City Planning Issues Approval for Rezoning

City Planning issued their approval of the Carroll Gardens/Columbia Street Rezoning on 23 September 2009. The report is available here:http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/cpc/090462.pdf.

A table showing the public review timeline is here: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/carroll_columbia/carroll_columbia4.shtml.

Note that we are in the last phase of the process, the proposal will be taken up next by City Council for approval.

Suspended service on the F line during weekends

The F train service between Jay Street-Bourough Hall and Church Avenue will unfortunately be suspended from 12:01 am Saturdays through 5:00 am Mondays during the following weekends:

- October 10-12
- October 17-19
- October 24-26
- November 14-16

There will be shuttle buses provided to transport travelers from Jay Street-Borough Hall along the F train route. The service changes are due to the necessary rehabilitation of the Culver Viaduct (the bridge that carries Smith/9th Street and 4th Avenue stations).

Worth looking into what the future might hold

Thanks to Pardon me for Asking:

http://pardonmeforasking.blogspot.com/2009/08/how-will-climate-change-effect-gowanus.html

Fix The Ditch

One of the major issues the Landuse committee will be dealing with this fall is, what to do about the portion of the BQE that separates the Columbia Waterfront from Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens (aka The Ditch). As previously reported, Representative Nydia Velasquez has secured $300,000 for a study that will be administered by the EDC. There are many possibilities here: from simply fixing the concrete bed, to hanging planters and adding bridges to covering the whole thing up. We would like to know, what you think. Please leave your comments below. To get the discussion going, here are a few articles on the subject:

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/31/45/31_45_mm_bqe_fix.html

http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/25/32_25_mm_bqe.html

Temporary closure of Baltic Street between Hicks and Columbia

Masonry Services intends to close Baltic Street between Hicks Street and Columbia Street for the use of a crane on Baltic Street.

This closure will take place on September 8, 9, 11, 14, 15, 17, and 18 between 7 AM and 6 PM. Flagmen will be posted to redirect traffic.

If you have any questions regarding this closure, please contact Masonry Services at (917) 578-0019.

Public Services Committee meetings on Tuesdays this fall

The first Public Services Committee meeting will be held at 7PM on Tuesday, September 8. The meeting will be held at the Postgraduate Center on Columbia Street. Subsequent meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of every month.

Trolley's on the Waterfront?

Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez has included $10 million for "design and construction of a light rail system along the Brooklyn waterfront from Red Hook to Downtown Brooklyn,..." in her request for funding for the Fiscal Year 2010 surface transportation bill. Mayor Bloomberg has also called for funding for a Red Hook streetcar system.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has now begun a $259,000 feasibility analysis of placing streetcar lines in Red Hook, DUMBO and other waterfront areas, according to published reports.

Read the full story here