360 Smith: Update and Review of New Plans
No one can accuse the group of Carroll Gardeners protesting the large building that William Stein is trying to build at 360 Smith Street of lacking enthusiasm. Tact and subtlety, maybe, but definitely not enthusiasm. In the wake of the developer being granted permits to erect a fence around the property at the corner of…
No one can accuse the group of Carroll Gardeners protesting the large building that William Stein is trying to build at 360 Smith Street of lacking enthusiasm. Tact and subtlety, maybe, but definitely not enthusiasm. In the wake of the developer being granted permits to erect a fence around the property at the corner of Smith and Second Place last week, the group, which calls itself CORD (Coalition for Respectful Development), called for Bill de Blasio’s head on a stick in a somewhat manic email. Up to that point, de Blasio’s targeting of the project’s architect, Robert Scarano, had jibed nicely with CORD’s agenda of reducing the size and increasing the contextuality of 360 Smith. The issuing of the permits, however, prompted the protesters to accuse de Blasio of being “very disingenuous.” This email followed another in which they urged people to fight the building on behalf of the squirrels who like to hang out in the plaza and the circulation of a petition calling for a moratorium on the construction of any building over the height of 50 feet “until landmarking or a down-zoning is decided.” (The petition had over 800 signatures at last count.) The latest news, via a CORD email last night, is that the revised renderings (which have not been publicly released yet) are still unacceptable:
With or without the trademark Scarano elements the building is clearly massive. On the southern-most corner of the Smith Street side, where the building facade will be “commercial” not residential is a seventy foot tower. This rectangular prism juts vertically into space sure to cast an enormous shadow and act as a light barrier for all the buildings on Smith Street. The rest of the commercial facade is very tall and goes along the Smith street sidewalk with no set back and joins the Hannah Senesh School known for its VERY! eclectic mix and match materials and colored architecture. The new facade in turn, will cast an enormous shadow on Second Street.
It’s hard for us to weigh in on without seeing the new renderings but there’s no reason to think that the description above isn’t right on the money. Can anyone email the renderings to us (anonymity guaranteed)? In the meantime, if there’s anyone in the neighborhood with a background in public relations who opposes the project, you should think about donating your time to CORD. They would benefit from some polish and focus.
Scarano Pushback on Smith [Brownstoner] GMAP
Mixed Agendas at Anti-Scarano Rally on Smith Street [Brownstoner]
Hannah Senesh is a private Jewish school. It will open thios fall I believe. That’s not the same things as building more classrooms for the general community which desperately needs them. Most people’s kids go to public school because they can not afford private school. The Hannah Senesh building used to be a lower, red brick building occupied by the Department of Education (formerly the Board of Education). I know because I worked in that building for many, many years. Now it’s taller, private, and defintiely not red brick or anything like it.
I can’t believe these idiots are bitching about the design of the Hannah Senesh school as well. What jerks. We desperately need more classroom space in Brooklyn. I’d have been happy if they added three more stories to Senesh. It’s the only new school that’s been built in the area in who knows how long.
They might have an argument against Scarano but this just makes them seem like they will complain about anything and everything new.
Okay so stop the talk about the building height already and let’s talk about building density….Do you really believe that this tiny Second Place block is meant for 46 new units? Give me a break!
Mr. Stein who supoosedly “LOVES, LOVES, LOVES!!” the neighborhood has said himself that he has created some “extra units” (more desity) because the MTA is charging him extra to be overseen by the agency so he needs to make up the difference….ka-ching ka-ching “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways”…
In other words, Mr. Stein’s love affair with Carroll Gardens is kind of like the way a guy might think of a “starter wife”, not a long term partenrship. In other words, sooner or later, he will surely find “another brighter love” elsewhere, maybe near one of you!
BTW, Mr. Stein also said he was not “married” to Mr. Scarano, which is not “news” in the sense that it means anything one way or another. However the role of the MTA must be considered here, and profits are certainly being shared by more than one or two or even three parties as is obvious by the financers of this 360 Smith Street project who have their own motives, clearly! No one seems to be talking about them. I wonder why?
Now, there are not even 40 houses on that Second Place block. Most of you have no idea of what you are talking about (and would be in litigation ASAP if you were in that unfortunate boat you call “the community”) but few if any of you would be so dumb as to live anyplace for life and commit all your resources there as “community” does not exist in your vocabulary.
So you say loudly, “AS OF RIGHT” is the “letter of the law” and any developer with any plan as per “AS OF RIGHT” is just plain right. Now if the residents all get up and move away and the community no longer exists then you call that “white flight”. If the residents challenge “As of Right” as being flawed or even N/A any longer you scream: AS OF RIGHT IS THE LAW SO GET OVER IT YOU NIMBY.
The only way a rich man such as Mr. Stein will ever be a part of any community he loves (the same he “loves” Varroll Gardens) is to build a big building and live in the penthouse all the while infuriating his neighbors.
Wow. What Love! Has anybody (including the developer or the architect) ever thought about the electric sytem/water system/traffic/general conjestion/school sytem/hospital near by and a host of other “community concerns” that are reasonable concerns of any community? I forgot, you guys think there is no such thing as community so I guess you must unmoved by the cry that AS OF RIGHT gives no one the slightest responsiblity to consider the impact or consequences of building on a “place” (let’s not even call it a community as that seems like such a loaded term here)….let’s just call it the “zone of approximate others” for the sake of argument and say that this “zone”
1) does exist
2) deos have rights to reasonable enjoyment of their homes
3) does pay taxes to get many of the services listed above
4) does have a deep, vested interest as a group in the immediate neighborhood.
To think otherwise is the think in kind of anarchy that many developers are now enjoying here in Brooklyn and elsewhere these days due to several factors but mostly greed, plain and simple. Greed on multiple levels.
But I know that “g-word” is a taboo one here as we are all entitled to as much as we want and when we want it as long as have got the bucks so I guess I should move to where you all are hiding out:
all holed up in some “secret” zone with your generators and canned goods someplace deep in Brooklyn hoping the developers do not catch on how nice it is by you…..
7:22,
Why would anyone want to participate on a homogeneous and monolithic blog where everyone thought the same and agreed on every issue?
This brownstoner.com and not low-scale.com or anti-development.com. As a brownstoner poster from the site’s inception I can tell you that posters on this board are very diverse. We have people of every ethnic, racial, social and economic background on this blog. We have renters, homeowners, brokers, architects, contactors and developers. We have “good” guys and “bad” guys. We have advocates for affordable housing and advocates for instant gentrification. We have traditionalists and modernists. We have preservationists and progressives. We have AY opponents and AY proponents. We have low scale advocates and high density advocates. We have those who are anti-development and those who are pro-development.
In short, WE HAVE IT ALL.
The sooner that bloggers on this board accept the fact that brownstoner covers a broad universe of people and opinions the sooner we can have civil and constructive discussions about the pertinent issues which affect us all.
“The Shadow”
Thanks Bob (Scarano) for your input into your own project.
Happy July 4th!
Wow, who sent the goons out to plaster the boards with their pro-development drivel today? Is it all the same poster?
Rocky,
Do you know that many of the four stoy brownstones with basements are already over 50 feet not counting their stairbulkheads. I believe that a 60 foot wall on smith and second with a 10 foot setback on both streets then up to 70 feet will not feel that out of scale as the 120 foot buildings on 4th ave do to their 40 to 50 foot neighbors on the side streets.
As far as Buddy is concerned he is a vocal supporter of Scarano’s projects since they have worked together for years.
I also understand that the plaza will be planted on 2nd place like the rest of the block is now and at least 12 street trees will be planted along the entire frontage.
The small animal thing was not cute since squirrels do not belong on trees on smith street anyway. Way to dangerous.
Do not live in the past and welcome the change that will anchor this end of the gardens so new blood will come in now that we let all of our own children get pushed out by making hugh profits selling our grandmothers brownstones to yuppy scum.
Smith Street needs a Southern anchor and maybe convincing the developer to put in a real community meeting space in the building would be a more realistic goal than harassing him to scale back one or two floors.
Wars are never a good thing for either side and there is always the colateral damage one does not anticipate.
Act as a leader and others will follow. Set realistic goals that do not destroy peoples lives or reputations. That is a true leader!
Rocky just doesn’t get it. His organization is not asking for a legal loophole to be closed, they ‘are asking for a revision of the zoning code. They are insinuating the original legislatures who enacted the zoning law didn’t understand what “wide street” meant. I mean seriously the zoning code for this district indicates a narrow street is less than 100 feet. Seriously, 100 feet? How can anyone possibly think that refers to the width of the roadway? I bet Atlantic Avenue isn’t even 100 feet from curb to curb.’
Erixymachus, I fear you are in need of a little real estate education.
Lots typically extend to the sidewalk – ergo, the sidewalk is considered part of the width of the street. On the ‘garden’ blocks of CG, the sidewalk AND and front yard is considered part of the street (catch the neat distinction there?). There are LOTS of wide streets in the neighborhood – Court Street, 3rd Street, 4th Avenue to name just a few. These streets can and should be rightfully developed as wide streets. The present zoning resolution went into effect in the 1960’s, and this was an easement granted in the 1840’s. Clearly these streets are not ‘wide’ streets as intended by those who wrote the zoning
A few privileged squirrels who have monopolized all the best trees and don’t want anything to change do not speak for us. Screw those Not In My Treetop assh*les.
Garbage is good for squirrels. Pizza crusts, dropped pretzels, open garbage cans. Screw trees, I’d chop down every one of them for the chance to eat one open bag of potato chips.
More people, more garbage, more body fat, more young surviving the winter, go go go Scarano!!!