Plaza Design at the Barclays Center

UPDATE: Streetsblog now has images and excellent commentary on the Plaza design here.

Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, with Council Members Letitia James, Brad Lander and Stephen Levin, Empire State Development Corporation, Brooklyn Community Boards 2, 6 and 8 present a

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING for the Plaza Design at the Barclays Center
Wednesday, September 29, 2010, 6:00pm-8:00pm 
Brooklyn Borough Hall 209 Joralemon Street (at Court Street)

Representatives will be present from Forest City Ratner Companies to brief interested residents on plans fo the public plaza in front of the arena. There will be a Q & A session.

Downloadable event flyer available at: http://bit.ly/AYPlazaDesignflyer

Atlantic Antic this weekend

New York City has plenty of generic street fairs selling tube socks and boring snacks. Thankfully the Atlantic Antic isn't like that at all. It's a wonderful stretch of 600 local shops and vendors offering eclectic food, fun, and music for jam packed crowds on Atlantic Avenue from Hicks all the way to 4th avenue.

Check it out and enjoy the neighborhood on September 26th.
http://www.atlanticave.org/antic2010

Brooklyn Bridge Park: Alternatives to Housing Meeting

This Wednesday, the Cobble Hill Association urges its residents to attend a public meeting of the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation Committee on Alternatives to Housing.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010 at approximately 11:00 a.m.
City Hall, Blue RoomNew York, New York 10007
http://www.brooklynbridgeparknyc.org/about-us/public-meetings

As the CHA has argued before, we are staunch advocates of non-privatizing ways to fund park maintenance. When 1250 units of luxury condos in 6 buildings were proposed, all recreation came out of the plan, replaced by costly landscaping to help sell condos. And while the landscaping is still a costly burden of the park's current design, we have secured the commitment to look at alternate means to fund this park without more housing inside its borders. Senator Squadron and Assemblywoman Millman will also have veto power over future housing, if it again rears its head in 2011 or in 2013 (milestone dates for funding decisions).

This meeting is yet another opportunity for the public to come out and speak out on their desire for a park, a true park... one that does not include private housing within it. The CHA prefers year round recreational facilities such as a pool, ice rink and indoor field house which could offset costs the City  cannot burden.

State Senator Squadron has been extremely helpful bringing our desires to the Governor and to the Mayor and brought in another strong supporter in Assemblywoman Millman. Councilmen Lander and Levin have also played a positive role and now we hope you, the Cobble Hill residents and neighbors of the Brooklyn Bridge park, now is another opportunity for you to speak out against housing in a public park.

If you cannot attend, we encourage you to call or email comments to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation:
Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation
tel: (718) 222-9939
brooklynbridgepark@bbpnyc.org

UPDATE: the Brooklyn Daily Eagle filed a report on the committee's decision to offer a Request For Proposals (RFP) for profit generating ideas that could potentially be pursued instead of housing.  To read it in full... click here http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=31&id=38247

Invisible Dog, Visible Neighbor

Evan Sung for The New York Times

Though Cobble Hill's borders technically run down the middle of Court Street, many agree that we share the area between Court and Smith with our Boerum Hill brethern. And that's good news because over the past two years the Invisble Dog gallery has been an incredible neighbor, bringing art and vitality to the once dormant strip of Bergen Street. I worked with manager Lucien Zayan to get support for the dramatic sidewalk improvements at the Bergen/Smith intersection (now home to the wonderful corn installation) and this past weekend fellow CHA officer Derek Denckla worked with the gallery for the launch of a week long line up of Farm City events. While the kick-off was this past Sunday, there are more items this weekend and next - and a wonderful write up in the NY Times painting a bigger picture of who and what the Invisible Dog gallery actually is. Read up!

Farm City Festival

Just because we live in the city, doesn't mean we can't grow some of out own food. This weekend, Bergen Street will be completely transformed for a wonderful urban agriculture festival, co-curated by Cobble Hill community leader Derek Denckla, editor of thegreenest.net and founder of FarmCity.US.
 
Farm City: Where Are You Growing?
A Celebration of Urban Agriculture
Over three weekends, Farm City celebrates Urban Agriculture and explores the possibilities of a new agrarian future within the current urban reality. Components include: Farm City Fair, Farm City Film, Farm City Tour, and Farm City Forum, spotlighting the work of artists, farmers, activists, planners, architects, chefs, and foodies, all devoting themselves to feeding the city both culturally and agriculturally.

For all the festival info, check out it's full schedule:
http://www.fiaf.org/crossingtheline/2010/2010-09-ctl-farmcity-fair.shtml#series

*Farm City Films Sept 12 & 14     *Farm City Tour  Sept 18 & 19    *Farm City Forum Sept 25

Street Cars from the Past in Brooklyn's Future?

Brooklyn Historic Railway Association.

Just days after local papers and blogs spoke of Bob Diamond possibly leaving the borough and ending the not-to-be-missed Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tours, the Department of Transportation finally announced they're beginning a "Study To Determine Feasibility Of Streetcars In Brooklyn." This is wonderful news for transit-starved Red Hook as well as all of its neighboring communities. Special thanks to Representative Nydia Velázquez and Brooklyn Street Car guru, Bob Diamond, for persistent years advocating for the innovative and sustainable form of transportation.

"Once again, we're looking back to the future with our transportation network," said Commissioner Sadik-Khan. "Once ubiquitous in New York City's streetscape, streetcars remain part of the transportation mix in cities from Toronto to Melbourne, and we need to consider all options to improve transit access in underserved neighborhoods like Red Hook."

The full DOT press release can be read here...
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pr2010/pr10_040.shtml

and check out a related posts about it at the WSJ here, Streetsblog here, 2nd Ave Sagas here, and the NYT here.

Atlantic Avenue Tunnel Tours back on Track

Cobble Hill may be full of life above ground, but it's also got a rich history below. Bob Diamond of the Brooklyn Historic Railway Association has been offering tours of the Atlantic Avenue tunnel he discovered in 1980 and resurrecting the notions of a Brooklyn Street Car system. Just a week ago he said "Feds have $280 million earmarked for streetcars, City blows grant" and decided to throw in the towel after many years of personal labor that secured dollars but did not yet bring an active street car system to the surface.

Thankfully, local pleas have persuaded him to stick with the project and he's now combined everything on the new streetcar plan onto one convenient webpage, with detailed subsections hyperlinked here: http://brooklynrail.net/new_brooklyn_streetcar.html

The Cobble Hill Association is glad to have Bob Diamond's dedication both preserving the borough's history as well as planning for it's future. For more info, check out links from our friends at McBrooklyn, the tunnel's Wiki page, and of course, the detailed info on the Brooklyn Historic Railway Association website.

Happy Hour Wednesday & MORE!

The dogs days of summer are giving us one last heat wave, so cool off with a drink at the next Cobble Hill Association Happy Hour, Wednesday September 1st at Watty & Meg.  $3 beers, $5 glasses of wine from 6-9pm. Come with the friends you already know & strike up a conversation with the neighbors you meet for the first time!

Need some neighborhood news to fuel those conversations?
- CHA President Roy Sloane may have come up with an ideal solution to the BQE reconstruction that will eventually reduce excess traffic on our local streets! Read more.

- Notice the construction at the PS 29 School Yard? Big improvements are on the way, and pictures can be seen here.

- Got old computers and tv's to recycle, but missed the last CHA e-waste event? Not to fear... in just a few weeks there's be two more Electronics Recycling Events just a few blocks away, courtesy of our friends at the Lower East Side Ecology Center. Get all the details right here.

- Miss the old Cafe on Clinton by Cobble Hill Park? Well this Friday it's set to re-open as a brand new place called Breukelen. Read more.

- Had a dangerous ride on the new bike path between Pier 1 and Pier 6 of Brooklyn Bridge Park? You're not the only one worried to use that path! Read about it here.

Planning for Livable Communities

This important survey just came in from our friends at the Heights and Hills Community Council. Though they provide vital services for older adults, the changes they seek to make will benefit quality of life for everyone young and old in the area.

Heights and Hills Survey
Is your neighborhood “senior friendly”? If you live in Cobble Hill, there is a lot of interest in the answer. Heights and Hills, a long established agency supporting Brooklyn’s older adults, has received a planning grant from the NYS Office for the Aging to identify what resources exist and what is missing that seniors want that would allow them to remain in their homes as they get older. In the process of developing livable communities for seniors, all ages will benefit.

What is unique about this project is that it is senior-driven grassroots model and not top-down imposed. The members of the Steering Committee, recommended by civic organizations and the two community boards in the neighborhoods of interest, are seniors themselves who are involved in their communities and think constructively and globally. They are the active working group and they have designed a survey that is ready to be distributed. The goal is to have as many residents ages 55 and older fill it out.

If you want to take the survey online, go to <http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5XRYTDQ> or to receive a hard copy for yourself, your neighbors or your club, contact the project coordinator Anne Perzeszty at anneper[at]verizon.net. Heights and Hills, through this planning grant, will use the voice of seniors themselves to inform community leaders in the target neighborhoods about what is needed to meet the definition of a livable community.

Backpacks for Back-to-School

Betty Lester of the Gowanus Neighborhood Association sent over word that some area students need help obtaining backpacks for the upcoming first day of school. One backpack can make a difference!

FRIENDS OF NICHOLAS HEYWARD JR/GOWANUS PLAYGROUND
We are a group of local residents and parents, whose desire is to provide a clean, safe, open play space for children in the community. Our mission is to bring awareness to the park itself and reinforce the need to get involved.

Many/Most of the children that use the playground daily are from low income, at-risk households. We have sponsored several events throughout the summer to provide these children with recreational activities, as there are no affordable summer programs in their community. Operation Backpack is our last event of the summer, and is scheduled for August 27th from 2pm-6pm.

We were anticipating a donation of backpacks from Volunteers of America (VOA). However as the date draws near, we are being informed that their donations are for homeless children only. So we are in need of donations and/or contributions from our friends and neighbors. In today's economy we realize that everyone's finances are limited, but these children won't have school supplies through no fault of their own.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US MAKE A KID SMILE ON THE 1st DAY OF SCHOOL!
Need more info? contact BETTY LESTER @beejay919@yahoo.com or 718-243-1252

LPC Hearing CANCELED

Regarding the hearing for 227 Clinton Street renovations, this just came in from CHA president Roy Sloane.  
"We have learned that the applicant has removed the objectionable elements from the proposed renovation of 227 Clinton Street... It appears that the applicant was unable to obtain a release from the historic easements that had placed on the three facades of the property. Therefore, the side windows and rear "glass box" extension are no longer part of the application."

Thank you to everyone in the neighborhood that supported keeping all planned renovations in line with the neighborhood's landmarked aesthetics.

Drinks, Music, and Meetings

Tonight is the first Wednesday of a new month and as always that means the Cobble Hill Association Happy Hour is in full effect at Watty & Meg. From 6-9pm enjoy $5 glasses of wine and $3 beers while enjoying a summer evening with neighbors.

Tomorrow night, Thursday, kick starts our summer music series in Cobble Hill Park. At 7pm, The Claremont Strings will play free classical concert for all to enjoy. The series continues every Thursday this month. Click here for the full lineup of musicians.

Then, next Tuesday will be a very important Landmarks Preservation Committee meeting for proposed changes to 227 Clinton Street, between Congress and Amity. While the Cobble Hill Association supports residents improving their homes as they see fit, the CHA strongly believes in preserving the character of our landmarked district. The application for 227 Clinton is to alter the roof and archway, enlarge window openings, and excavate the rear yard for a swimming pool.

Where that conflicts with the neighborhood aesthetic is that 227 Clinton is a Greek Revival rowhouse built in 1842-44 and the 60 similar houses in the area all have either blank facades, or simply one or two window openings. As quoted in the Brooklyn Paper, CHA president Roy Sloane notes 'It’s a very egalitarian style — [original residents] tried not to overawe their neighbors...This low-key character affords privacy. [It’s] the same character that makes people want to move to Cobble Hill in the first place!'

The Cobble Hill Association encourages residents to attend the hearing and give short 2-3 minute testimony.

Tuesday, August 5th
time TBD
1 Centre Street, 9th Floor Conference Room
Manhattan