Street)

4th Floor Courtroom

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Third Board Of Standards And Appeals Hearing On Rock And Roll Playhouse In Gowanus Scheduled For June 17th

280 Bond Street

View of residential homes abutting the building on Degraw Street

On Tuesday, June 17, the Board of Sandards and Appeals (BSA) once again will be hearing the case of 280 Bond Street, a non-conforming use abutting six residential townhouses that developer Peter Shapiro hopes to turn into the Rock And Roll Playhouse. This will be the third hearing on the matter.

Here is a bit of background on the matter:

Since 1961, when NYC Zoning districts were mapped, 280 Bond Street has housed a non-conforming use in a residential zone (R6 from 1961 - 2009, and R6-B since 2009) which only permits residential or community facility use.

Although the previous non-conforming uses in the residential zone are grandfathered and allowed continuing use, the R6-B zone has to be enforced when the non-conforming use is discontinued for two years.

We Are Gowanus (WAG), the group of residents who have been fighting to keep the proposed Rock And Roll Playhouse at 280 Bond Street from impacting their quality of life, claim that "Excellence in Plumbing", the business that was based at this location previously, had ceased operation long ago.


WAG reached out to the NYC Department of Buildings to point out that the new music venue should not be allowed under the existing R6B zoning and to make the agency aware of the discontinued use.
But DOB issued building permits for the Rock And Roll Playhouse nonetheless.

The group ultimately sued the Buildings Department to force DOB to issue its decision and the basis for it. In a final NYC DOB determination issued on October 2, 2013, the agency was in opposition to WAG.

With the help of lawyer Jack Lester, We Are Gowanus has appealed this decision to the Board Of Standards and Appeals.

Below is a press release on the upcoming hearing from We Are Gowanus:

Please join us on Tuesday, JUNE 17 at 10am for our next Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) hearing regarding 280 Bond Street (the proposed site of Rock and Roll Playhouse).

The hearing will take place at 22 Reade Street, Spector Hall (ground floor). It is critical for WAG to demonstrate community support with a strong turnout at this upcoming hearing.

Here's an update about 280 Bond Street and the two previous BSA Hearings:

First Hearing: January 2014
The first hearing revealed no evidence of an actual business at 280 Bond St. The BSA Chair instructed the attorney for the owner of 280 Bond Street to produce evidence for the next hearing.

Second Hearing: March 2014
The second hearing offered minimal supporting evidence of an ongoing business from the early 1980s to the present. The BSA Chair highlighted this omission, and gave the owner of 280 Bond another opportunity to demonstrate that business actually occurred at that site.

At the same time, WAG provided evidence that the building owner had been convicted of federal tax evasion, and in the course of that proceeding he swore under oath to the Manhattan DA that he had had no active business at the location from 2008-2011.

Third Hearing - originally May 2014; postponed until June 17
This hearing was postponed to allow a new DOB attorney to get up to speed on the case.

We’ve received fantastic letters of support from State Senator Velmanette Montgomery and Joan Millman.

We look forward to seeing you on June 17!

All the best,

We Are Gowanus
http://wearegowanus.org/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Are-Gowanus/146583272193503

Both State Assemblywoman Joan Millman as well as State Senator Velmanette Montgomery have recently written letters to members of the Board Of Standards and Appeal in support of We Are Gowanus.  Please see letters below.

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"Bridging Gowanus": Real Community Planning Or Dog And Pony Show?

Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez

Councilman Brad Lander

Councilman Stephen Levin

This past Thursday evening, I attended the second Bridging Gowanus community planning meeting about the future of the Gowanus area. About 150 local residents and business owners participated in this latest session, which was held at the Wyckoff Gardens Community Center.
Bridging Gowanus has been convened jointly by Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, Council Member Stephen Levin, and Council Member Brad Lander. It has been promoted as "an inclusive community-driven planning process to develop a long-term vision for a safe, vibrant, and sustainable Gowanus."

The process started last August. Since then, several meetings have been held with community stakeholders to identify broadly shared goals and "build consensus around a neighborhood framework for the infrastructure and land use regulations needed in the Gowanus Canal area."

To facilitate the conversation Pratt Center for Community Development (not to be confused with Pratt Institute) has been hired as consultant in charge of running the process.

The goal of Bridging Gowanus, as it has been explained to participants, is a community supported blueprint to help shape the De Blasio Administration's thinking about the Gowanus Canal.  

At this latest planning meeting, participants were encouraged to explore an "idea expo" which had been prepared by Pratt Center.  The expo consisted of twelve poster boards that represented some of the shared commonalities that had come out of previous sessions.  Some of these common goals included:

*strengthening and coming up with a true mixed-use zoning that will maintain a true mix of industrial and residential use.

*creating a diverse residential community by preserving and creating affordable housing.

*strengthening industry by investing in infrastructure and putting in place financial mechanisms to support industry.

*coordinating job and workforce developments with planned resiliency and environmental remediation initiatives

*flexible new school buildings that could be used by the community during the evenings and week-ends

*undertake a hydrology study to investigate the effects of elevating building sites along the Gowanus corridor to meet new building codes in flood zones.

Each participant was given twelve red stickers to distribute on the twelve 'idea boards' to indicate importance or preference.
By far, the board that got the most stickers was the Hydrology Study/ Flood Management board.

The second part of the meeting involved dividing participants into groups for an exercise that was moderated by representatives of Pratt Center at each table.
Stakeholders were presented with a map of the Gowanus corridor.  They were encouraged to discuss future land use in the Gowanus.
Each table was shown a map that had been divided into three parts:
*Number One was labeled "Industrial Buisness Zone"
*Number Two was labeled "Ombudsman Area"
*Number Three was unlabeled.

The map somehow looked eerily like the one presented to the Gowanus community back in 2009, when Amanda Burden,  then-Commissioner of City Planning presented her agency's proposed re-zoning for the Gowanus Corridor.  The map presented by Burden at that time had also divided the neighborhood into three parts. Click here for the 2009 re-zoning proposal.

At my table, the Pratt Center moderator seemed to want to steer the conversation into a very specific direction. She began by asking my group if the area labeled "Industrial Buisness Zone" on the map should or should not stay manufacturing.  Most everyone agreed that it should.  If that were the case, the moderator wanted to know, where would we put housing?
The moderator then appeared to be strongly suggesting that perhaps, area number 3 could be zoned to allow residential development.  After all, the 700-unit Lighstone Group residential development had already been green lighted by the city and Gowanus Green at Public Place, with its 770 units was sure to follow.

I pointed out that dividing the Gowanus into three distinct areas went against everything that I had personally heard the community say: that there should be a fluid mix of uses everywhere in Gowanus.
Not only did the exercise remind me of playing Monopoly, the map and the direction of the conversation seemed specifically designed to support the City's 2009 proposed re-zoning.

I have now attended all except one of the Bridging Gowanus sessions.  I have tried to put aside my cynicism and hoped that, as promised, the outcome of the process would allow the Gowanus community to plan for its own future.
But make no mistake, Gowanus has already been divided amongst developers who are ready to build residential development on the shores of the canal with the blessing of newly-elected Mayor De Blasio. The Bridging Gowanus process is, in my humble opinion, a carefully orchestrated process that gives the appearance of community input.
At the end, we will most likely just end up with what New York City has planned for the area since 2009.

NYCity proposed rezoning for Gowanus presented to the community in 2009

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Next 'Bridging Gowanus" Meeting Scheduled For Thursday. If You Live In Gowanus, You Should Be There

Pratt Center's Draft Timeline For "Gowanus Community Planning"

Back in December 9, 2013, about 200 residents and business owners took part in the first in a series of community meetings on the future of Gowanus. Entitled Bridging Gowanus, the 'democratic' process was convened jointly by Councilmember Brad Lander, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, State Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and Councilmember Steven Levin.
To facilitate the conversation about a shared, sustainable vision for the Gowanus, Councilman Lander has hired and paid Pratt Center for Community Development (not to be confused with Pratt Institute) as consultant in charge of running the planning process.  At the meeting, Pratt gave a presentation on what concerns, hopes and future uses of the Gowanus neighborhood the community has expressed so far. (The presentation can be accessed here.)

Though the turnout for the meeting was terrific, there was little time after the presentation and speeches from public officials for the community to actually engage in the conversation. Residents had been separated into groups, so that discussions were limited to individual tables. The conversation that followed Pratt Center's presentation would have been more inclusive if it had engaged all the residents at the same time.

Another shortcoming was that Pratt Center had neglected to include a map of the exact area that was being discussed. That should have been the first slide shown that night.

At the end of the meeting, participants were asked to sign up for working groups that would get together at a subsequently working meeting.

This new meeting has been scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday January 16, 2014 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at PS 58 – The Carroll School (330 Smith Street).

Here are details on the meeting from Catherine Zinnel of Councilman Lander's office:

"As described in December, the Working Groups will collect and develop creative ideas that help address challenges and achieve the shared values discussed at the first community planning meeting. (You can find a meeting summary here.) Those ideas will then be presented at the second community planning meeting, which will take place in late February.

The process facilitator has identified four general Working Group areas:
· Environmental Infrastructure
· Social and Cultural Infrastructure
· Strengthen the Mix of Uses
· Affordable Housing

Since the Working Groups are meeting simultaneously on Thursday January 16, 2014 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, we ask that each person select one Working Group in which to participate. Please RSVP using this link by Monday January 13.

At the first meeting, Working Groups will:
· Identify the challenges to be addressed by their group
· If applicable, review some ideas that have already been developed to address these challenges
· Brainstorm new ideas

The second set of Working Group meetings are scheduled for Monday January 27 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at PS 58, during which participants will further develop and refine ideas for presentation at the second community planning meeting in February.

If you know of others who would like to join a Working Group, they should visit http://BridgingGowanus.org/ and click on the “Get Involved” tab. Shortly after signing up they will receive an email with more detailed information. The last day to sign-up for a Working Group is Sunday January 12. (Those without regular computer access can call 718-499-1090 to sign up.)"

Though the sign-up has passed, I would urge everyone who lives, works or owns a business in Gowanus to participate.  According to our politicians, this is a 'democratic' process, yet there have been questions about its inclusivity.

A first email about Thursday's meeting sent by Catherine Zinnel of Councilman Lander's office in early January did not seem to have reached everyone.  When a local resident made me aware of it, I emailed Catherine to let her know that neither I nor my husband had received notice, though we had both been part of the previous meetings.
Catherine subsequently sent out a second email a few days later, which made it to my mailbox.
However,  I know of at least four people, who signed up to be part of one of the working groups at the December meeting,  and who never received either one of the notices. They would not have known about Thursday's meeting if I had not forwarded the email.
For that reason, perhaps the deadline set by his office may be disregarded.

The 'Bridging Gowanus' process and its findings will ultimately lead to an overall rezoning of the Gowanus Canal area.  No matter what your vision is for the neighborhood, the more people participate, the more the community may have a say about its future.

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IMPORTANT MEETING TONIGHT: Have A Say On The Future Of The Gowanus Neighborhood At Public Meeting

***TONIGHT***

Your involvement and participation are needed.

Please make every effort to attend this important meeting

Bridging Gowanus

Monday December 9th, 2013

from 6:30 to 8:30 pm

at PS 372 – The Children’s School at 512 Carroll Street.

"First in a series of public meetings to develop a neighborhood framework for the infrastructure and land uses needed for a safe, vibrant and sustainable Gowanus."

Recently, I wrote about a series of 'Gowanus Planning' kick-off meetings that had been held jointly by State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, State Assemblywoman Joan Millman, Councilmember Steven Levin and Councilmember Lander.
Pratt Center for Community Development (not to be confused with the Pratt Institute) has been hired by the elected officials as the facilitator and consultant in charge of running the planning process.
According to an overview prepared by Pratt, the goal is to:
*Develop the outlines of a comprehensive, community‐based infrastructure and land‐use plan for a safe, vibrant, and sustainable Gowanus area
*Bring community stakeholders together to build as much consensus as we can around a long‐term vision for the Gowanus Canal area
*Shape the next NYC mayoral administration’s thinking about the Gowanus Canal
*Create a space for honest conversation about different viewpoints.

The first such meeting had been convened this past August. On the list of invited stakeholders were representatives from local organizations and neighborhood associations. Those same stakeholders met again in October for a series of small group interviews.
Pratt Center compiled the information from these interviews and will present the findings at the first in a series of public meetings to be held on Monday December 9th, 2013.

The end result of these meetings, according to a press release "will be a community supported blueprint for an environmentally safe, vibrant, and sustainable Gowanus to inform de Blasio Administration."

Personally, I remain very skeptical of this entire 'Gowanus planning' process and doubt that at its conclusion, the community will be able to truly influence the outcome.
Mayor-elect Bill De Blasio, who once served as our Councilman, not only supported the Toll Brothers Gowanus spot-rezoning back in '08, he fought hard to drive away the EPA when the agency proposed to list the Gowanus as a Superfund. I have no doubt that he is itching to hand over the Gowanus corridor to developers.

However, as I wrote previously, I do believe that the community needs to take the planning process back. We owe it to ourselves and to all who will come after us to take our seat at the table, and to push for a true, transparent, democratic process. We need to tell our politicians that before any new development is envisioned, we need to first find out what the Gowanus can sustain. We need to first invest in infrastructure to strengthen the businesses and the residential areas that are already there, and we need to demand new tools in City Planning's tool box.
As a community, we need to remind our politicians that before moving ahead with any re-zoning, we need a health study to gage the effects of exposure to the environmental hazards in Gowanus. Secondly, we need a hydrological study to evaluate the effect of new development in this flood prone area.
Most importantly, we need assurances from Mayor-elect De Balsio that the City Of New York will pay and follow through on the EPA-mandated retention basins that will help reduce the Combined Sewer Overflows and improve water quality in the canal. Without these studies and without the retention basins, planning more housing in Gowanus seemed "recklessly premature."

Whether you live or work in Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, or Park Slope, whatever your vision for the future, we will all be affected by how the Gowanus corridor will be re-zoned.
Please stay involved. You can visit BridgingGowanus.org for upcoming meeting announcements and information about the process.



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Your Participation Is Needed: Have A Say On The Future Of The Gowanus Neighborhood At Public Meeting On December 9th

Your involvement and participation are needed. 
Please make every effort to attend this important meeting.

Bridging Gowanus

Monday December 9th, 2013 

from 6:30 to 8:30 pm 

at PS 372 – The Children’s School at 512 Carroll Street. 

"First in a series of public meetings to develop a neighborhood framework for the infrastructure and land uses needed for a safe, vibrant and sustainable Gowanus." 

Recently, I wrote about a series of 'Gowanus Planning' kick-off meetings that had been held jointly by State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, State Assemblywoman Joan Millman, Councilmember Steven Levin and Councilmember Lander.

Pratt Center for Community Development (not to be confused with the Pratt Institute) has been hired by the elected officials as the facilitator and consultant in charge of running the planning process.
According to an overview prepared by Pratt, the goal is to:
*Develop the outlines of a comprehensive, community‐based infrastructure and land‐use plan for a safe, vibrant, and sustainable Gowanus area
*Bring community stakeholders together to build as much consensus as we can around a long‐term vision for the Gowanus Canal area
*Shape the next NYC mayoral administration’s thinking about the Gowanus Canal
*Create a space for honest conversation about different viewpoints.

The first such meeting had been convened this past August. On the list of invited stakeholders were representatives from local organizations and neighborhood associations. Those same stakeholders met again in October for a series of small group interviews.

Pratt Center compiled the information from these interviews and will present the findings at the first in a series of public meetings to be held on Monday December 9th, 2013.

The end result of these meetings, according to a press release "will be a community supported blueprint for an environmentally safe, vibrant, and sustainable Gowanus to inform de Blasio Administration."

Personally, I remain very skeptical of this entire 'Gowanus planning' process and doubt that at its conclusion, the community will be able to truly influence the outcome.
Mayor-elect Bill De Blasio, who once served as our Councilman, not only supported the Toll Brothers Gowanus spot-rezoning back in '08, he fought hard to drive away the EPA when the agency proposed to list the Gowanus as a Superfund. I have no doubt that he is itching to hand over the Gowanus corridor to developers.

However, as I wrote previously, I do believe that the community needs to take the planning process back. We owe it to ourselves and to all who will come after us to take our seat at the table, and to push for a true, transparent, democratic process. We need to tell our politicians that before any new development is envisioned, we need to first find out what the Gowanus can sustain. We need to first invest in infrastructure to strengthen the businesses and the residential areas that are already there, and we need to demand new tools in City Planning's tool box.
As a community, we need to remind our politicians that before moving ahead with any re-zoning, we need a health study to gage the effects of exposure to the environmental hazards in Gowanus. Secondly, we need a hydrological study to evaluate the effect of new development in this flood prone area.
Most importantly, we need assurances from Mayor-elect De Balsio that the City Of New York will pay and follow through on the EPA-mandated retention basins that will help reduce the Combined Sewer Overflows and improve water quality in the canal. Without these studies and without the retention basins, planning more housing in Gowanus seemed "recklessly premature."

Whether you live or work in Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill, or Park Slope, whatever your vision for the future, we will all be affected by how the Gowanus corridor will be re-zoned.

Please stay involved.   You can visit BridgingGowanus.org for upcoming meeting announcements and information about the process. 

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Now The Clean-Up Is The Law: EPA Region 2 Gowanus Superfund Team Updates Community Advisory Group

Christos Tsiamis, EPA Region 2 project manager for the Gowanus Canal

Brian Carr, EPA Region 2 lawyer with Christos Tsiamis

Natalie Loney, EPA Region 2 Community Involvement Coordinator, and Christos Tsiamis

New York State Senator Velmanette Montgomery

Doug Sarno, EPA Gowanus Community Advisory Group facilitator

On Tuesday evening, the  Environmental Protection Agency Gowanus Canal Superfund Community Advisory Group (CAG) gathered at Mary Star Of The Sea Senior Center for its regular monthly meeting.  It was the first meeting since the release of the EPA's Record Of Decision (ROD) on September 30th, 2013.

The signing of the document was a gigantic leap forward in the Superfund process.
The ROD not only represents the blue print for the final decision on how to clean the heavily polluted 1.8 mile long Gowanus Canal, it makes this clean-up "the law of the land."

The EPA Region 2 Gowanus Superfund team was present at Tueday's meeting to let the community know "where we are and where we are going" from this point forward.

Natalie Loney,  EPA Region 2's Community Involvement Coordinator, indicated that the agency will hold two informal community meetings in early November to talk about the ROD. Dates and locations will be announce shortly.

Christos Tsiamis, EPA's Project Manager for the Gowanus Canal, spoke in depth about timeline, process for the remediation and the ROD. 

The clean-up calls for the removal of the contaminated soft sediment at the bottom of the canal that has accumulated during a century and a half of industrial use.  The material will be shipped to an off-site facility and will be disposed of in an environmentally appropriate manner.

Since isolated contamination will remain even after dredging, several layers of capping material will be applied over the native sediment. This will prevent the remaining contamination to come in contact with aquatic life.

In addition, the 450 foot long First Street Turning Basin will be restored, dredging and capped in the same manner.

The ROD puts in place several controls to insure that the canal will not be re-contaminated after remediation.
One control involves the Combined Sewer Oveflows at the head of the canal.  Two retention tanks will be installed to capture the discharges from these CSOs during heavy rains.  The waste water will be pumped out again as soon as capacity at the local treatment plant is restored, 

The EPA will also make sure that the remedy will not be impacted by the coal tar from three former Manufacturing Gas Plant (MGP) sites.  The Metropolitan site, the  Fulton site,  and the Citizen's site (a.k.a. Public Place) will be remediated by National Grid under the supervision of NY State Department of Environmental Conservation.  EPA will work closely with them.

The next three years will be dedicated to designing the remedy, but the EPA is anticipating doing some work in the canal by this spring.  The final phase, the actual remediation, will take about 6 years.

On the legal front,  Brian Carr, EPA Region 2's lawyer, stated that Notices Of Liability have been sent out to the Responsible Parties, who will have to pay for polluting the canal.

When asked what will happen if the polluters do not pay, Carr stated: "We continue to hope for cooperation." He did make clear, however,  that non-complience would lead to serious monetary fines.

Christos Tsiamis added:  "The ROD is a final decision.  It is the law.  It will be followed."

New York State Senator Velmanette Montgomery stopped by the meeting briefly and addressed the CAG. " There is a lot of community involvement taking place here. I am honored to see it with my own eyes."

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Brooklyn Politicians Hold Forum On Affordable Care Act

State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Assemblywoman Joan Millman and several of their Brooklyn colleagues are holding a forum on the Affordable Care Act this Wednesday, October 2nd from 6 pm to 8 pm at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, 85 South Oxford Street.
Speakers and representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, New York State Department of Health, NYC Department of Human Resources and several health networks will be on hand to answer questions pertaining to the coming changes to the health care system.

Please rsvp by contacting Senator Montgomery's office at 718 643 6140.

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Are You Having Home Or Business Insurance Problems Post-Sandy? If Yes, Contact State Senator Montgomery's Office As Soon As Possible

Are you having difficulties collecting a Sandy-related claim related to your home or business in the area? Has your insurer recently sent you a cancellation or no-renewal letter?
Do you have any other issues related to your home or business insurance?
If the answer is yes, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, whose district encompasses flood prone Red Hook and Gowanus, would like to hear from you as soon as possible.
Please email her office at montgome@nysenate.gov.  Please write SD25 Insurance Study in the subject line


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On A Day Of Massive Flooding In Gowanus, Local Politicians Ask City To Evaluate Hydrological Impact Of Large Elevated Sites Like Lightstone Group's In Flood Prone Area

Rendering of proposed Lightstone Group's Project on shore of Gowanus Canal
image credit: Lightstone Group

It would seem appropriate that on a day that saw heavy rains and flash flooding in the Gowanus area, our elected officials sent a letter to City Hall to ask if the "potential for adverse hydrologic impacts upon surrounding properties resulting from re-grading of large sites within flood hazards areas" has fully been investigated.

In the letter addressed to Deputy Mayors Cas Holloway and Robert Steele yesterday , Councilmember Lander, Congresswoman Velázquez and State Senator Montgomery specifically mention the 12 story, 700-unit Lightstone Group's project at 363-365 Bond Street.

Lightstone intends to re-grade their building site by raising the site of the development by two feet at First Street to address FEMA's recently released post-Sandy Advisory Base Flood Elevations and to comply with changes to the Building Code.

Since the Gowanus Canal was originally engineered to drain the upland marshland surrounding the canal in order to keep water away from residences in Carroll Gardens and Park Slope, this change in hydrology raises serious concerns about flooding and drainage in the Gowanus area. It may mean more problems for nearby residents, who deal with flooded basements on an regular basis.

Lander, Velazquez and Montgomery are asking City Planning "if re-grading could-even in a limited set of circumstances- lead to such impacts, how will such impacts be evaluated?
For example, would the Department Of Buildings confer with the Department of Environmental Protection before approving building permits for a re-graded site in a flood hazard area, such as that planned for 363-365 Bond Street?"

Further, Lander, Velazquez and Montgomery believe that " it would be better to bring all stakeholders to the table to develop a comprehensive plan for the infrastructure, flood protection, and land use regulations needed for a safe, vibrant, and sustainable Canal area. We should seize this opportunity to create an innovative model for low-lying, mixed-use waterfront areas on a warming planet."

It is encouraging that our Electeds recognize the hydrological impact to surrounding areas if developers like Lightstone's are allowed to re-grade the Gowanus area.

We need a new hydrological study before any new development moves forward.

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