I have seen sodium bentonite used in a situation like this. It is a naturally occurring material that swells 15 x 20 times its size when it gets wet. Easy to install.

Posted by: oldrte10 at November 2, 2009 2:14 PM in response to Water Leak in Basement

Most countries don't have a problem with having a shared ped. lane and bike lane. Parts of Germany share typical sidewalks. Give it some time and more people will become used to having to share the road. Biking infractions need to be enforced. Americans tend think the world is their battle field and so get out of their way and don't tell me what to do. That is the case whether they are a ped., a biker, or a driver. They can't do wrong.
I ride of the Brklyn. Br. twice a day and it is short of appalling. How much time does it add to your trip to slow down. The same goes for drivers. Calm down.

Posted by: oldrte10 at September 29, 2009 11:04 AM in response to Bikes and Bodies on the Brooklyn Bridge

for tax lot subdivision go to Dept. of Finance.
for zoning lot go to DOB
Call Dept. of Finance directly - survey office - they are helpful. an architect & surveyor might be able to do it all - ask them

Posted by: oldrte10 at September 24, 2009 12:16 PM in response to Tax Lot Divisions

CG:
In the long run the elevated sections are not sustainable. It is a rusting and leaking sieve. As it is, the BQE is already under construction year round. Do you see how much they spend every year on maintenance?

Posted by: oldrte10 at September 21, 2009 2:36 PM in response to What to Do with the BQE Ditch

This is a very informative website of the NYS DOT which is currently in the middle of several design options for what to do with the raised sections:

https://www.nysdot.gov/portal/page/portal/regional-offices/region11/projects/gowanus-project

Posted by: oldrte10 at September 21, 2009 12:47 PM in response to What to Do with the BQE Ditch

... or in this case green lite or green hype - whatever you prefer - please.

Posted by: oldrte10 at September 17, 2009 3:01 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 101

this is a great plan. It couldn't come soon enough.
Hats off to DOT.

Posted by: oldrte10 at July 1, 2009 10:37 AM in response to New Look Proposed for Brooklyn Bridge Gateway

why did it take the brothel 9 months to close?

Posted by: oldrte10 at June 25, 2009 1:49 PM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

8 ft is low (and minimum in a living space) and so isn't 9 ft. Maybe visit a parlor level of a nice brownstone or a loft and see how tall it is. I wouldn't be calling yourselves generous by any means. The only people who do 8 ft ceilings throughout are 1950's postwar buildings and rentals.

Posted by: oldrte10 at June 25, 2009 1:47 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 89

According to a strict reading of the building code open risers are not allowed not are horizontal railings.
People generally do what they want when it comes to single family residential units but responsibility would fall to the owner.

Posted by: oldrte10 at June 15, 2009 9:53 AM in response to Open tread stairs and cable side

I commute by bike daily and I still think this map is idiotic. The time spent creating the map could have been spent adding actual racks somewhere.

Posted by: oldrte10 at June 10, 2009 12:41 PM in response to Closing Bell: NYC CityRacks Map

I commute by bike daily and I still think this map is idiotic. The time spent creating the map could have been spent adding actual racks somewhere.

Posted by: oldrte10 at June 10, 2009 12:40 PM in response to Closing Bell: NYC CityRacks Map

please stop - I can't take anymore of these renderings.
I feel like I need to blame someone for this:
Develop Don't Destroy? for continuous stalling
Ratner? for being a cheap ass with no taste ie. Atlantic Terminal

Posted by: oldrte10 at June 10, 2009 12:35 PM in response to More Renderings of New Arena Design

The Building Code would not even let you use single pane glass.

Posted by: oldrte10 at June 4, 2009 1:47 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 86

UMASS does the testing for $9.00. And they have other options to choose from. We had our soil tested there and they were prompt by emailing the results.

http://www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/

Posted by: oldrte10 at May 14, 2009 12:23 PM in response to Brooklyn Ground Zero for Lead Soil Problems

awesome. it will eventually tie into the eastern parkway improvements - if they ever start the work. They had the ground breaking for that about 4 years ago and still no work.

Posted by: oldrte10 at April 17, 2009 10:06 AM in response to Two Lanes for Two-Wheelers on Prospect Park West

Read your Offering Plan to see what is included in your square footage. As long as it is blessed by the AG and you accepted the Offering by buying unit, it is your problem.
Condos don't generally include public hallways but do include exterior walls, columns, mechanical shafts etc. If it was a conversion the developer would put a percentage in for wiggle room to protect themselves.
I would say don't waste your time.

Posted by: oldrte10 at April 8, 2009 3:21 PM in response to Measure Condo Sq Footage

It looks like the Stimulus money is trickling down to the design services sector. I guess you have to keep us busy doing something.
I can think of a million things 50 million dollars could be used for before this.

Posted by: oldrte10 at April 8, 2009 10:35 AM in response to Futuristic Enclosure Thingy Proposed for the BQE

Mr. Joist,

If we all designed buildings using Google Maps the world would be a wonderful place. This block is not the most cohesive of blocks but it could be improved through a couple of nice buildings lining the street. In this location, a civic building deserves to be set back from the street with a front garden everyone can enjoy not just private residents. You might think another condo deserves special status in our urban fabric and one might guess by its facade that it resembles a 1960's inspired school in which case there would be an argument for breaking the street wall but how important does the designer think he or the building is.

Posted by: oldrte10 at March 20, 2009 1:49 PM in response to Enrique Norten-Designed Project in Park Slope Revealed

I think it is a stretch to use Gowanus as an inspiration to mess up a half decent block. The Eagle article commends "looking at zoning in a new way" but what it really does as ruin the potential for it to be a nicer block. No improvement here.

Posted by: oldrte10 at March 20, 2009 11:55 AM in response to Enrique Norten-Designed Project in Park Slope Revealed

I agree with the above comments. As an architect, it doesn't make sense. There is not enough information. You can't expect someone to sign off for something if there were changes made without the architects input and especially if the changes are not up to code.

Posted by: oldrte10 at March 16, 2009 3:19 PM in response to Architect Won't Sign Off

Silver is a scumbag. He put the nails in the coffin of Congestion Pricing in order to protect his wealthy downtown constituents. Now he is sticking it to the folks of the outer boroughs.

Posted by: oldrte10 at February 27, 2009 12:52 PM in response to Friday Links

Just in time for the budget cuts that will entail running less trains.

Posted by: oldrte10 at February 24, 2009 4:06 PM in response to Closing Bell: Robo Train Has Arrived

If these units have outdoor space as it sounds like most will, you should forego the garbage disposals and provide each unit with a compact compost bin. It is the true green thing to do; it doesn't overwhelm the sewers, no electricity usage, less water usage, and creates free soil. So much talk of being "green", it is time to put all this talk to action. It is a simple thing to do, it is clean, and for kids it is very educational.

Posted by: oldrte10 at February 19, 2009 12:25 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 72

Who cares? It is going to sit like this for many years. What was the rush?

Posted by: oldrte10 at February 18, 2009 10:30 AM in response to Public Place Demo Only Started Last Week? Really?

You are in denial if you don't think this is going to get desperate. What don't you understand about bank solvency? You may have been on vacation yesterday but Japan wasn't. So while you are all arguing about what neighborhood is better this is going to crash in a big way.

Posted by: oldrte10 at February 17, 2009 1:19 PM in response to How Bad Could It Get?

not to mention her blind support of some union causes.

Posted by: oldrte10 at February 12, 2009 10:21 AM in response to Speaker Quinn Bears Bad News for Real Estate Crowd

Demo started two weeks ago.

Posted by: oldrte10 at February 10, 2009 11:23 AM in response to Public Place Demolition Set to Start

Unscrupulous developers build at their own risk - permits and approvals can always be rescinded. This is a disaster of a plan. The DOB is responding as they usually do by overcompensating for a few bad apples. A 30 day public review period - a good DOB plan examiner will do more in 30 minutes. What resources or mechanism is going to handle these public "comments", most of which know nothing on the matter.

Posted by: oldrte10 at February 6, 2009 12:45 PM in response to Avella Disses DOB's New Development Process

A lot to pay for a 1 bedroom despite the brokers claim that they are 2 bedrooms.

Posted by: oldrte10 at February 4, 2009 10:12 AM in response to Conversion of 185 Huntington Nearing Completion

what a dumb idea. I am all for transparency but for the "opportunity to comment" - what does that mean? Any old blogger can hold up a development 'cuz they don't like the color of brick? What happened to our free country? The opportunity to comment is for the BSA and City Planning hearings not for filing any random building. The drawings should be posted once they are approved by 2 zoning reviews as is currently prescribed. Any call for a variance should also be posted prior to approval by CPC or BSA.

Posted by: oldrte10 at February 3, 2009 2:09 PM in response to DOB Bringing Development Drawings Online

25% on the profit is the flip tax - I lived there.

Posted by: oldrte10 at January 27, 2009 4:43 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

The inside is nice - but what happened to the outside? Those windows? Too heavy.

Posted by: oldrte10 at January 27, 2009 4:41 PM in response to Streetlevel: Prime Meats on the Outside

A NIMBY would love it. After all that opposition, what do we get in the end - still the stadium now just really ugly. The last step towards complete abandonment.

Posted by: oldrte10 at January 26, 2009 10:11 AM in response to Atlantic Yards Looking Increasingly Un-sexy

if someone doesn't like something on a blog I think they would generally skip the article, much less take the time to comment on it. granted they are not the most exciting posts but building a building is not always exciting.

Posted by: oldrte10 at December 11, 2008 12:40 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 65

People don't typically understand that because it costs so much money to go before the BSA they usually have the project vetted by an attorney and has already had several informal meetings with BSA staff. If it doesn't look promising at that point the project is abandoned.

Posted by: oldrte10 at November 25, 2008 4:56 PM in response to BSA Hooks Up 360 Smith

The DOB is a nightmare. For those of you who think Professional Certification is an abuse have not had to deal with the DOB for a substantial sized job. They examiners are now so gun shy that they basically force you to Prof. Cert. otherwise it takes way too long for an approval. The examiners refer every little issue to someone more senior to them and therefore that also takes forever.
A complete fiasco.

Posted by: oldrte10 at November 3, 2008 1:11 PM in response to DOB Gets Reorganized

It will take a partnership - like everything is trending these days - reducing exposure and increasing the equity to get a loan. Whole Foods will put up the land as collateral and a developer will build it with some cash and more borrowed money. They work out a deal where they both reduce risk and hopefully profit something in the end with different ownership percentages and then they can sell or hold their stake in the end. This will happen but it will take more time.

Posted by: oldrte10 at October 23, 2008 12:46 PM in response to Whole Foods Can't Do It Alone (In Gowanus)

I love derelict old sites in the heart of Brooklyn.

I love watching job producing projects go down the tubes as we head into a bad recession because of litigation.

Posted by: oldrte10 at October 22, 2008 12:28 PM in response to Treasury Dept. Hooks Up Ratner Big-Time

I have been riding on this for a while and you can even tell from the photos that it the construction was messy and haphazard. Could have been more trees etc.
Unfortunately to do anything in NY, things get watered down and built poorly. If the West side highway bike path were a 10 this would be a 2. It's better than nothing but it shows where the priorities are.

Posted by: oldrte10 at October 20, 2008 10:50 AM in response to The Brooklyn Greenway Has Arrived

Whether you go prefab or not, you will need an architect to build a new building. Moving in a year is aggressive. It will take you six months to get a permit, not to mention, design and bid it. good luck

Posted by: oldrte10 at October 16, 2008 12:40 PM in response to Front Page Forum: Modern in Carroll Gardens

http://www.louispoulsen.com/en-us/Product/pendants.aspx

they have a rep on long island

Posted by: oldrte10 at October 9, 2008 4:57 PM in response to Lighting Fixture

Did anyone manage to read the entire press release. I may be slow but I don't know what the hay they are talking about. They need an editor.

Sebastopol!

Posted by: oldrte10 at October 1, 2008 10:24 AM in response to Closing Bell: Energy Crisis to Be Solved by Brooklyn

what a joke of an article. you have got to be kidding. the "luxury landscape" of the city will be significantly changed because of this implosion despite people's efforts to find the new bubble.

Posted by: oldrte10 at September 24, 2008 10:35 AM in response to Mad Men Moving to Wall Street Digs?

3D has no view and looks out at the back of neighboring buildings - way, way overpriced.

Posted by: oldrte10 at September 18, 2008 1:51 PM in response to Co-ops of the Day: Turner Towers Side-by-Side

I have to add that I am glad that no one was hurt but again, why are Access-A-Ride drivers so bad. Now another reason to steer clear.

Posted by: oldrte10 at August 15, 2008 1:06 PM in response to Access-A-Ride Van Burns Up on 8th Avenue

Berlin 1960
I could be wrong but the depth of the overhang is not legal.

Posted by: oldrte10 at August 13, 2008 3:15 PM in response to Going Modern on Fifth Avenue

How much would a stairway like that cost to have installed? I'd like to install something like that to open up a room. Obviously I could spend an unlimited amount of money on such a project, but what could I expect reasonable price range to be?

Posted by: mgraves at October 5, 2009 12:57 AM in response to Open tread stairs and cable side

Sodium bentonite. Handy suggestion. Thank you.

Posted by: ktag at November 2, 2009 3:10 PM in response to Water Leak in Basement

you do not want to stop the leak at your basement...it should be stopped at the duct in the concrete junction box in the street...otherwise your feed is permanently soaked in street water

Posted by: eman1234 at November 2, 2009 9:24 PM in response to Water Leak in Basement

Con Ed? Bunch of dicks. Next thing you know they will be cutting off your service because they detected stray voltage...And then not coming back to change the lines until you remove that 4" piece of asbestos in your boiler room.

What eman1234 said. Wait till they start salting the streets this winter.

Posted by: IMBY at November 2, 2009 10:16 PM in response to Water Leak in Basement