Is there a miniature game of Beat the Clock underway with the controversial building at 360 Smith Street and others in Carroll Gardens? A text amendment to city zoning that would change an odd city definition that has defined a number of very narrow street in Carroll Gardens as being wide (allowing taller buildings) is in process. Yesterday, City Council Member Bill de Blasio’s District Director sent out an email with the timetable for the change:
City Planning is now applying the text amendment to all place blocks (1st,2nd,3rd,4th), 2nd street as well as President St. and Carroll St. between Smith and Hoyt. We are still on track for an early April Certification with a 30 day clock on both the BP and the CB in respect to their public hearings.
Meanwhile:
1) The always lively Carroll Gardens rumor mill is reporting that there might be a holdup in securing financing for the project. Crazy speculation or reflection of the deteriorating credit environment and real estate market?
2) How much of the plaza at the Carroll Street subway stop that is much loved by residents will be lost with development of the new building? The Carroll Gardens Brooklyn History blog produced an image showing the plaza with the one-third that would be lost to the new building show in red. The blog writes:
The residents of Carroll Gardens will lose one-third (22-feet) of the Second Place Subway Plaza…and an important neighborhood tradition, when developer William Stein’s controversial out-of-context condominium complex is built over the subway plaza.
The “lost plaza” is in red in the image below.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Anonymous // Mar 26, 2008 at 7:07 am
Smith street is wide (75 feet) and therefore the zoning text change will not apply to properties within 100 feet of Smith Street.
The text change is just a political ploy by DiBlascio to pretend that he cares about the Carroll Gardens portion of his district.
2 Jean // Mar 26, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Response from Councilmember de Blasio:
Councilmember de Blasio has requested further details from developer Billy Stein about the impact his 360 Smith St project will have on the Carroll Gardens’ Subway Plaza. We take seriously the concerns that residents have raised about losing up to 1/3 of the subway plaza because of the project. We will update everyone as soon as we have more information.
3 Anonymous // Mar 28, 2008 at 5:07 am
There goes the view. It will be hard to see the trains with a big slab in my way.