September 8, 2007: Vol. 30, No. 35

Boom goes the neighborhood.

More than 2,000 new housing units are in the works in Carroll Gardens and the gritty area along the Gowanus Canal between Sackett and Fifth streets. But a growing number of naysayers want to slow the pace of development.

“The fear is not one site, it is the health of the whole area,” said Linda Mariano, a member of Friends and Residents of the Greater Gowanus. “There is raw sewage in this canal and you should see the flooding. We are saying, ‘Fix it now’ before it gets worse.”

At a standing-room-only Town Hall meeting late last month, one possible “fix” emerged — the expansion of the Carroll Gardens Historic District, which currently covers a small area between Smith and Hoyt streets, from First Place almost to Union Street. Within the historic district, buildings can’t rise any higher than 50 feet and all new development must keep the 19th-century Italianate architecture common in the area.

The district includes fewer than 200 buildings and is one of the city’s smaller landmark areas. Advocates say that widening its boundaries to include blocks of rowhouses west of Bond Street is an obvious salvo in the battle against what they consider inappropriate development.

“Landmark designation basically guarantees the physical integrity of a community,” said Bob Furman, head of the Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance.

Councilman Bill DeBlasio (D–Cobble Hill) may soon hire Furman, a former member of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, to complete a historical survey of the area, said DeBlasio spokesman, Tom Gray.

The emphasis on neighborhood character apparently has some momentum. After fearing that a larger residential tower would be built at a former Long Island College Hospital building at 340 Court St., a spokesman for the Clarett Group, which is in contract to buy the building, said the developer plans to build low-rise townhouses that would be “in context” with the area.

The Big Boom

Low-scale Carroll Gardens is about to experience a growth spurt of unprecedented magnitude. Here is a rundown of 13 developments to watch.

Where	What	Status
Bayside Fuel Depot, West bank of the Gowanus Canal between Sackett and Union streets.	Canal-front complex of 10- to 12-story towers with 300–400 units	Toxic remnants still being removed.
340–352 Bond St., at Third Street	Four-story, eight-unit loft-style apartment building	Construction currently frozen because of a code violation.
211 Columbia St., at Sackett Street	11-story building with 13 units	Construction underway.
340 Court St., at Union Street	Townhouse development	Developer Clarett Group is still in contract for the site. No architect yet.
333 Carroll St., between Hoyt and Bond streets	Six-story, 31-unit condo	Halted by the Buildings Department in mid-construction.
671 Henry St., on the corner of Luquer Street	Four-story building, five units	The blue construction fences are up. Permits are approved. Construction could start within the month.
Gowanus Village, both sides of the canal, between Union and Third streets	Canal-front complex of several 3- to 12-story buildings, with 400 units	Construction hasn’t begun.
Toll Brothers, Bond Street between Carroll and Second streets	Canal-front complex of low-rise townhouse-style condos	Toll Brothers is waiting for Gowanus area to be rezoned for apartments. Could be years.
100 Luquer St., between Clinton and Henry streets	11-story building, 20 units	Construction to begin this fall.
360 Smith St., corner of Second Place	Six-story apartment building with 46 units	Construction underway.
111 Third St., at Bond Street	Four- or five-story townhouse-style condo development, with 45 units	Completion date 2008.
Columbia Street area projects: 5 Columbia St., 86–98 Congress St., 79 Warren St., 104–116 Warren St., 101–115 Baltic St.	Three 4- to 7-story buildings, with 153 units	Has yet to begin the eight-month public review process.
Public Place site, Smith Street at Fifth Street	Several 3- to 14-story buildings, with 400 units	City still looking for a developer.

©2007 The Brooklyn Paper