Mixed Agendas at Anti-Scarano Rally on Smith Street
We’d guesstimate that about 60 people spent their lunch hour yesterday listening to Councilman Bill de Blasio rail against the proposed design by Robert Scarano for the plaza and adjoining lot at Smith and 2nd Place in Carroll Gardens and call for the revocation of Mr. Scarano’s license to practice architecture. In his prepared remarks,…
We’d guesstimate that about 60 people spent their lunch hour yesterday listening to Councilman Bill de Blasio rail against the proposed design by Robert Scarano for the plaza and adjoining lot at Smith and 2nd Place in Carroll Gardens and call for the revocation of Mr. Scarano’s license to practice architecture. In his prepared remarks, de Blasio likened having Scarano do a project in the neighborhood to letting “the fox in the chicken coop.” “Scarano’s not welcome in our community,” he said more than once. Of course, the irony of de Blasio shaking his fist over an eight-story building being built in Carroll Gardens when he has not had any problem with a number of much taller buildings being built in nearby Fort Greene and Prospect Heights was not lost on some of the anti-Atlantic Yards protesters who showed up. In a piece of comedic theatre, two sign-holders from the de Blasio camp were kept on their toes trying to make sure that their anti-Scarano posters blocked the those of the Atlantic Yards protesters from the view of cameras. (Lots of reporters were on hand.) When the conference was over, we heard some locals saying they couldn’t give a hoot who the architect was as long as the building ended up being smaller scale. (“An enemy of my enemy is my friend.”) Based on an email that has made the rounds and was reported on Gowanus Lounge yesterday, the developer has already agreed to make the facade better integrated with neighboring buildings and has agreed to switch to a brick facade; last we heard, though, he wasn’t willing to give on the height of the building, which at its highest point is planned to reach 70 feet. Update: Neighborhood blog First and Court is reporting that DOB rejected the most recent set of plans yesterday.
Scarano Pushback on Smith [Brownstoner]
New Developments in the Battle of 360 Smith [Gowanus Lounge]
“So you are entirely driven by your own personal interests.”
Are you implying that BeReasonable does not have the right to protect her own property from a reckless cowboy architect. The bad choice was when the developer chose Scarano to be his architect. She is doing what any smart home owner would do–protecting her home.
You are wrong. Developers do not hire scarano because he stretches the rules or because he is cheap. Developers hire scarano because he gets things done.
I am not going to defend the architect for his ugly buildings but for your information Architects are not contractors. Architects are not responsible for construction workers injuries or deaths, they are not responsible for damage to adjacent property and most likely he is not a structural engineer so will not design the structure over the subway or on top of other peoples buildings. That is absurd. Developers hire Scarano because he is cheap and b/c he stretches the rules. The developers also hire the contractors, usuallly the cheap ones, and it is they who do the said damage listed above, not the architect. If you think you are going to get anywhere by getting the architect replaced, don’t be so sure. You are unrealistic and don’t know the process.
yes. who is the developer?
and, in any case. big deal on the new building. carroll gardens isn’t a landmarked neighborhood. it is home to some really bad construction and fugly shortened windows and awnings on old buildings.
plus, not everything scarano does is bad. i like the washington condos and the new building on driggs and manhattan. both scarano i think.
anyway, do believe that the people who will buy these condos will help to make the neighborhood more and more desirable.
property values will rise, not fall because of the building.
scarano is not building anything
he is an architect not a developer
you people are confused
Anonymous at June 7, 2007 12:01 PM
BeReasonable’s house may go up in value, but bad argument (posted way too much on brownstoner), unless they are going to sell their home.
personal motivation to not have your backyard in shadow and the threat of your property damaged due to the track record of who said architect tends to work with says volumes…
Self serving? Yes. NIMBY? I don’t think so.
BeReasonable: So you are entirely driven by your own personal interests. You should have realized that the lot next to the house you bought would be developed at some point. Bad choice as it turns out. But that realy depends on how you look at it. Your property will continue to go up in value.
Did someone just refer to Scarano as the “little guy”…good one.
I know I wrote de Blasio about this guy in the past because Scarano has been causing problems with the building at 333 Carroll street. He was going to pull the same old tricks until DOB caught up to him and made him change his plans.
There is still a SWO on that site today!
I was able to read some of the ideas that will be going to the assembly and support them, hopefully our other state reps do the same. We need something like that at the state and city level.
Garrison,
This has nothing to do with Atlantic Yards, and these are not the “little guys”. I understand that they own the property and want to develop it. More power to them. I’m sure it will look better than an ugly parking lot.
But I live RIGHT NEXT DOOR to the proposed project. I don’t want this guy anchoring his building to mine and either breaking my foundation, cracking my walls or having part of his building fall down on top of mine. These are all things that have happened at other Scarano building sites.
Get a responsible architect who will abide by the regulations, because while the owner has a right to build on the lot, he does NOT have the right to damage my property or endanger my house.
It’s as simple as that!