March Madness is less than twenty-four hour away, but I am relatively sane. (No, thank YOU Connecticut Huskies. We had a great run these past few weeks.)
The tournament rolls on, and as an avid college basketball fan who will not be filling out his bracket pool this month, I thought I would give YOU, the loyal readers of A Short Story, a few pointers.
1. Do not pick Cornell. The Penn Quakers demolished them in Philadelphia and their record was 6-22. Now they get Fran Dunphy's ridiculously underrated Temple team which finished 29-5 but earned a 5 seed. It is an injustice! It is so much of an injustice, Rev. Al Sharpton is preparing to hold a press conference in North Philly tomorrow morning. Cornell won't last past the first round, let alone the first half.
2. The Big East is underrated and two teams will make it to the final four. Good luck picking which two. Georgetown looked great in the Big East Tournament, so did West Virginia, but I think Syracuse will make a decent run in the tournament while WVU could falter. I am not as impressed with Villanova or Pitt this year and Louisville is in a tough bracket. What do you think, Andy Marte?
3. Duke needs to lose. For the good of humanity. Greenpoint is going to explode if Duke wins. You do not want to be reading stories next week about how Mike Kryzkesfkezfsskszzfzkfzzyzzzyzzy and Duke are back. I'll say Elite Eight.
4. Kansas and Kentucky look pretty damn solid don't they? Damn it.
5. There will be upsets this weekend. Let's go with Houston winning against Maryland, Florida over BYU, Butler making it to the Sweet 16, and Fran Dunphy's mustache becoming a national sensation.
It gets weirder. The Courier's Steve Witt writes about Councilwoman Letitia James's minor scrape with the law. I meant a parked car. Tish is suing a scrap recycling truck driver, whose hitch sticking out of its bumper caused a bruise on Tish's shin when she walked into it. Now there's a personal injury lawsuit (Tish said it's a public safety hazard). The headline? It's a Tish-grace!
Time for a special foodie-related linky links, courtesy of Edible Brooklyn's Spring issue! Here are ten stories you should be reading already. So get cracking.
The issue here is not whether we broke a few rules, or took a few liberties with our female party guests; we did. But you can't hold a whole fraternity responsible for the behavior of a few sick, perverted individuals. For if you do, then shouldn't we blame the whole fraternity system? And if the whole fraternity system is guilty, then isn't this an indictment of our educational institutions in general? I put it to you, Greg! Isn't this an indictment of our entire American society? Well, you can do what you want to us, but we're not going to sit here and listen to you bad-mouth the United States of America! Gentlemen!
*Earlier, GREC's Jan Peterson made the group's formal ask to the board to support their plan for redeveloping the Greenpoint Hospital site after reiterating their vision to the press in January. Housing and Preservation Development says that they will award the RFP to one of the four groups (St. Nicholas NPC is the GREC-favored ally) in contention. What I want to know is when MikeRoch begins to pull a Steve McCroskey as the RFP date nears. Next week? Before Passover? Should I be worried? *Steve "Land Use" Levin had a busy week last week, visiting community boards, speaking out against Rose Plaza and Domino, helping his cousin Sandy take over Ways and Means (just kidding). This week for the Councilman is less hectic, but he is still has his hands in a number of areas from esplanades to transit concerns, and he is quietly earning the respect from senior CB1 members in the process.
*Let's' talk shopping for a second. Earlier this month, The New Yorker's Patricia Marx wrote about shopping in Brooklyn with the core argument of her article focusing on the reason why so many newcomers to the city settle in Brooklyn. It's not the artists, it's the lifestyle of easygoing aspirational consumption, which attracts them. Some of her neighborhood reports come across a bit snobby (references to Brooklyn women being less likely to wear heels for one), but mostly it's a joyous jaunt through the borough's commercial strips. Once in Williamsburg, Marx stops not at Jumelle, Amarcord or Love Brigade, but at CC McGurr's store Fille de Joie and spends most of her time in housewares (Moon River Chattal) and interior design (Future Perfect). In Greenpoint, she stops at Alter, one of her favorites, before giving Beacon's Closet a much-deserved needling.
*Finally, back to food. The NYTimes is in love with the Pickleback, not to mention the Pickletini, which are extracted from a jar of McClures Pickles and served at the Bushwick Country Club. Meanwhile, another condo opened in the Lower East Side where my great-grandmother's tenement once stood. Bottoms up guys.
This was supposed to be the Championship Week edition (Atlantic Yards v. Broadway Triangle, Brooklyn Bridge Park vs. Domino Sugar) with a heavy set of links for everything. It will wait until Monday. Instead, I am posting a video. It's been a strange weekend. This is for you Cook.
The judge did not make a ruling on the Broadway Triangle. There may be one coming in several weeks. Both the city and the Broadway Triangle Community Coalition made their arguments. Photos were not allowed in court, so all I have is a rendering, above. More next week.
We were waiting for this (and rumors on Tuesday night indicated that he would oppose Domino). It appears Steve Levin has made up his mind. The following is his testimony to Borough President Markowitz as submitted by Levin's legislative policy director:
On behalf of Council Member Stephen Levin, I want to thank the Borough President for giving me the opportunity to testify today on CPC’s proposal for the Domino Sugar site.Council Member Levin would like to express his full support for Community Board One’s recent recommendation of Disapproval with Modifications for this project.
The Community Board expressed profound concerns over the project’s overwhelming height and density and the effect that this would have on the surrounding community and the current infrastructure. Specifically, the Board cited the strain that the project would bring to the already inadequate transit options for the area, the strain on local traffic and CPC’s requests for the maximum allowed on-site parking. The overall reduction in the ratio of open space per resident in the area and the unmitigated shadow effects of the northernmost towers on Grand Ferry Park were also cited by the Board as grounds for disapproval.
For these reasons and others, the Council Member supports the Board’s recommendation. The project is simply too big. CPC’s plan would introduce over 6,000 new residents to the neighborhood – a nearly 25% population increase for the ½ mile area surrounding the site. Council Member Levin does not wish to minimize CPC’s impressive commitment to 660 units of affordable housing. Affordable housing is desperately needed in this community and CPC has worked hard to recognize this need. The inclusion of community space within the project is also to be commended. Furthermore, Councilman Levin appreciates CPC's involvement with, and respect for, the Williamsburg community throughout this process. Nonetheless, unless the issues of height and density, transportation, and open space, among others, are addressed, Council Member Levin cannot support the plan for the Domino Sugar site as currently proposed. Thank you for your time.
David Yassky has a new job that is not at a private firm. This morning, Mayor Michael Bloomberg confirmed on the John Gambling Show that Yassky is indeed the new chair of the Taxi Limousine Commission. He is looking forward to driving into the job from zero to 80 mph in 4.3 seconds.
Everyone is getting amped for today's single-elimination development tripleheader featuring the Atlantic Yards (and Freddy's Bar) groundbreaking, the Broadway Triangle lawsuit, and the New Domino Borough President hearing.
Before we begin, let's take you through some important stories of links that you may have missed because you spent the weekend in Puerto Rico watching your friend get married in a monsoon and came back to 200 unanswered emails.
Nut up or Shut up Development Week continues this morning with the long-anticipated (alternatively, what's an antonym for anticipated?) Atlantic Yards groundbreaking and a Broadway Triangle court hearing this afternoon, followed by a New Domino Public Hearing. Any way we can squeeze some Coney Island news in to get a double date going? At 10:30 the Mayor, Governor, state legislators, business leaders, and maybe a few celebrities will be on site to begin development at Atlantic Yards. Expect a few balloons. I'll have more links from those who have been covering this from the beginning as the day goes on.
New Domino was rejected by Community Board One (read Hold The Sugar at yournabe.com), but the project is far from over as another public hearing begins tomorrow with the Borough President. CPR Resources and Southside parishioners will pick themselves off the mat for another go-around. In the meantime, let's go over five final thoughts from another marathon CB1 meeting.
*In the end, it really was all about density. As several board members mentioned to me after the meeting, the board did not support the Greenpoint Williamsburg 2005 rezoning plan, a point which is often lost, and they remained insistent on an FAR (Floor Area Ratio) at 4.7 instead of 5.6. Some members wanted a density as low as 3.7, but CPC Resources did not budge, and neither did the board.
*The absences of Monsignor Joseph Calise and Rabbi David Niederman hurt the chances of the rezoning's passage. Both missed the land use committee meeting too. Hasidic members appeared to be somewhat disinterested in it, with one member speaking vocally against it and other tacitly supporting. I am not sure how much outreach CPCR did in the Hasidic community, but if they did not do enough, this is one area to point to for the reason why the vote wasn't closer.
*Take a good look at that City Planning Commission 7-5 vote on Rose Plaza. They approved 801 units on the waterfront, with only 20 percent affordable housing, even though Council member Steve Levin disapproved it. My prediction is that New Domino will get a similar disapproval from Marty Markowitz's office and Levin will oppose the density, but will ultimately pass City Planning as it is currently proposed, in a vote that is not as close as Rose Plaza.
*Does Jan Peterson have an innocent crush on Rabbi Joseph Webber or did something happen on this board in the 1980s that none of us know about? What was I doing at the time? Watching Duck Tales.
City Hall News has the big story of the morning with the state transferring Brooklyn Bridge Park to the city for $55 million in cash, which translates to about 2.5 years of Mark Texeira's contract. I will post links as they come in as well as some final community board one thoughts later. Bear with me. It's a busy day in the news cycle.
8:26 PM Public Session is over and Land Use Committee Ward Dennis takes over with a detailed report. I should mention that by about 8 PM, everyone who wanted to come into the board has come in and there is no one waiting outside. Also, it's slim pickins at the NAG girls, as they have scarfed on raspberries, hummus, and assorted sugar cookies. They're mostly gone at this point. "I think everybody in the committee is in support of most aspects of the project... However, the committee ultimately rendered the project not acceptable in its current form." Ward goes over shadows created by the towers over Grand Ferry Park, concerns about density, height, scale, and affordable housing components. "The open space, as the project said, the project has a very beautiful esplanade, but at the end of the day, the project reduces per capita open space for Williamsburg by 6 percent."The applicant has asked for detailed information about the project but the applicant has not shared this (financial) information, it's not something that other (developers) have never done.Based on these concerns, the Land Use committee voted 5-2 to disapprove with modifications, This is not saying no to this project, it is saying we want to change this project.It is important to note that this recommendation represents a significant commitment on the part of CB1 to height and density, in that it endorses building heights of up to 40 stories and over two million square feet of total development. Except in very specific locations, the Committee's recommendation endorses teh ehight, massing, and design of teh overall project." (correction appended to transcript). Ward goes through modifications including reducing the density on the waterfront and upland, lowering the height, commit to funding a transportation study, and a series of commitments on permanent affordability and expanding the anti-harassment zone.
8:38 PM: Ward hands it back to Chairman Chris and we move to questions from board members. One Hasidic member launches into a diatribe against the project before Chairman Chris cuts him off because he isn't actually asking a question. CB 1's MieszkoKalita asks who didn't vote in the committee and Ward said the chairman doesn't vote. Esteban Duran asks Ward about the design and the preservation of the refinery and the cost of preservation versus knocking a project down and building a new one. Ward says, "We don't know." Jose Leon asks a question about the applicant's responsiveness. 8:50 PM Steve Levin walks in, and a resident shows him a flyer with his picture next to the Curbed Invaders poster. I didn't catch his reaction, just his backside, before he speaks with Barbara Baer and Leah Krieger.
8:51 PM: Finally, the conflict of interest question! An attorney from the Borough President's office who answers whether board members could face a conflict of interest regarding the vote by explaining that their salary must be in proportion to the amount that they accept from a developer, which doesn't sound exactly correct, and Press Row thinks the gentleman may be a sad Inspector Clouseau-type impostor.
Jeff Mann: Every meeting has the same conversation. Yes means no, and no means yes. 8:59 PM We're into a roll call vote. The members are confused. "We're voting yes or no, not present!" Well played, Chairman Chris, well played. Alright, let's vote: Yes 23 No 12 1 Abstention 1 Recusals Community Board 1 Rejects New Domino
9:04 PM: Half the room empties as we move onto other committee reports, starting with Parks. I get a statement from Susan Pollock. The parks measures pass and we move onto public safety. 9:11 PM Mieszko reads off the liquor licenses in a short report noting several new restaurants including a new Greek place that could be moving onto Driggs Avenue on the Northside. Mieszko's report is dragging a bit, through no fault of his own. One by one, the motions pass and committee reports are closed. Mieszko also mentions that the mayor's posse that gathers up coyotes should also apply to raccoons. 9:27 PM: Final thoughts. CPCR's Susan Pollock vowed to fight on at the next level. This comes as early as Thursday when the Borough President's office hears the matter in a public hearing. Also, Rich Calder from the New York Post has also written some arguments to the New Domino plan focusing on transportation. And of course, we will all be waiting to see how Council member Steve Levin, aka Mr. Relevant, comes out on this plan. Goodnight everyone!
Updated 6:15 PM We're coming live from the Domino Planning Board... sorry, Community Board One's March meeting, where the vote for New Domino will take up most of tonight's agenda. At 6 PM, forty people came in and started lining up to sign up for public session, including CPCR's Susan Pollock, right. Half an hour later, the number quadrupled. You can't move in here. The NAG girls have taken the front table with the WIMS on stage right and the Churches United table directly behind them. Press Row has moved to the back row and soon there is inexplicably a row behind us. Members of Churches United are sitting and standing to the right, but this isn't all of them. Apparently there's a logjam at the door again, just like at the Broadway Triangle. Stephanie Eisenberg stops by and informs me that there's already a post on Curbed about New Domino criticizing several open windows that a resident photographed and we haven't even started the meeting. Think there's some interest from the real estate blogs in this one?
6:34 PM The Brooklyn Paper's Andy Campbell and Greenpoint Gazette's Juliet Linderman take a seat at Press Row, followed quickly by Erin Durkin at The Daily News. Press Warrior Amy Cleary, Joe Lentol's spokesperson drops by to leave a folder filled with the Assemblyman's position on New Domino. Shockingly, he's against it. His argument basically echoes NAG's concerns about the project's effect on public infrastructure, schools and transportation, and he calls the project too big and too dense for the neighborhood. Cleary mentions that she asked a couple of Churches United parishioners how they felt about the Domino project and they said they didn't know. As District Manager Gerry Esposito takes attendance and former Courier staffer Greg Hanlon takes a seat at Press Row. He describes himself as a "concerned citizen". "He's only concerned about The Giants," says Amy. 6:36 PM Chairman Chris takes the mic: "Please don't make any noise, especially those of you in the back. Please take your conversations into the hallway."
6:38 PM We're into presentations, and after a quick note about sidewalk cafe applications, Steve Lenard from the City Planning Commission speaks about the city's waterfront plan, the first comprehensive look in over 18 years. "This community board has done a lot on the waterfront..." said Steve Lenard. So far Andy Campbell has taken a running list of words that have been used by Steve in his presentation. They are: waterfront, activities, public access, development, revitalization, resource, public space, economic development, jobs, new development, commercial and industrial uses, recreation, cultural, educational, and "the water itself".
Former Reyna staffer Will Florentino enters the room dressed in burglar-chic garb. I didn't realize he posted bail in time. The Greenpoint Gazette's Jeff Mann enters the room and hovers around Press Row. Jeff is no longer engaged to be engaged. He's fully engaged. Hey Jeff, where's your fiance? We want to meet her! "She's not coming to this," said Jeff Mann. A lovesick Latin ballad begins playing from somewhere outside. "This is the theme song of the comprehensive waterfront plan," says Steve Lenard. Well played Steve, Well played. There's actually live music playing outside. It's a guy with a guitar and there's singing a ballad New Domino spokesperson Richard Edmonds stops by Press Row to tell us that it is Father Rick's group that is stuck and they can't get in. Also El Puente's Luis Garden Acosta and Los Sures' David Lopez are in the hallway and can't get in either. Two things to mention here. First, Steve Lenard's goatee have made him eligible for the Brooklyn Facial Hair All-Stars, taking the place of Mike Hofmann who unfortunately shaved his beard two months ago. Steve's goatee looks like one of those things that fourteen year olds want to grow but don't quite have enough hormones to pull it off. Second, Andy Campbell finally got his penis cast for a story. Congratulations Steve and Welcome to the 2010 Brooklyn Facial Hair All-Stars!
6:54 Leah Archibald announces that EWVIDCO will be leading a Brownfield Opportunity Area study area program. They're looking at the North Brooklyn Industrial Zone for a possible BOA. We believe this is high quality jobs for the community." says Leah. Leah runs through a number of proposed areas for BOA, including 200 Morgan Avenue and the KeySpan Facility and she wants more community input.
7:00 PM: NYC Community Cleanup a presentation about organizing those serving their community service sentences to clean up India Street, which means I'm going outside to photograph Father Rick Beuther. As many people that are in this room are also jammed in the hallway waiting to get in. Inside, the presentation notes that the program could be expanded to clean several parks in Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Their tag line? "If you point it out? We'll clean it up." The group receives a lot of applause.
7:14 PM: Jan Peterson and GREC members take the mic for a presentation about the Greenpoint Hospital site, which is the formal ask of the board for support. "This may be the longest RFP in the history of New York City... We want to to have support from Community Board 1." That's 28 years they've been working on this for those of you who keeping track at home. For background, there are four competing bids and HPD is expected to make a decision among them by the end of March, though the city has been languishing on the project to redevelop the former Greenpoint Hospital into affordable housing. Jan references Domino before explaining elements of the plan, which include a nursing home, "As you know there are many seniors who live here. I did not think I was going to be a senior fighting here for something I need. I thought I was fighting for something that other people would need, but now, Rabbi Webber, Chairman Chris, are fighting for something that we could move into this..." The crowd gasps and Jan modifies to exclude the youthful Chairman Chris. Nicely played Jan. Nicely played. Jan finishes with two points: One is they need the community board to push to make sure the RFP moves and they're asking for support from the community to support their project, as proposed by GREC. "All of this fits together. We want them to act as quickly here as they want to build on the upscale development on the waterfront."
7:28 PM: The public hearing ends and we have the second roll call while Linderman and I get a quote from Jan. Meanwhile, Greg Hanlon makes another astute observation, that Rami Metal is slowly morphing into a Mad Men extra. All he is missing is the cigarette. Chairman Chris makes yet another appeal for the chair of the environmental committee before introducing committee reports. I'm not saying I'm doing anything at the moment" said Chairman Chris.
7:36:08 PM DM Gerry Esposito reminds everyone that Daylight Savings Time is coming.
7:36:12 PM Chairman Chris opens it up to Public Session. Let's go to a list of excerpted quotes from all the speakers for public session:
*A documentary filmmaker notes that she is working on a documentary about community boards, spotlighting community boards in action. We just so happen to have an excerpt of it.
*Katherine Denny, North Brooklyn Public Arts Coalition member, said she was bothered by the lack of public art in the Domino plan and is proposing the inclusion of more art from local artists. At this point, I should note that the NAG girls are three-quarters through their snacks yet the meeting is only about a third of the way from being finished. *Phil DePaolo: Phil takes us back to 2005 before catapulting forward to the new New Domino proposal, focusing on the number of affordable units and the effects of the draft Environmental Impact Statement. *Another resident: "The question becomes density versus affordable." *Alice Shecter: About sixty years ago, Robert Moses knocked down the building I was born in...The scale and density of the Domino project will dwarf everything around it. Will snuff out the light of thousands of surrouding streets. There does not appear to be demand for this kind of housing in this economy and I am not sure the developers can afford to complete it... Let's hand together as a community, and if not, let us hang separately. Leah Krieger: I am here in support of the committee's no vote. Manufacturing jobs pay 60 percent more than retail jobs. The jobs program that CPC is proposing is merely retail jobs... Leah reads a statement and disagrees with Heather Padin: Many of you will remember that Humboldt Now I own an affordable unit on Whipple Street. The same corner where I was afraid to pass. I am here because I support CPC. I spent years, years applying for affordable units. I was either ten dollars too short, or over, I was never eligible to pay for these apartments. I now live there. I am a co-op owner, well the bank owns it... Payden finishes and receives applause from stage left. Press Row is in agreement that Rami looks awesome. Dear Matthew Weiner, can you let Rami know when there is a casting call for season four? You can reach him at 718-875-5200. *Miguel Hernandez of Churches United reads a statement.I know you heard them outside signing and chanting, we had a few buses out there, the weather was nice but it turned cold. A lot of our supporters are seniors, they grew tired, they were hungry and they went home. Hernandez reads another letter from the group and a long list of names from residents who did not sign up to speak but are in support of New Domino. *Another resident, named Ms. Gomez and a group of five residents note the names and voices her support for the project. *Brandon Cole: "This project will divide this community on racial, economic and finanical lines." Cole references Mike Bloomberg and tries to tie in foreclosures at Peter Cooper Houses and Stuyvesant Town with CPCR and its development projects. *Another resident, a young lifelong Williamsburg resident voices support for the project. *Lacey Tauber, secretary of NAG, will speak on their behalf: The project is not sustainable, the impact on the neighborhood is too great. We are supporting no with modifications. We want to see permanent affordable housing guaranteed and we want to see the anti-harassment zone extended to the entire community. This project is set to change the face of the neighborhood. Lacey gets cut off and explains that there are other concerns about density, parking spaces, affordable housing. In the cue are Susan Pollock and Stephanie Eisenberg. Stephanie to Susan: "You go first this time. I'll go after you." A Cornell University professor he is urging the board to vote yes, for the project that is. "As soon as we can get more housing in place, that's the most important thing."
*Susan: We've hoped that the dialogue will be that, open and honest. There have been all sorts of theatrical antics that are taking over. What these things are doing is obscuring what's going on here. The most heartfelt concern is that the project is too big. It is a full six blogs on the waterfront. Of course that's big. For all of the claims that is too big, let us review what this project does offer. Susan goes over the floor plans and square footage of the site but Chairman Chris cuts her off.
Stephanie Eisenberg: I still have my checkbook for $500. Nobody has said that They are only bound to 440 units There's an old saying, put up or shut up. This is a Wall Street Deal. They haven't talked about guaranteeing a living wage with benefits. I urge you to vote no, it is dense, the rendering is using their photographs. It is astronomically dense. Let's go back to the drawing board and do something with the entire community. Nancy Wheelan (Wheeler? will check soon): She's raising objections to shadow studies, among other things. Mary Ziegler: She applauds the ideas in general for affordable housing and open space, but not in practice. She is urging the board to vote no with modifications. Bennett Baruch from Diana Reyna's office takes the mic and says... Baruch hatah adonai notain hatorah... before catching himself and speaking in favor of the project. "I'd like to conclude that Diana Reyna is in full support of this project."
In less than two hours, New Domino, the plan to remake the former Domino Sugar Refinery into 2,200 units of condominiums, will be up for a vote by Community Board 1 tonight. This figures to be a long one, as it is open to the public and everyone is going to want to voice their opinion on this.
Meanwhile, Rose Plaza passed in a close 7-5 vote. Brooklyn Paper, Greenpoint Gazette, and Crain's has the play by play. I'll have more on this later too.
Back on Domino. So far the narrative of the story has been to focus on the project itself. That is, its density, the affordability component, effect on school crowding, transportation and infrastructure. This week, you may hear more about who is supporting and opposing it and why, as the project itself won't change much between committee and the full board. There will be a number of people in favor of the project from church groups and south side nonprofits, while property owners, business owners and transportation groups will likely be speaking against the project.
While CPC Resources will be on hand to explain the plan, the most interesting thing about the debate has been happening behind the scenes, as a few papers have been looking into a nasty rumor about Williamsburg nonprofit organizations receiving funding from CPC Resources and whether there could be conflict of interest (WG News and Arts has a version of the story). Last week, a more specific version was being shopped around to a few dailies, one of which passed on it, which raises other questions. This week, a few board members have called the Borough President's office on this matter and they have said that there is not a conflict of interest, as long as you don't work for the developer. Someone will raise this up tonight. It could get ugly.
After next week's zoning battles, we're all heading to the Winchester
Next week is Nut up or Shut up week (sorry, I can't put Woody Harrelson on this blog, so Shaun of the Dead it is). I can already see it coagulating. We are likely going to hear new revelations regarding Governor David Paterson (the Albany Deathwatch is in full effect), whether health care will really get passed by Easter despite what House Democrats say, and who is going to the Big Dance when Madison Square Garden welcomes the Big East Tournament to midtown (hint: not Connecticut). On Brooklyn's shores, it promises to be a big week for development projects, particularly from developers names Isaac/ Isack. Let's take a look at the calendar:
Nut up or Shut up Monday: City Planning finally rules on Williamsburg's Rose Plaza following disapproval from the community board and the Borough President. This drops into Steve Levin's lap immediately afterward.
Nut up or Shut up Tuesday: Community Board One (Williamsburg/ Greenpoint) votes on CPC Resources' New Domino plan in a long public board meeting.
Nut up or Shut up Wednesday: Did someone say bankruptcy hearing? Capital One Bank wants more money from a local development so I'll see you in court.
Nut up or Shut up Thursday: Back to court we go for the Broadway Triangle lawsuit filing, in addition to the Borough President's public hearing on New Domino. And, is this the untimely end of Robert Scarano? Remind me to call him.
Nut up or Shut up Friday: I think someone's birthday might be happening then. Better check The Facebook.
Perralta. The Queens Times Ledger's Jeremy Walsh and Anna Gustafson (who reported the court decision to keep the election going) have been all over this one like a pudgy kid at Juniors. Is this the end of Hiram Monserrate? He says no, and may attempt a run for Perralta's Assembly seat under the Independents for Joe Lieberman Party (actually it's his own party). That will keep Jeremy busy.
scrape with the law. I meant a parked car. Tish is suing a scrap recycling truck driver, whose hitch sticking out of its bumper caused a bruise on Tish's shin when she walked into it. Now there's a personal injury lawsuit (Tish said it's a public safety hazard). The headline? It's a Tish-grace! 
Krishnan, against the city in the rezoning of the Broadway Triangle, alleging discrimination, violation of the Equal Protection Clause, the federal Fair Housing Act and several other statues. The city's attorney, Harold Raimis, responded in a lengthy monologue saying...
South 6th Street and make way for a park. That one could take a while, compared with 65 Commercial Street, which is part of the Rezoning
Greenpoint, she stops at Alter, one of her favorites, before giving Beacon's Closet a much-deserved needling.
President for giving me the opportunity to testify today on CPC’s proposal for the Domino Sugar site.Council Member Levin would like to express his full support for Community Board One’s recent recommendation of Disapproval with Modifications for this project. 
the chances of the rezoning's passage. Both missed the land use committee meeting too. Hasidic members appeared to be somewhat disinterested in it, with one member speaking vocally against it and other tacitly supporting. I am not sure how much outreach CPCR did in the Hasidic community, but if they did not do enough, this is one area to point to for the reason why the vote wasn't closer.
Planning as it is currently proposed, in a vote that is not as close as Rose Plaza.
come in and there is no one waiting outside. Also, it's slim pickins at the NAG girls, as they have scarfed on raspberries, hummus, and assorted sugar cookies. They're mostly gone at this point.
members could face a conflict of interest regarding the vote by explaining that their salary must be in proportion to the amount that they accept from a developer, which doesn't sound exactly correct, and Press Row thinks the gentleman may be a sad Inspector Clouseau-type impostor.
Board One's March meeting, where the vote for New Domino will take up most of tonight's agenda. At 6 PM, forty people came in and started lining up to sign up for public session, including CPCR's Susan Pollock, right. Half an hour later, the number quadrupled. You can't move in here. The NAG girls have taken the front table with the WIMS on stage right and the Churches United table directly behind them. Press Row has moved to the back row and soon there is inexplicably a row behind us. Members of Churches United are sitting and standing to the right, but this isn't all of them. Apparently there's a logjam at the door again, just like at the Broadway Triangle.
quickly by Erin Durkin at The Daily News. Press Warrior Amy Cleary, Joe Lentol's spokesperson drops by to leave a folder filled with the Assemblyman's position on New Domino. Shockingly, he's against it. His argument basically echoes NAG's concerns about the project's effect on public infrastructure, schools and transportation, and he calls the project too big and too dense for the neighborhood. Cleary mentions that she asked a couple of Churches United parishioners how they felt about the Domino project and they said they didn't know.
burglar-chic garb. I didn't realize he posted bail in time.
quote from Jan. Meanwhile, Greg Hanlon makes another astute observation, that Rami Metal is slowly morphing into a Mad Men extra. All he is missing is the cigarette. Chairman Chris makes yet another appeal for the chair of the environmental committee before introducing committee reports.
lack of public art in the Domino plan and is proposing the inclusion of more art from local artists. At this point, I should note that the NAG girls are three-quarters through their snacks yet the meeting is only about a third of the way from being finished.
impact on the neighborhood is too great. We are supporting no with modifications. We want to see permanent affordable housing guaranteed and we want to see the anti-harassment zone extended to the entire community. This project is set to change the face of the neighborhood.
objections to shadow studies, among other things.
