Calls for Reining in Development at Carroll Gardens Meeting

Three plans for preserving Carroll Gardens’ character were on the table last night at the Scotto Funeral Home on 1st Place. Councilman Bill de Blasio hosted a town hall meeting that drew an overflow crowd of about 150 residents, most responding to the controversy surrounding the planned 70-foot development at 360 Smith Street. Proposals for Carroll Gardens—a neighborhood that’s apparently unafraid of a few new rules and regulations—include downzoning, landmarking, and a moratorium on construction over 50 feet. In light of community concerns, de Blasio said City Planning has committed to studying most of the area west of Bond Street for downzoning. After being pressed by a member of CORD (Carroll Gardens Organization to Respectfully Develop), which organized a petition calling for a moratorium on new buildings over 50 feet, de Blasio said he would also look into putting a moratorium in place while downzoning was in the works. Bob Furman, the president of the 4-borough Neighborhood Alliance, completed the preservation triple-play by speaking about approaching the Landmarks Preservation Commission in order to designate the entire neighborhood a historic district. Although all three proposals will clearly require a lengthy gestation period with the city, CORD’s push for a building moratorium was obviously a crowd favorite. It’s unclear to us what the legal basis and process for implementing a building moratorium are. Is there any precedent for such a move?

Aside from chewing on questions of height limitations, residents repeatedly brought up the pending rezoning of Gowanus and plans for the redevelopment of the Public Place site. Attendees voiced concerns about the possibility that high-rises will be built on the Public Place site as well as the timeline for cleaning up toxic sites along the canal. Beyond that, several community members said the neighborhood’s infrastructure wouldn’t be able to support the influx of new people that could result from allowing increased density as part of the Gowanus rezoning. While no concrete resolutions came out of the evening, de Blasio said the meeting was the first in a series that would deal with development issues in Carroll Gardens. Check out more coverage on Gowanus Lounge, First & Court, and Curbed.