Strange Nighttime Activity In Carroll Gardens Backyard Area Leads To Arrest Of Burglary Suspect

Carroll Gardens has always been one of the safest neighborhoods in New York City, but even so, crimes do occur.  This past week, as a resident reports, a strange incident involving several people jumping fences in the backyard area of 3rd Street between Smith and Hoyt Streets lead to at least one arrest by the 76th Precinct.

The Carroll Gardens resident writes:
Dear Katia:
I wanted to let you know about some strange activity, including the arrest of a person wanted for burglary, over the past week in Carroll Gardens. I wondered if you had heard of any other incidents in the neighborhood? I’ve been here 15 years and have never had people jumping fences in our back yards before…

We live on the south side of 3rd Street between Smith and Hoyt and last Tuesday at 10:30 I awoke to several people running in my backyard and scrambling up to our deck to get to the fire escape and go to the roof. Needless to say it was terrifying to have 5-8 people running in my yard at that hour.

The police arrived and it turns out the suspects had run across other backyards up and down the block. The cops caught and arrested a person who had been wanted for several burglaries. He did not have anything on him at the time. Neighbors report seeing between 5-18 people in my yard, some of whom looked liked teenagers. There are oddities, one person had no shoes and the next morning I found a pair of pants in my yard, size 4 Zara Woman’s.

The cops also said the story given to them by two others who were taken to the station that there was an “airbnb party” at an apt on Smith St. and for some reason (unknown) suddenly everyone dispersed (some sans clothes) through the back. I have no idea how they escaped from the roof or the other yards.

Stranger yet there have been two more reports of people in these backyard areas trespassing at night the past two Saturdays. The Police have been called each time.

I’d love to understand if anyone knows any more information and help get the word out to be safe.

Very strange and frightening occurrence, for sure.  Has anyone experienced similar incidents in the neighborhood? Please let us know.

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On This Rainy Day, Third Street In Gowanus Floods Once Again

Photo credit: Friends and Residents go Greater Gowanus

 

We just heard from a reader that there was quite a bit of flooding near the Third Street Bridge on this rainy afternoon. This was confirmed by Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus (FROGG) which posted the photos above on its Facebook Page. Police had to actually close the street and tell everyone to turn around at about 2:30pm. They are now letting cars through again.

FROGG, whose mission it is to "work towards an eco-safe and healthy Gowanus Canal" writes :
"There has always been ponding on the south side of 3rd Street here, and cars would take the north side of the street to pass through, but since the large 700 unit Lightstone development has opened, the street drain just up the hill at 3rd & Bond fails to drain. Water now stands a good foot deep over that street drain when it rains preventing any drainage at this location which is now ponding like never before.
Clearly the area now needs new (or additional) infastructure to support new development, unfortunately, the tax payers will have to cover on that as the developers have been granted tax brakes that extend for more than 25 years."

It is interesting to note that Third Street is still the designated Hurricane evacuation route for people in Carroll Gardens and Red Hook, and for the people who live in Lightstone's  365 Bond Street, who will need to follow mandatory evacuation orders during a hurricane.  (Read about the evacuation route here)
Today's rain was steady, but not actually torrential, so one can imagine what it is like during a heavy downpour or a Hurricane like Sandy.



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"At the Corner of 3rd and 3rd": A Documentary On The Coignet Building By Max Kutner

The Coignet building in all its glory. An etching from 1873.

Historic photo of the Coignet Stone Company Building

In many ways, the decrepit Coignet building at the corner of Third Avenue and Third Street exemplifies the industrial history of the Gowanus area. The building was designed by William Fields & Son and built in 1872-73 on a five-acre site. It housed the New York and Long Island Coignet Stone Company and was meant to showcase the durability and the versatility of the structural prefabricated and iron- reinforced concrete developed by industrialist François Coignet in Lyon, France in 1846.

The Coignet Stone Company factory closed in 1882 and the building next housed the offices of Edwin Clark Litchfield’s Brooklyn Improvement Company. In more recent years, it was used by the Pippin Radiator Company.Though the Coignet building was landmarked in 2006 by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, it has been allowed to crumble.

To chronicle its history and changing fortune, writer and filmmaker Max Kutner has made a wonderful documentary entitled At the Corner of 3rd and 3rd on "the past, present and future" of the Coignet Stone Company Building.  Kutner has just released a trailer, which you can see above
(And yes, that's me in some of the clips. Kutner also interviewed good friends Joseph Alexiou and Nathan Kensinger.)

At the Corner of 3rd and 3rd

Directed/Filmed/Edited by Max Kutner

(2013, 20 minutes)

At the Corner of 3rd and 3rd, a new documentary by Max Kutner, explores the evolving character of Gowanus, Brooklyn and the mysterious New York and Long Island Coignet Stone Company Building that captivates all who pass it. Constructed in 1873, the building at 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street is a historic landmark, but has been mostly abandoned since the 1960s. The Coignet Building got back in the news when Whole Foods broke ground on its first Brooklyn market just a few feet away from the landmark. Through archival materials and interviews with historians, activists, artists, photographers, and local residents, the 20-minute film presents the first comprehensive account of the past, present, and future of the Coignet Building and how a community looks to the future while fighting to preserve the past.

View the trailer for the film at vimeo.com/maxkutner/3rdand3rd.
More information is available at maxkutner.tumblr.com/3rdand3rd.

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Gowanus Whole Foods Taking Shape

Construction of the future Gowanus Whole Foods Market at 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street has progressed at a steady clip in the last few weeks. Crews have been busy driving long piles into the ground and the steel frame of the 56,000 s.f. organic market appears to be mostly completed.

Prior to construction, the approximately 2.15 acre site was remediated under the Brownfield Clean-Up Program under the supervision of the New York State Department Of Environmental Conservation. The work included excavation and disposal of soils impacted with contaminants, the removal of underground tanks, ground water monitoring, the installation of a soil cover consisting of several feet of new fill and a layer of gravel to cap the site.

 One can only hope that the remediation will not be affected by the construction work. After all, the long piles are being driven deep into the ground through the protective soil cap, which is meant to protect from residual contamination.
And there seems to be plenty of digging through the clean fill as evidenced by the photo below taken by Martin Bisi last week.

The Whole Foods site along 3rd Street. Photo taken by Martin Bisi

Now that the steel structure is almost completed, it has become evident how completely the new Whole Foods market will wrap around the historic Coignet building.
The landmarked structure, which shares the site with Whole Foods, was not part of the original land purchase.  However, under the sales agreement with owner, Richard Kowalski, of Beach Haven, N.J., Whole Foods agreed to restore and repair the old building. That work has yet to start.

In January 2012, despite objection of preservationists, Whole Foods was granted a special dispensation from the New York City Landmarks Law to reduce the size of the Coignet building lot from 125 feet to 55 feet on the 3rd Avenue side, and from 55 feet to 40 feet on the 3rd Street side.

Just recently, owner Kowalski has put the Coignet building up for sale or lease.

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Whole F(l)oods: Site Of Future Gowanus Organic Supermarket Submerged During Hurricane Sandy

Future site of Gowanus Whole Foods Store 

photo credit: Urban Divers via Martin Bisi
The same site during Hurricane Sandy

rendering of future Gowanus Whole Foods

(credit: Whole Foods)

Whole Foods' future store on Third Street and Third Avenue in Gowanus may soon be offering the company's products "without the standard array of modern toxic and persistent chemicals" but in case of a Hurricane like Sandy, those apples and oranges will have lots of nasty stuff on it.

That's because the store is right smack in the middle of a flood zone and right next to the Gowanus Canal.  During Sandy, at the end of October, the future site of the Gowanus Whole Foods was entirely under water. (See photo above)
As per the EPA,  that flood water had incredible amounts of bacteria as well as traces of petroleum and gasoline.  Luckily, the truly dangerous toxins at the bottom of the canal were left undisturbed.

Had the Whole Foods store already been open, it is safe to say that it would have had to be entirely gutted, much like Fairway in Red Hook, or so many homes and businesses along the canal.
Keep in mind that Sandy was not even considered a major rain event and let's remember that it doesn't take a hurricane to cause flooding in Gowanus.

The flooding probably did not surprise Whole Foods executives. After all, the company used the fact that the Gowanus "property is in a Flood Zone A and has a high water table and would need extensive waterproofing and additional measures to resist hydrostatic pressure" as one of the hardships  to get a zoning variance from NYC's Board Of Standarts And Appeals.

I suppose we should be lucky that Whole Foods did not go forward with their original plan, which called for a below-ground building.

I swear, one can't come up with this stuff even if one tried....


I would like to thank the Urban Divers and Martin Bisi for the use of their photo.

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"Unforgettable" Filming On Third Street This Thursday

More filming in Carroll Gardens.
On Thursday, the CBS show 'Unforgettable' will be filming on Third Street from 6 AM to 1 AM. Local residents will have to move their car on both sides of the street from Smith Street all the way to the Third Street Bridge starting Wednesday at 10 PM.  
'Unforgettable' stars Poppy Montgomery  as Carrie Wells, "a former NY Police detective who has a rare medical condition that gives her the ability to visually remember everything. She rejoins the force and uses her ability to solve crimes."

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Local Politicians Urge NYC Office Of Emergency Management To Reconsider Evacuation Route Out Of Carroll Gardens

 

New York City Office Of Emergency Management map showing hurricane evacuation zones 

Flooding on Third Street near bridge over the Gowanus, September 23, 2011

During most heavy rain events, Third Street near the Gowanus Canal has a tendency to flood, making it difficult or nearly impossible to drive over the 3rd Street Bridge, towards Park Slope.  Yet, in case of a hurricane or flood, the New York City Office Of Emergency Management  has designated Third Street as the Coastal Evacuation Route for the Carroll Gardens Community. 
I first noticed the Coastal Evacuation sign on Third Street near Smith Street more than a year ago and was immediately struck by the fact that the indicated route directed people to one of the lowest points in the neighborhood. When flood warnings and evacuation orders were given prior to Hurricane Irene in September, I wrote about this badly thought out plan, which potentially could put local residents in harm's way.
Community Board 6 took note, and promised to follow up with the Office of Emergency Management. And just yesterday, State Senator Squadron's office forwarded me a letter sent to Commissioner Joseph Bruno on this matter, signed by the Senator,  Councilman Lander, Assemblywoman Millman and Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz.  It reads:

Dear Commissioner Bruno:The recent evacuation order issued by the City in preparation for Hurricane Irene caused residents across the City to consider their preparedness in the event of an emergency. Several of our constituents raised concerns regarding the current "Coastal Evacuation Route" (CER) out of Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.
As indicated by the signs posted in the area, the CER is via the Zone A area of Third Street, over the Gowanus Canal. This is problematic because the low-lying streets surrounding the Gowanus Canal are prone to flooding, even during moderate rain storms.
Our top priority is getting people out of harm’s way as safely and efficiently as possible. To that end, we are writing to request that your office reevaluate the evacuation route for this area and provide information as to possible alternative routes.
We look forward to hearing from you and please let us know if we can be helpful in resolving this matter of concern to our constituents.
Sincerely,  Daniel Squadron, State SenatorJoan Millman, Member of the AssemblyMarty Markowitz, Brooklyn Borough PresidentBrad Lander, Member Of The City Council.

I am glad and relieved that our elected officials are helping to shine a light on this issue and are asking  for  a re-evaluation.  As far as finding alternate routes,  that may be a difficult task. Most of the local roads leading out of the neighborhood are congested on a regular day. In the case of a stronger hurricane with evacuation of Flood Zones A and B, traffic would probably come to a stand still.

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This Saturday, Check Out Third Street's 'Super Spring Stoop Sale'

Spring means 'Stoop Sales' here in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. The season is off to a great start this Saturday as "Third Street "from the tracks to the canal" is having a Super Spring Stoop Sale. Lots of treasures, friendly neighbors, art bargains, and more. Check it out."

April 30 from 11am-5pm.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°

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Love To Dance? All Welcome To 3rd Street's Dance Party This Saturday

Well, the flier stapled to a neighborhood tree on Smith Street does say all are welcome, right?

So, if you love to dance, you may want to head over to Third Street between Smith And Hoyt this Saturday, September 11th. The block is throwing a dance party from 7:30 PM until....

Apparently, Mike Pace "will be spinning the sounds."

See you there?

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Picture Of The Day: Perfect Harmony On Third Street

Four differently-colored apartment buildings
create a perfectly harmonious stretch
on Third Street.

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