Some great news regarding the Gowanus. As you have been reading in this blog for over a year, residents have had a tough loosing battle against the Toll Brothers wanting to build a huge condo on the fragile shores. A ray of hope has come and the EPA has decided that toxicity of the canal IS an issue and the Gowanus Canal has been nominated for Superfunds.There will be a meeting on Tuesday to find out more, infomation is below.
It's laughable how much money and profit clouds the thinking of those who think that building should be done, a quote in today's New York Post from one of those. (Thanks Buddy!)
"The sooner we get the listing under way, the sooner EPA can begin its work, so that one day the Gowanus Canal can be used again to benefit the people of Brooklyn," said the agency's acting regional administrator, George Pavlou.
But Carroll Gardens activist Buddy Scotto, leader of an at-times successful effort to clean up the canal for decades, said the EPA's decision stinks.
He said all the designation "would do is tie up development projects off the shore," such as a luxury condo and townhouse project planned by the Toll Brothers developers.
"There's no question the canal is clean enough now to support development," Scotto said.
"This is all political because someone has decided they don't want to see development near the canal, but it doesn't make sense. How can anyone try to kill these projects during such a poor economic climate?"
The project by Toll Brothers calls for 130 of the 577 units to be marketed to low- to middle-income households near Bond, Carroll and Second streets, and the rest would go for market rate.
Other developments planned for the area around the canal include a 68,000-square-foot Whole Foods superstore on Third Street.
Normally, polluters are required to pay for cleanups after completion of an EPA Superfund review, but in the case of the canal, much of the contamination occurred well over a century ago. In these situations, federal dollars are used to pay for a cleanup.
An important meeting will be held regarding this coming Tuesday at PS 32.
Below is the information about the informational meeting regarding the nomination of the Canal for Superfunds
Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke Invite you to a
A Public Information Forum with US EPA Regarding the Gowanus Canal Nomination for Superfund.
Tuesday, April 14, 7:00 PM
PS 32 Auditorium 317 Hoyt Street (between Union & President Streets)
Bring Your Questions!
US Environmental Protection Agency Will explain how the Superfund program works
and nomination process.
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3 comments:
Isn't that an amazing quote by Buddy?
Not surprising though!
Build, build, build at any cost!
Yes who cares about health an safety?
Also this quote really gets me:
"How can anyone try to kill these projects during such a poor economic climate?""
Earth to Buddy!
Excuse me how can anyone try and START these projects during such a poor economic climate? Has he not noticed the condo skeletons all over Brookyn and the empty built ones, or read that real estate is going down the tubes?
Someone who has been in Brooklyn politics for a long time warned me "Don't underestimate Buddy." I don't know what he and his daughter Deb, Toll, and David Lefkowitz (the person who owns part of the site where Toll wants to build their behemoth) are planning to counter the groundswell of support for Superfund Gowanus. I think Lefkowitz stands to lose much money if the deal does not go through. They must be up to something...I passed by Lefkowitz's gate and there was a posting of a meeting of the Gowanus Homeowners Assn. NEVER heard of that one - and I know a lot of homeowners in Gowanus.
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