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	<title>The Wonkster &#187; Waterfront</title>
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	<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster</link>
	<description>Gotham Gazette&#039;s blog about New York policy and politics</description>
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		<title>East River Ferry Ridership Reaches 1 Million</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/16/east-river-ferry-ridership-reaches-1-million/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/07/16/east-river-ferry-ridership-reaches-1-million/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:22:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nina Goldman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BillyBey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[east river]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[east river ferry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ferry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[speaker quinn]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=11010</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Since its launch early last summer, the East River Ferry has carried one million passengers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced today.
That&#8217;s more than double the predicted 409,000 riders a year, which the BillyBey Ferry Company cites as evidence of the program&#8217;s success.
“Surpassing  the one-million milestone is a testament to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Since its <a href="http://old.gothamgazette.com/article/transportation/20110228/16/3474">launch</a> early last summer, the <a href="http://www.nywaterway.com/ERF-Home.aspx">East River Ferry</a> has carried one million passengers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn announced today.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s more than double the predicted 409,000 riders a year, which the BillyBey Ferry Company cites as evidence of the program&#8217;s success.</p>
<p>“Surpassing  the one-million milestone is a testament to how popular our service has  been with commuters, tourists and leisure travelers in the first year,”  BilleyBey CEO Paul Goodman said in a press release today.</p>
<p>After unexpected levels of ridership beginning last summer, the <a href="http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/34/6/dtg_ferryservice_2011_2_4_bk.html">$9.3 million project</a> now has larger ferries on weekends and concession stands on every ride.</p>
<p>To continue expanding and improving service for the remainder of the ferry&#8217;s three-year pilot program and beyond, Bloomberg announced a survey that will be available for riders to take online, on the ferry and by phone.</p>
<p>&#8220;Ferry service is only going to get better for the next million passengers,&#8221; he said in the release.</p>
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		<title>Developers Chosen for Brooklyn Bridge Park Hotel Complex</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/06/19/developers-chosen-for-brooklyn-bridge-park-hotel-complex/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/06/19/developers-chosen-for-brooklyn-bridge-park-hotel-complex/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jun 2012 20:25:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nina Goldman</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brooklyn bridge park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hotel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pier 1]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10839</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The board of Brooklyn Bridge Park announced today the final plan for construction of a hotel and residency complex by the park&#8217;s Pier 1.
Toll Brothers City Living and Starwood Capital Group will collaborate on the approximately 550,000-square-foot complex, slated for completion in the fall of 2015, according to a press release from the mayor&#8217;s office.
“Brooklyn [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The board of <a href="www.brooklynbridgepark.org">Brooklyn Bridge Park</a> announced today the final plan for construction of a hotel and residency complex by the park&#8217;s Pier 1.</p>
<p>Toll Brothers City Living and Starwood Capital Group will collaborate on the approximately 550,000-square-foot complex, slated for completion in the fall of 2015, according to a press release from the mayor&#8217;s office.</p>
<p>“Brooklyn  Bridge Park has quickly become one of the most loved public spaces  along our city’s waterfront,” Mayor Bloomberg said in the release. “The major private investment is a vote of  confidence in Brooklyn and its future as a great place to live, work and  visit.”</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/15/nyregion/brooklyn-bridge-park-expected-to-announce-developers-of-a-new-hotel-complex.html">$295 million project</a> is set to break ground next summer, generating as many as 510 jobs, both permanent and temporary. The board&#8217;s aim is to keep the park financially sustainable with a series of hotels along the piers – when completed, it will cost $16 million a year to run the park. They expect to take in $3.3 million yearly in rent and other payments, adding up to an expected $119.7 million net revenue by the end of the 97-year ground leases on the hotel and residential sites.</p>
<p>The mayor&#8217;s office also released <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycmayorsoffice/7401572662/in/photostream">four renderings of the proposed  complex</a>, showing its stone-and-glass facade and surrounding green space. Rogers Marvel Architects designed the 10-story hotel, called 1 Hotel, which will include 200 rooms, 18,000 square feet of banquet, meeting and retail space and a 6,000 square foot spa. There will also be a five-story building with 159 residential units.</p>
<p>“Today’s vote helps to ensure Brooklyn Bridge Park’s future,” NYC Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe said in the press release.</p>
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		<title>City Releases First Wetlands Strategy for Comment</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/02/13/city-releases-first-wetlands-strategy-for-comment/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2012/02/13/city-releases-first-wetlands-strategy-for-comment/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:09:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>David King</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainability]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=10508</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Parks Writer Anne Schwartz filed this story: 
In its first effort to create a comprehensive policy for protecting New York City’s last wetlands, the Bloomberg administration released a draft Wetlands Strategy in mid-January. The City Council held a hearing on the draft on January 31, and public comments are being accepted until February 18 at [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Parks Writer Anne Schwartz filed this story: </em></p>
<p>In its first effort to create a comprehensive policy for protecting New York City’s <a href="../../../article/parks/20070422/14/2156"></a><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/parks/20070422/14/2156 ">last wetlands</a>, the Bloomberg administration released <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/planyc2030/downloads/pdf/wetlands_strategy.pdf ">a draft Wetlands Strategy</a> in mid-January. The City Council held a hearing on the draft on January 31, and public comments are being accepted until February 18 at <a href="mailto:planyc@cityhall.nyc.gov">planyc@cityhall.nyc.gov</a>.</p>
<p>Of the estimated 100 square miles of coastal marshes that once lined the city’s shores, just 14 remain. More than 90 percent of its freshwater wetlands have been lost. The wetlands that remain are key to the survival of waterbirds nesting in the harbor, migratory birds that funnel through the city in the spring and fall, and harbor fisheries. They also help prevent coastal flooding and soak up stormwater, an increasingly important role as climate change brings an expected rise in the number and severity of storm surges.<span id="more-10508"></span></p>
<p>In 2007, the Wetlands Transfer Task Force inventoried wetlands on city property and recommended the transfer of several hundred acres to the parks department. But the fate of numerous wetlands in the five boroughs, including many in private ownership, remains undecided. To fill this gap, Local Law 31, introduced by City Councilmember James Gennaro and signed by Mayor Bloomberg in 2009, required the city to create a strategy to “conserve, protect, enhance, stabilize, restore, and expand wetlands and associated buffer areas in the city,” with a particular focus on small vulnerable wetland parcels.</p>
<p>“There are a lot of wetlands in the city we know about that still need protection,” said Glenn Phillips, Executive Director of New York City Audubon and a member of the task force. “This plan is a critical first step in the process.”</p>
<p>Although in 2007, Mayor Bloomberg approved the transfer to the parks department of the city’s largest unprotected wetland&#8211;the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/parks/20071030/14/2333 ">70-acre Arlington Marsh</a> on the northwest shore of Staten Island&#8211;the strategy draft says that the transfer is pending the planned expansion of the adjacent New York Container Terminal. Advocates say, however, that the terminal can expand while still preserving the most ecologically significant sections of the marsh and there is no need to hold up the transfer.</p>
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		<title>Advocates Protest SWMP Delays (UPDATE)</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/04/12/advocates-protest-swmp-delays/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2011/04/12/advocates-protest-swmp-delays/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:22:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eddie bautista]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eric goldstein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fair share]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[laura haight]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[solid waste management plan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[swmp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste transfer stations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[waste-to-energy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=9375</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Five years after the City Council and Mayor Michael Bloomberg agreed to a solid waste management plan for the five boroughs &#8211; one that spread out the city&#8217;s garbage burden &#8212; council members and environmental justice advocates say the adminsitration is backpedaling. 
In its preliminary capital budget, the adminsitration has delayed the construction of four [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Five years after the City Council and Mayor Michael Bloomberg <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20100504/203/3257">agreed to a solid waste management plan for the five boroughs </a>&#8211; one that spread out the city&#8217;s garbage burden &#8212; council members and environmental justice advocates say the adminsitration is backpedaling. </p>
<p>In its <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/omb/html/publications/finplan02_11.shtml">preliminary capital budget</a>, the adminsitration has delayed the construction of four waste transfer stations, three of which are in Manhattan. The cut, said <a href="http://www.nrdc.org/about/staff.asp">Eric Goldstein of the Natural Resources Defense Council</a>, could delay funding for these facilities between five and eight years. Advocates fear the stations will never occur. Five years from now, there will be a new occupant in City Hall &#8212; one perhaps with different priorities. </p>
<p>&#8220;We are very troubled,&#8221; said Goldstein. </p>
<p>The waste transfer stations are a crucial part of the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/iotw/20071113/200/2343">2006 solid waste management plan</a>, which attempts to get garbage off of diesel-spewing trucks and onto rail cars and barges instead. The plan was also meant to spread stations throughout the five boroughs to ease the burden on communities inundated with city waste &#8212; like the South Bronx, Greenpoint and Williamsburg. The delayed stations in Manhattan are the only ones slated for the borough, which currently sends the vast majority of its trash to New Jersey. </p>
<p>We are waiting for a response from the Department of Sanitation. </p>
<p>Advocates also decried the administration&#8217;s recent exploration of <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20110323/203/3494">waste-to-energy</a> &#8212; a controversial technology that typically involves burning or heating trash to create electricity (We reported on it <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20110323/203/3494">here two weeks ago</a>). <a href="http://www.nypirg.org/enviro/bottlebill/">Laura Haight of the New York Public Interest Research Group</a> decried the move. </p>
<p>&#8220;The types of technology they want to pilot have not been proven successful commercially anywhere in the country,&#8221; said Haight. &#8220;We believe this is a waste of energy.&#8221;</p>
<p>A conversation on the equal distribution of these types of facilities is occurring right now at a hearing of the Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses Subcommittee. Councilmember Brad Lander, the committee&#8217;s chair, blasted the adminsitration for refusing to testify (his letter appears below). </p>
<p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve concentrated those facilities in low-income communities, in communities of color,&#8221; Lander said this afternoon on the City Hall steps. </p>
<p>A spokesperson for the Bloomberg adminsitration said they would not send a representative, because &#8220;fair share,&#8221; as it&#8217;s commonly referred to, is currently the subject of litigation. </p>
<p>UPDATE: We just got this response from City Hall spokesperson Jason Post: </p>
<blockquote><p>
Because of the economy, the City has been forced to reduce all of its expenditures, including its capital program.</p>
<p>The preliminary capital budget for the Sanitation Department includes deferred spending on four Marine Transfer Stations. </p>
<p>The Administration remains fully committed to SWMP’s principles of borough equity, using rail and barge to transfer solid waste, relieving the burden of waste receiving from certain communities, strengthening our recycling infrastructure and piloting new technologies to derive clean energy from waste.</p>
<p>We have made great progress on SWMP already—long term rail contracts are in place and two marine transfer stations are under construction, as is the City’s new recycling facility—and we are exploring cost-effective alternatives to expedite the construction schedule outlined in the preliminary capital plan. We will make a decision before the Mayor’s executive budget presentation.</p></blockquote>
<p><a title="View CM Lander Letter to Mayor Bloomberg Re Fair Share Hearing(2) on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/52792105/CM-Lander-Letter-to-Mayor-Bloomberg-Re-Fair-Share-Hearing-2" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">CM Lander Letter to Mayor Bloomberg Re Fair Share Hearing(2)</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/52792105/content?start_page=1&#038;view_mode=list&#038;access_key=key-1a4vvgiv5deufoyq40h4" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" scrolling="no" id="doc_86211" width="100%" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script></p>
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		<title>Domino Moves Forward</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/06/29/domino-moves-forward-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/06/29/domino-moves-forward-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:56:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Measuring UP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=7900</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ The large Domino Sugar factory project on the Williamsburg waterfront was just unanimously approved by the City Council&#8217;s zoning subcommittee. 
The controversial project was supposed to be approved this morning, but further negotiations between the council and the developer held up the vote. 
Councilmember Mark Weprin, the chair of the zoning subcommittee, said the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p> The large <a href="http://therealdeal.com/newyork/articles/domino-sugar-plan-on-the-brink-of-approval">Domino Sugar factory project</a> on the Williamsburg waterfront was just unanimously approved by the City Council&#8217;s zoning subcommittee. </p>
<p>The controversial project was supposed to be approved this morning, but further negotiations between the council and the developer held up the vote. </p>
<p>Councilmember Mark Weprin, the chair of the zoning subcommittee, said the changes to the application include: the two 40-story residential towers will be reduced to 34 stories, there will be a dedicated shuttle bus from the project to the Marcy Avenue station, any change in use to the project&#8217;s slated community facilities will have to go through the land use review process, and a community advisory board must be created to oversee the project.</p>
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		<title>1:30 and Waiting</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/06/29/130-and-waiting/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/06/29/130-and-waiting/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:47:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Measuring UP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[budget]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Council]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[domino sugar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=7894</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It wouldn&#8217;t be a budget day without delay. 
It&#8217;s 1:30 and the council chamber is&#8230; well, empty. That is besides a few random reporters twiddling their thumbs waiting for the day&#8217;s hearings. This morning&#8217;s 11:30 a.m. zoning committee has yet to commence (they are scheduled to approve the massive Domino Sugar factory project on the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It wouldn&#8217;t be a budget day without delay. </p>
<p>It&#8217;s 1:30 and the council chamber is&#8230; well, empty. That is besides a few random reporters twiddling their thumbs waiting for the day&#8217;s hearings. This morning&#8217;s 11:30 a.m. zoning committee has yet to commence (they are scheduled to approve the massive <a href="http://therealdeal.com/newyork/articles/williamsburg-domino-sugar-factory-redevelopment-project-by-community-preservation-corporation-gets-city-planning-certification-and-moves-on-to-public-review">Domino Sugar factory project</a> on the Williamsburg waterfront).</p>
<p>And it would be safe to say the 1:30 finance committee hearing won&#8217;t be occurring anytime soon. </p>
<p>Stay tuned. </p>
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		<title>Domino Moves Forward</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/06/07/domino-moves-forward/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/06/07/domino-moves-forward/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:24:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=7679</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Photo (cc) 2009 Tach_RedGold&#038;Green

The City Planning Commission unanimously approved a proposal to convert the landmarked Domino Sugar refinery on the Williamsburg waterfront into a mixed-use development.  
Here is Commissioner Amanda M. Burden statement on the project: 
The New Domino project will revitalize an 11-acre vacant and inaccessible waterfront site and adaptively reuse the recently [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Domino.jpg"><img src="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Domino.jpg" alt="Domino" title="Domino" width="400" height="300" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-7681" /></a>
<div class="photocredit">Photo (cc) 2009 Tach_RedGold&#038;Green
</div>
<p>The City Planning Commission unanimously approved a <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6565W120100607?type=domesticNews">proposal</a> to convert the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20071213/203/2377">landmarked Domino Sugar refinery</a> on the Williamsburg waterfront into a mixed-use development.  </p>
<p>Here is Commissioner Amanda M. Burden statement on the project: </p>
<blockquote><p>The New Domino project will revitalize an 11-acre vacant and inaccessible waterfront site and adaptively reuse the recently landmarked sugar Refinery Building with 2,200 units of housing, including 660 affordable units,  four acres of high quality public open space, 143,000 square feet of community facility space, and office and retail uses. </p>
<p>This development will, for the first time, create a significant publicly accessible open space along the quarter-mile South Williamsburg waterfront that has been closed to the surrounding community for decades. </p>
<p>The proposed architecture and site plan successfully accommodate the project’s density with a variety of building types. The approvals granted would require the massing and materials as part of the grant of Special Permits. </p>
<p>The applicant has withdrawn the parking special permit application in response to input throughout the public process, and concerns raised by this Commission. In addition, changes made by the Commission to reduce the height of the northern-most commercial building will improve the relationship between that building and Grand Ferry Park. Further, provisions have been added to the project’s Restrictive Declaration which will help facilitate the construction of a school in the Refinery Building, if warranted in the future.  </p>
<p>This project will bring high-quality design and architecture, ample public open space, significant community facilities, and much needed housing, both market rate and affordable, to the Williamsburg community. I am extremely pleased to vote yes.
</p></blockquote>
<p>And for the other side, here is a statement from <a href="http://council.nyc.gov/d33/html/members/home.shtml">Councilmember Steve Levin: </a></p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Assemblyman Lopez and I still firmly oppose the New Domino project as it is currently proposed. While I am pleased that the applicant withdrew the special permit for extra parking spaces and that the City Planning Commission reduced the height of the northernmost tower, the plan is still deeply flawed. The applicant has not adequately addressed the transportation and congestion problems associated with the project. The overall plan is simply too big. The height and density of the Domino plan will have a negative impact on the community.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
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		<title>Divide in the Charter Commission?</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/05/10/divide-in-the-charter-commission/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/05/10/divide-in-the-charter-commission/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 May 2010 17:14:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Demographics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Measuring UP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work and Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[city charter review commission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hope cohen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Matthew Goldstein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=7411</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some Charter Revision Commission members seemed split this morning over whether the commission could thoroughly vet the more serious issues scheduled for review and still get them on the November ballot.
The commission approved a resolution today outlining five issue areas to explore and scheduled public hearings and expert panels on those specific topics for May [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Some <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/charter/">Charter Revision Commission</a> members seemed split this morning over whether the commission could thoroughly vet the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20100308/203/3204">more serious issues scheduled for review</a> and still get them on the November ballot.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/charter/html/commissioners/commissioners.shtml">commission</a> approved a resolution today outlining five issue areas to explore and scheduled public hearings and expert panels on those specific topics for May and June. The issues include term limits, voter participation (including <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/governing/20030122/17/196">nonpartisan elections</a>), land use (especially the <a href="http://www.archpaper.com/e-board_rev.asp?News_ID=4453">ULURP process</a>), balance of powers (including the roles of <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/communitydevelopment/20090608/20/2936">community boards,</a> the borough presidents and the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/fea/20091109/202/3093">City Council</a>) and fiscal responsibility.  </p>
<p>Just before approving the resolution, the <a href="http://www.fordham.edu/student_affairs/inside_fordham/inside_fordham_archi/february_2003/news/father_mcshane_named_17174.asp">Rev. Joseph M. McShane</a> proposed an amendment to require the commission to <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/03/19/commissions-first-meeting-with-cheesecake/">revisit its timeline</a> before proposing anything for November&#8217;s ballot. To get anything on the ballot this fall, the commission would have to solidify its proposals by September. </p>
<p>Commission <a href="http://www.nycfuture.org/content/articles/article_view.cfm?article_id=1180">Chair Matthew Goldstein</a> rejected McShane&#8217;s amendment, saying it was already &#8220;embedded&#8221; in the document. The commission, Goldstein said, will have a deliberative process. </p>
<p>After the meeting, Goldstein told reporters, &#8220;I&#8217;ve always said that this year was a much better opportunity, because there will be more and more active participation because we&#8217;re going to have statewide elections. If I wanted to bring something or we wanted to bring something, it would make a lot of sense not to lose that opportunity. The opportunity cost would be higher.&#8221;<br />
<span id="more-7411"></span></p>
<p>Given the depth of the issues the commission is exploring and the fact that many of its hearings will be held over the sleepier summer months, some wonder whether the commission can adequately review every facet of an issue before the September deadline. </p>
<p>&#8220;If it&#8217;s something small enough to fully work through than it&#8217;s fine,&#8221; said <a href="http://www.rpa.org/staff/hope-cohen.html">Commissioner Hope Cohen</a>, also the associate director of the Center for Urban Innovation at the Regional Plan Association. But, she added, &#8220;we are researching and exploring very far reaching issues.&#8221;</p>
<p>Once a commission puts anything on the ballot and it goes to the voters, the body automatically disbands, Cohen said. If this commission were to look at issues piecemeal over two election seasons, the mayor would have to recall and name the commission all over again. </p>
<p>When asked if she was confident that every issue would be reviewed thoroughly before going to the voters, Cohen said definitively, &#8220;Yes.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>Liu Takes on the EDC, Again</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/04/28/liu-takes-on-the-edc-again/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/04/28/liu-takes-on-the-edc-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Apr 2010 19:17:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Eye Opener]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work and Labor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[audit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economic development corp]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Liu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new york city]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[times square]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=7304</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Comptroller John Liu took another swipe at the city&#8217;s Economic Development Corp. today, accusing the agency of hoarding away $125 million in profits from so-called public deals. 
In an audit released this morning, the comptroller alleges the corporation collected funds from the sale of city assets and lease payments and held onto the cash for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.comptroller.nyc.gov/">Comptroller John Liu</a> took another swipe at the city&#8217;s <a href="http://www.nycedc.com/PressRoom/Pages/PressRoom.aspx">Economic Development Corp.</a> today, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/nyregion/28audit.html?ref=nyregion">accusing</a> the agency of hoarding away $125 million in profits from so-called public deals. </p>
<p>In an <a href="http://comptroller.nyc.gov/bureaus/audit/audits_2010/04-27-10_FN09-104A.shtm.">audit</a> released this morning, the comptroller alleges the corporation collected funds from the sale of city assets and lease payments and held onto the cash for its own purposes. </p>
<p>Officials at EDC say its well within their rights to collect and keep the funding &#8212; and they have an opinion from the city&#8217;s Law Department (seen below) to prove it. </p>
<p>&#8220;There are plenty of questions and even concern about what exactly the EDC does, as it deals with substantial amounts of City funds and publicly subsidized economic development,&#8221; Liu said in a prepared statement. &#8220;This episode only accentuates the need to reign in the EDC.&#8221;</p>
<p> This is not the first time the comptroller has gone after the EDC in his relatively short tenure. He has established a task force to look into the distribution of public subsides &#8212; including deals at the IDA (which we report on extensively <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20100413/203/3240">here</a>) &#8212; as well as <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/realestate/commercial/28cba.html">community benefit agreements.</a><br />
<span id="more-7304"></span><br />
In his latest criticism, the comptroller&#8217;s office contends that the corporation inconsistency deals with the sale of city assets and does not verify certain subsidized tax payments to make sure the company is paying enough. The audit says the corporation does not <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20100413/203/3241">double-check job figures from companies</a> that receive public subsidies and it improperly calculates its energy discounts. </p>
<p>In the audit, the comptroller urges the EDC to reform its practices and give the cash back. </p>
<p>EDC, on the other hand, says its within its city contract, which has been signed by the comptroller for nearly two decades, to hold onto the $125 million, which goes toward the agency&#8217;s operation. The vast majority of that figure is from lease payments for a project in Times Square collected over many years. </p>
<p>&#8220;On an annual basis, NYCEDC returns to the City far more than the average amounts the Comptroller’s Office improperly identified, helping to pay for vital services and keep taxes down,&#8221; according to the agency&#8217;s rebuttal. &#8220;In fact, during the same period examined by the Comptroller’s Office, NYCEDC has remitted more than $400 million to the City.&#8221; </p>
<p>For more on the back and forth, see the documents below.</p>
<p><a title="View Audit Responses - Press 2-Pager-final on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/30652915/Audit-Responses-Press-2-Pager-final" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Audit Responses &#8211; Press 2-Pager-final</a> <object id="doc_787264011090577" name="doc_787264011090577" height="400" width="70%" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" style="outline:none;" ><param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=30652915&#038;access_key=key-24dgeofwqnntss6w5njg&#038;page=1&#038;viewMode=list"><embed id="doc_787264011090577" name="doc_787264011090577" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=30652915&#038;access_key=key-24dgeofwqnntss6w5njg&#038;page=1&#038;viewMode=list" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="400" width="70%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed></param></object></p>
<p><a title="View 42nd St Memo on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/30652888/42nd-St-Memo" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">42nd St Memo</a> <object id="doc_971483052416972" name="doc_971483052416972" height="400" width="70%" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf" style="outline:none;" ><param name="movie" value="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf"></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><param name="FlashVars" value="document_id=30652888&#038;access_key=key-rjl823yole89amvk1pu&#038;page=1&#038;viewMode=list"><embed id="doc_971483052416972" name="doc_971483052416972" src="http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=30652888&#038;access_key=key-rjl823yole89amvk1pu&#038;page=1&#038;viewMode=list" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="400" width="70%" wmode="opaque" bgcolor="#ffffff"></embed></param></object></p>
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		<title>Rose Plaza Moving</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/04/14/rose-plaza-moving/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/04/14/rose-plaza-moving/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:05:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brooklyn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rose plaza on the river]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Williamsburg]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=7242</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Stop and smell the roses, looks like Rose Plaza is coming to Williamsburg. 
Aaron Short of the Brooklyn Paper has the story here. 
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Stop and smell the roses, looks like Rose Plaza <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/04/13/no-deal-on-rose-plaza-yet/">is coming</a> to Williamsburg. </p>
<p>Aaron Short of the Brooklyn Paper has the story <a href="http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/33/16/33_16_as_rose_final.html">here</a>. </p>
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		<title>Waterfront Plan Kicked Off</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/04/13/waterfront-plan-kicked-off/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/04/13/waterfront-plan-kicked-off/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:10:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Measuring UP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=7227</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
First they went green. Now they&#8217;re going marine. 
Channeling their inner seafarer, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Council Speaker Christine Quinn launched the city&#8217;s &#8220;Vision 2020&#8243; this morning &#8212; a  plan to create a blueprint for the city&#8217;s 500 miles of waterfront for the next decade. 
The plan is part of an initiative Quinn announced [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/waterfront2.jpg"><img src="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/waterfront2.jpg" alt="waterfront2" title="waterfront2" width="400" height="266" class="alignright size-full wp-image-7233" /></a></p>
<p>First they went green. Now they&#8217;re going marine. </p>
<p>Channeling their inner seafarer, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Council Speaker Christine Quinn <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.c0935b9a57bb4ef3daf2f1c701c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=mayor_press_release&#038;catID=1194&#038;doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fom%2Fhtml%2F2010a%2Fpr155-10.html&#038;cc=unused1978&#038;rc=1194&#038;ndi=1">launched</a> the city&#8217;s &#8220;Vision 2020&#8243; this morning &#8212; a  plan to create a blueprint for the city&#8217;s 500 miles of waterfront for the next decade. </p>
<p>The plan is part of an initiative Quinn announced in <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2008/07/26/2008-07-26_city_council_speaker_christine_quinn_wan.html">2008 to hone in on</a> the city&#8217;s shoreline. </p>
<p>“Before the Brooklyn Bridge, before Robert Moses, and before Fiorello La Guardia, New York City’s waterfronts were integral to its bustling blue highways,” said Quinn in a prepared statement. “Hundreds of years later, we are standing on these same shores, launching a long-term collaborative initiative to reclaim our waterfronts and bring them into the 21st century. The City Council is proud to have passed the visionary legislation that requires City government to come up with an effective and responsible waterfronts plan, not once, but every ten years. Through this law, we will never turn our backs on our city’s 578 miles of waterfront.”<br />
<span id="more-7227"></span><br />
The council passed <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20081014/203/2675">legislation in 2008</a> requiring the city draft a plan for its waterfront and update it every decade. At the time officials said the requirement would ensure the city would appropriately make use of its shoreline both recreationally and sustainably. </p>
<p>The mayor joined the speaker this morning in the Bronx to tout the city&#8217;s new plan. The final version of the planning document has to be completed by December 31. </p>
<p>For more on the plan, go <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/cwp/index.shtml">here</a>. </p>
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		<title>A Regional Market at South Street Seaport</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/03/18/a-regional-market-at-south-street-seaport/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/03/18/a-regional-market-at-south-street-seaport/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:10:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bankruptcy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christine Quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[economic development corporation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[general growth properties]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seth pinksy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[south street seaport]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[willets point]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=7007</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Photo (cc) 2006 David Reeves
Is the New York City Economic Development Corp. open to Council Speaker Christine Quinn&#8217;s proposal to create a regional market at the South Street Seaport?
Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky thinks so. 
&#8220;We definitely agree that a regional market is a good use for the South Street Seaport,&#8221; Pinsky said this afternoon [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/seaport2.jpg"><img src="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/seaport2.jpg" alt="seaport" title="seaport" width="400" height="302" class="alignright size-full wp-image-7014" /></a>
<div class="photocredit">Photo (cc) 2006 David Reeves</div>
<p>Is the New York City Economic Development Corp. open to Council Speaker Christine Quinn&#8217;s <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20100219/203/3189">proposal</a> to create a regional market at the South Street Seaport?</p>
<p>Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky thinks so. </p>
<p>&#8220;We definitely agree that a regional market is a good use for the South Street Seaport,&#8221; Pinsky said this afternoon at a City Council budget hearing.</p>
<p>The corporation and seaport owner, <a href="http://www.ggp.com/ggpintro.aspx">General Growth Properties</a>, had been working on a <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/06/18/south_street_seaport_redevelopment.php">redevelopment plan</a> for the downtown shopping area for several years. That plan included a specialty food market.</p>
<p>But when Properties filed for bankruptcy in April of 2009 &#8212; predominantly an effect of the real estate bust &#8212; the redevelopment proposal was abruptly put on hold.</p>
<p>Now that General Growth Properties appears to be <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703954904575110102914237396.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">emerging from bankruptcy</a>, Pinksy expects the project to move forward. A hearing on the developer&#8217;s exit from bankruptcy will be <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1823890720100318">later this spring</a>.<br />
<span id="more-7007"></span><br />
In her state of the city this year, Quinn, partnering with the local councilmember, Margaret Chin, suggested creating a permanent regional market at the former site of the Fulton Fish Market near the South Street Seaport. &#8220;Our market would be a destination for residents and tourists of every income. A place to meet friends for shopping, or sit and read over a cup of coffee. A place where kids could see cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, or learn how food gets from the farm to city,&#8221; Quinn said in her address. </p>
<p>Looks like that <a href="http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/22/officials-seek-permanent-market-at-seaport/">plan</a> may become a reality.</p>
<p>Also this morning, Pinsky said the city is still negotiating with property owners in Queens so it can move forward with its <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/searchlight/20081117/203/2762">Willets Point development</a>. Currently, he said, the city has secured 70 percent of the property and is negotiating the relocation of other property owners for the final 30 percent. </p>
<p>Pinksy said the corporation is waiting out the economic downturn to put the project out to bid, which he projected could happen later this year or early 2011. The corporation <a href="http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2009/10/26/return_of_the_megaprojects_willets_point_seeks_developers.php">put out</a> a &#8220;request for qualifications&#8221; &#8212; the precursor to the actual request for proposals &#8212; late last year. They received 29 responses. The city will develop the area piece by piece, starting in the southwest, he added.  </p>
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		<title>Gowanus Named Superfund Site (Update)</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/03/02/gowunus-named-superfund-site/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/03/02/gowunus-named-superfund-site/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:53:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Public Finance]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gowanus canal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[superfund]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=6833</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Bryan Bruchman
In a blow to the Bloomberg administration, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has named the slithering Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn a Superfund site.
The designation would require parties responsible for the canal&#8217;s pollution &#8212; which is sure to include manufacturing companies and oil refineries that have lined the canal&#8217;s shores for decades &#8212; to clean [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gowanus.jpg"><img src="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/gowanus.jpg" alt="gowanus" title="gowanus" width="400" height="252" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6834" /></a>
<div class="photocredit"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/54742819@N00/2376673008/">Bryan Bruchman</a></div>
<p>In a blow to the Bloomberg administration, the federal Environmental Protection Agency has <a href="http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d10ed0d99d826b068525735900400c2a/2c7ef12ad44da9c4852576da00536f0f!OpenDocument">named the slithering Gowanus Canal</a> in Brooklyn a Superfund site.</p>
<p>The designation would require parties responsible for the canal&#8217;s pollution &#8212; which is sure to include manufacturing companies and oil refineries that have lined the canal&#8217;s shores for decades &#8212; to clean it up. This almost always involves court proceedings. That clean up of the 1.8 mile long canal, according to the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/03/nyregion/03gowanus.html?hp">Times</a>, will likely take between 10 to 12 years. </p>
<p>The decision, which has been years in the making, could set aside the Bloomberg administration&#8217;s own plans to clean up the canal, which includes dredging from the Army Corp of Engineers and sewer system upgrades. </p>
<p>“It’s disappointing,&#8221; said Marc LaVorgna, a mayoral spokesperson, in an e-mailed statement. &#8220;We had an innovative and comprehensive approach that was a faster route to a Superfund-level cleanup and would have avoided the issues associated with a Superfund listing. The project will now move on a Superfund timeline, but we are going to work closely with the EPA because we share the same goal – a clean canal. Local residents and businesses raised concerns about the impact of a Superfund designation on their community and we hope that the EPA will work with us to address those concerns as they move forward.”</p>
<p>Supporters of the designation see today&#8217;s decision as a long-awaited victory. </p>
<p>&#8220;After 150 years of abuse and neglect the Gowanus Canal will finally get the comprehensive cleanup that the residents of the area deserve,” stated Josh Verleun, Riverkeeper Attorney &#038; Chief Investigator. “The toxic legacy of coal tar, PCBs, pesticides, and other contamination of the Gowanus can only be cleaned through a comprehensive Superfund cleanup; we are gratified to see the EPA stepping up to this task.” </p>
<p>In addition to the mayor&#8217;s alternate plan, the designation will also likely destroy development plans from <a href="http://www.tollbrothersgowanus.com/">Toll Brothers,</a> who planned to build an approximately 460-unit residential development along the Carroll Gardens side of the canal. The City Council has <a href="http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/10/32_10_mm_toll_bros.html">already approved</a> the rezoning for the project. The developer has said in the past that if the Superfund designation moved forward it would <a href="http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/02/26/brooklyn/doc4b8844401ab85982143371.tx">abandon the project</a> along the canal. Toll Brothers is already <a href="http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/33/8/33_08_ac_toll_brothers.html">reportedly</a> eying another location in DUMBO. </p>
<p>The EPA will be holding a <a href="http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d10ed0d99d826b068525735900400c2a/2c7ef12ad44da9c4852576da00536f0f!OpenDocument">meeting</a> Thursday in Carroll Gardens to discuss the next steps. </p>
<p>For more on the designation, check out <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/environment/20090526/7/2927">these stories we ran last year</a> &#8212; one from <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20090526/255/2926">Toll Brothers</a> and <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20090526/255/2925">one from environmental group, Riverkeeper,</a> who was supportive of the canal&#8217;s designation. </p>
<p>UPDATE: David Von Spreckelsen, a Toll Brothers senior vice president, told Gotham Gazette this afternoon that Toll Brothers will not be &#8220;going forward&#8221; with its project along the Gowanus now that it&#8217;s a Superfund site. </p>
<p>&#8220;Obviously we are very disappointed,&#8221; said Von Spreckelsen. &#8220;We had hoped that the EPA would seriously consider the mayor&#8217;s alternative plan, and obviously they didn’t. At this point, we don’t see the possibility of going forward.&#8221;</p>
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		<title>The City&#039;s Nastiest Neighborhoods</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/01/27/the-citys-nastiest-neighborhoods/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/01/27/the-citys-nastiest-neighborhoods/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:55:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crime & Safety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sanitation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trash]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=6518</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Photo (cc) 2009 Adrian Miles ©

Is your neighborhood spic and span or rife with refuse?
The Bloomberg administration puts most of the city in the former category and hopes to keep it that way despite a budget crunch. Last month, the Mayor&#8217;s Office of Operations reported 97.3 percent of city sidewalks and 96.1 percent of city [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span class="photo_right"><a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/3411174211_05f48c0392_m.jpg"><img src="http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/3411174211_05f48c0392_m.jpg" alt="3411174211_05f48c0392_m" title="3411174211_05f48c0392_m" width="240" height="180" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-6522" /></a>
<div class="photocredit">Photo (cc) 2009 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vidiot/">Adrian Miles ©</a></div>
<p></span></p>
<p>Is your neighborhood spic and span or rife with refuse?</p>
<p>The Bloomberg administration puts most of the city in the former category and hopes to keep it that way despite a budget crunch. Last month, the Mayor&#8217;s Office of Operations <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/ops/html/scorecard/scorecard.shtml">reported</a> 97.3 percent of city <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/ops/downloads/pdf/scorecard/cb_sidewalk_report_december_2009.pdf">sidewalks</a> and 96.1 percent of <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/ops/downloads/pdf/scorecard/cb_street_report_december_2009.pdf">city streets</a> were largely litter free.</p>
<p>But is the city right? <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/">The Huffington Post</a> and <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/">Gotham Gazette</a> want to know how clean you think your neighborhood is. Has the Bloomberg administration wiped noxious grime and garbage from city streets? Or does trash pile up on your street corner? Is your block cleaner or dirtier than other neighborhoods?</p>
<p>Visit The Huffington Post <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/26/do-you-live-in-nycs-dirti_n_437610.html">here</a> to upload photos of your most frightening tales of city trash. Or you can comment below.</p>
<p>And check back later next week to see whether your block is a refuge for neat freaks or still grapples with garbage.</p>
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		<title>Musical Chairs</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/01/19/musical-chairs/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2010/01/19/musical-chairs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:32:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Electoral Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Governing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigrants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Law]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Measuring UP]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[department]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mayor Michael Bloomberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seat swapping]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=6334</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As promised, today starts the seat swapping in the Bloomberg administration.
For the next three weeks, first deputy commissioners will be assigned to another agency in the hopes of breaking down bureaucratic barriers. The idea was integral to the mayor&#8217;s inauguration address on New Year&#8217;s Day. Some assignments have been done with specific policy proposals in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As promised, today starts the seat swapping in the Bloomberg administration.</p>
<p>For the next three weeks, first deputy commissioners will be assigned to another agency in the hopes of breaking down bureaucratic barriers. The idea was integral to the mayor&#8217;s <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/iotw/20100104/200/3140">inauguration address</a> on New Year&#8217;s Day. Some assignments have been done with specific policy proposals in mind, such as the swap between Department of Consumer Affairs and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, who are tasked with <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/communitydevelopment/20091130/20/3111">focusing on foreclosure prevention</a>. </p>
<p>Here are the <a href="http://nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.c0935b9a57bb4ef3daf2f1c701c789a0/index.jsp?pageID=mayor_press_release&#038;catID=1194&#038;doc_name=http%3A%2F%2Fnyc.gov%2Fhtml%2Fom%2Fhtml%2F2010a%2Fpr025-10.html&#038;cc=unused1978&#038;rc=1194&#038;ndi=1">assignments</a>: </p>
<p>Administration for Children&#8217;s Services (ACS) &#8212; DOE<br />
Administrative Justice Coordinator (AJC)  &#8212; CCPC<br />
Business Integrity Commission (BIC) &#8212; DSNY<br />
Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) &#8211;CUNY<br />
City University of New York (CUNY) &#8212; CEO<br />
Citywide Events Coordination and Management (CECM) &#8212; NYC &#038; Co<br />
Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) &#8212; CHR<br />
Commission for the United Nations Consular Corps and Protocol (UN) &#8212; MOIA<br />
Commission on Human Rights (CHR) &#8212; CCRB<br />
Commission on Women&#8217;s Issues (CWI) &#8212; MOCDV<br />
Commission to Combat Police Corruption (CCPC) &#8212; AJC<br />
Community Affairs Unit (CAU) &#8212; CECM<br />
Criminal Justice Coordinator (CJC)&#8211; Law<br />
Department for the Aging (DFTA) &#8212; MOPD<br />
Department of Buildings (DOB) &#8212; NYCHA<br />
Department of City Planning (DCP) &#8212; HDC<br />
Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) &#8212; SCA<br />
Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) &#8212; HPD<br />
Department of Corrections (DOC) &#8212; DHS<br />
Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) &#8212; EDC<br />
Department of Design and Construction (DDC) &#8212; DCLA<br />
Department of Education (DOE) &#8212; Parks<br />
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) &#8212; DOF<br />
Department of Finance (DOF) &#8212; MOO<br />
Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DoHMH) &#8212; DOC<br />
Department of Homeless Services (DHS) &#8212; HHC<br />
Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) &#8212; DCA<br />
Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) &#8212; MOFTB<br />
Department of Investigation (DOI) &#8212; MOCS<br />
Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks) &#8212; DEP<br />
Department of Probation (DOP) &#8212; ACS<br />
Department of Sanitation (DSNY) &#8212; BIC<br />
Department of Small Business Services (SBS) &#8212; HRA<br />
Department of Transportation (DOT) &#8212; DDC<br />
Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) &#8212; DOP<br />
Design Commission (Design) &#8212; DOT<br />
Economic Development Corporation (EDC) &#8212; SBS<br />
Fire Department* (FDNY) &#8212; NYPD*<br />
Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) &#8212; CAU<br />
Housing Development Corporation (HDC) &#8212; LPC<br />
Human Resources Administration (HRA) &#8212; DoHMH<br />
Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) &#8212; DOB<br />
Law Department (Law) &#8212; DOI<br />
Mayor&#8217;s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) &#8212; DFTA<br />
Mayor&#8217;s Office of Contract Services (MOCS) &#8212; CJC<br />
Mayor&#8217;s Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting (MOFTB) &#8212; DoITT<br />
Mayor&#8217;s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) &#8212; UN<br />
Mayor&#8217;s Office of Operations (MOO) &#8212; DCAS<br />
Mayor&#8217;s Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA) &#8212; CWI<br />
Mayor&#8217;s Office to Combat Domestic Violence (MOCDV)  &#8212; MOVA<br />
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) &#8212; DCP<br />
NYC &#038; Company (NYC &#038; Co) &#8212; DYCD<br />
Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH)  &#8212; TLC<br />
Office of Emergency Management* (OEM)  &#8212; FDNY*<br />
Office of Labor Relations* (OLR) &#8212; OMB*<br />
Office of Management and Budget* (OMB) &#8212; OLR*<br />
Police Department* (NYPD) &#8212; OEM*<br />
School Construction Authority (SCA)  &#8212; Design<br />
Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) &#8212; OATH</p>
<p>Those with an asterisk are participating in the second phase of the program starting February 1.</p>
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		<title>Newtown Creek, Here Comes the EPA</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/09/24/newtown-creek-here-comes-the-epa/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/09/24/newtown-creek-here-comes-the-epa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:09:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Courtney Gross</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[City Hall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Housing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nextNY]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=5367</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Six months after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency started exploring a Superfund designation for Brooklyn&#8217;s Gowanus Canal, they have launched a second investigation into Newtown Creek. 
Today the agency announced it has nominated the creek for the controversial Superfund title, which will kick off a series of public hearings and discussion on the drawbacks and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Six months after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency started exploring a <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/iotw/20090526/200/2927">Superfund designation</a> for Brooklyn&#8217;s Gowanus Canal, they have <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/epa_recommends_superfund_for_newtown_D7qQwZpOI5i34tuuVWdvCM">launched</a> a second investigation into <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/sustainabilitywatch/20090526/210/2924">Newtown Creek</a>. </p>
<p>Today the agency announced it has nominated the creek for the controversial Superfund title, which will kick off a series of public hearings and discussion on the drawbacks and the benefits of being named a Superfund site. Already, several representatives of the area support the designation, including Reps. Anthony D. Weiner and Nydia Velázquez. </p>
<p><em>We covered the story of Newtown Creek (and other<a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/iotw/20090526/200/2927"> potential superfund sites</a>) <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/sustainabilitywatch/20090526/210/2924">here</a>. </em></p>
<p>In a prepared statement, Weiner said, &#8220;“I am pleased to see that while the oil companies lag in their cleanup responsibilities and put the health and safety of Newtown Creek&#8217;s residents at further risk, the EPA has decide to take action and hold these companies responsible for their negligence. Newton Creek is the single most polluted waterway in New York City, a legacy left by more than a century of heavy industrial activity.”</p>
<p>Just approximately 5 miles north of the Gowanus, Newtown Creek is the site of the country&#8217;s largest coastal oil spill, dating back to the 1950s when the site was the home of a refinery operation by Standard Oil &#8212; Exxon Mobil&#8217;s predecessor. Still, oil companies line its shores and putrid stenches typically overpower the adjacent neighborhood of Greenpoint. </p>
<p>When a site is designated as a superfund, the federal government officially takes over the cleanup of the area. They hunt down the responsible parties (in this case most likely oil companies) and make them pay for the entire cleanup. Most often, this means years of lawsuits.<br />
<span id="more-5367"></span><br />
Which is why the designation is so controversial. In the Gowanus, <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20090526/255/2926">local developers</a> are looking to build condominiums along its polluted shoreways, so they have committed to cleaning up the canal sans Superfund. In that case, the Bloomberg administration is against the designation, while <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20090526/255/2925">many local advocates</a> and residents are for it. </p>
<p>It is unlikely that Newtown Creek will be as controversial, because the area is not being eyed by the Bloomberg administration for development. </p>
<p>When we reported on <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/article//20090526/255/2924">the creek in May</a>, a Bloomberg administration spokesperson said, &#8220;The city hasn&#8217;t yet taken a position on the potential Superfund designation of Newtown Creek. We’re doing internal analysis now and plan to meet with the EPA next month before expressing any view. The city plans to invest nearly $1.9 billion in Newtown Creek related projects over the next decade.&#8221; </p>
<p>For years advocates have been urging government officials to do more. First in the 1990s, the state and the oil companies came to an agreement that would eventually lead to the cleanup of the oil spill. Advocates today question whether that agreement will really complete the job. </p>
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		<title>The Manhattan Project&#039;s Legacy on Staten Island</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/06/04/the-manhattan-projects-legacy-on-staten-island/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/06/04/the-manhattan-projects-legacy-on-staten-island/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:28:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Albany]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gotham City]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contamination]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kill Van Kull]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[North Shore]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/06/04/the-manhattan-projects-legacy-on-staten-island/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(This post was reported and written  by Melissa Checker.)
Last week, I  reported on the &#8220;toxic stew&#8221; surrounding Staten Island’s North Shore. (For that article, go here.) That story was scary enough, but information obtained over the past week reveals that the scenario is actually much worse than initially reported. U.S.  Environmental Protection [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><i>(This post was reported and written  by Melissa Checker.)</i></p>
<p>Last week, I  reported on the &#8220;toxic stew&#8221; surrounding Staten Island’s North Shore. (For that article, go <a href="http://gothamgazette.com/article//20090526/255/2923">here</a>.) That story was scary enough, but information obtained over the past week reveals that the scenario is actually much worse than initially reported. U.S. <a href="http://www.epa.gov/"> Environmental Protection Agency</a> document reveal that a former warehouse on the North Shore played a significant part in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manhattan_Project"> Manhattan Project</a> &#8212; a role that went terribly awry, leaving levels of radium and uranium contamination nearly 10 times higher than allowable standards in some places.</p>
<p>Click here for the full story.<br />
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<p>The 4 to 4.5 acre site sits on shore of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kill_van_Kull>Kill Van Kull</a>, just east of the Bayonne Bridge. Its proximity to the water places the site well within a 100-year floodplain. Although the warehouse no longer stands, according to draft letters obtained by reporters, the Environmental Protection Agency believes that debris from its demolition, which may also be highly contaminated, might have been used as fill material along the northern and western boundaries of the site. A short distance away is Richmond Terrace, the main road that traverses the North Shore and divides its residential communities from waterfront industries.</p>
<p>All that remains on the contaminated area, currently owned by <a href="http://www.dolantrans.com/"> Dolan Transportation Services</a>, is a deteriorating paved parking lot and storage area for trucks and other large vehicles. The site is surrounded by an eight-foot high chain link fence on the three sides that do not border the Kill Van Kull. Yet, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, &#8220;ardent&#8221; trespassers, boaters on the shipping channel and site workers could potentially access the site. Today, the only warning signs around it are “No trespassing” signs posted on the fence. “I call [the site] ‘You too can glow in the dark,&#8217;&#8221; said Dee Vanderberg of the <a href="http://www.americantowns.com/ny/statenisland/organization/si_taxpayers__association_inc">Staten Island Taxpayers Association</a>.  </p>
<p><b>Staten Island’s Manhattan Project</b><br />
From 1939 to 1942, <a href="http://www.adm.com/en-US/Pages/default.aspx"> Archer Daniels Midlands Co.</a> agreed to use a portion of their linseed oil manufacturing property on Staten Island to store 1,200 tons of high-grade uranium ore mined in what was then the Belgian Congo. The uranium, purchased from <a href="http://www.africanmetals.com/st/index.html"> African Metals Corp.</a>, was to be used in building the atomic bomb. However, at some point (either during initial delivery or eventual shipment), uranium spilled on the waterfront property.</p>
<p>In 1980, the U.S. <a href="http://www.energy.gov/"> Department of Energy</a> conducted a limited, surface-level survey of the area and identified a 20-by-40 meter area that was radiologically contaminated. However, in 1986 they determined the site was ineligible for their <a href="http://www.ead.anl.gov/project/dsp_fsdetail.cfm?id=61"> Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program</a>. Because the energy department never owned the uranium, the agency determined that is has no authority for the contamination.</p>
<p><b>Assessing the Dangers</b><br />
Twelve years later, in 1992, the New York State <a href="http://www.dec.ny.gov/"> Department of Environmental Conservation</a> conducted another assessment, this time of subsurface soil. It found the soil below the surface was far more radioactive than the surface samples studied by the energy department. Yet for reasons as yet unknown, no action was taken.</p>
<p>In February 2008 at the request of local citizens, the state asked the Environmental Protection Agency to re-evaluate contamination at the Richmond Terrace site. On Feb. 20, 2008, the federal and state environmental agencies and the New York City health department conducted a joint assessment of the site, which revealed levels of contamination approximately two orders of magnitude greater than the levels initially reported in 1980.</p>
<p>Because the site is also located within a 100-year flood plain, the Environmental Protection Agency believes that, in the event of a flood, there would be &#8220;a high tendency&#8221; for the material to migrate into the adjacent Kill Van Kull and Newark Bay. Moreover, the agency&#8217;s report states that although the area is currently fenced, trespassers coming either by land or water and site workers could &#8220;receive an unacceptable cancer risk under a conservative hypothetical risk assessment scenario.&#8221; </p>
<p>The analysis is frightening enough, but the severe weather and increased flooding brought on by climate change makes it that much more terrifying.</p>
<p>Early this year, the Environmental Protection Agency sent a letter to the energy department requesting that it reconsider the property for inclusion under its remedial action program. It also recommended that the energy department do another search for a responsible party – at this point, that would be either African Metals Corp. or Archer Daniels Midland. Finally, the agency stated that if the first two recommendations did not come to fruition, it would consider taking at least a limited action to further protect public health concerns at the site.</p>
<p>As of today &#8212; June 4, 2009 &#8212; North Shore residents are still waiting for answers.</p>
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		<title>Coney Island Rollercoaster</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/20/coney-island-rollercoaster/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/20/coney-island-rollercoaster/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:29:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Gail Robinson</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Community Development]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coney Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[development]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/20/coney-island-rollercoaster/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The city&#8217;s  plan for Coney Island has not even been officially released yet &#8212; that&#8217;s to  take place this afternoon &#8212; but opposition is already building. 
A message on Coney Island.com says, &#8220;This process will determine whether Coney Island remains an amusement park or if it will become another shopping mall filled with [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The city&#8217;s <a href="http://nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/coney_island/coneyisland3.shtml"> plan for Coney Island</a> has not even been officially released yet &#8212; that&#8217;s to <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/luproc/calbeg.shtml#rs"> take place this afternoon</a> &#8212; but opposition is already building. </p>
<p>A <a href=http://www.coneyisland.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?num=1232396592>message on Coney Island.com</a> says, &#8220;This process will determine whether Coney Island remains an amusement park or if it will become another shopping mall filled with retail, high rise buildings and hotels.&#8221; The message urges New Yorkers to make their preference known by showing up at today&#8217;s presentation. &#8221; We want to put the city on notice that people are paying attention, and that we won&#8217;t let their plan be pushed through the zoning process without opposition,&#8221; the message says.</p>
<p>The Brooklyn Paper <a href="http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/3/32_3_mm_coney_break.html">notes that Coney Island&#8217;s principal landowner, Joe Sitt of </a><a href="http://www.thorequities.com/">Thor Equities</a>, opposes the city plan.  And Dick Zigun of <a href="http://www.coneyisland.com/about.shtml"> Coney Island USA</a>, complained, the city is &#8221; not doing what they could do to preserve truly historic structures.” </p>
<p>Today&#8217;s release sets off a lengthy approval process. Next stop, the local community board.</p>
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		<title>Brooklyn Community Board Removal Explained</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/15/brooklyn-community-board-firing-explained/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2009/01/15/brooklyn-community-board-firing-explained/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:21:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Muller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brooklyn cb1]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brooklyn community board 1]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brooklyn greenway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kent ave bike lane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teresa toro]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vincent abate]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=2337</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The ongoing saga over a bicycle lane in Williamsburg has included scantly clad women, bike clowns, and fake street signs. But the energy at the local community board&#8217;s Tuesday hearing was the result of outrage over the removal of Teresa Toro as chair of the board&#8217;s transportation committee. Although there was speculation over the reason [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The ongoing <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/nyregion/04lanes.html" target="_blank">saga</a> over a bicycle lane in Williamsburg has included <a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/09122008/news/regionalnews/hasid_lust_cause_128750.htm" target="_blank">scantly clad women</a>, <a href="http://curbed.com/archives/2008/12/17/freakin_bike_clowns_do_williamsburg.php" target="_blank">bike clowns</a>, and <a href="http://gothamist.com/2008/12/30/bike_lane_sagas_phony_detour_sign_o.php" target="_blank">fake street signs</a>. But the energy at the local community board&#8217;s Tuesday hearing was the result of outrage over the removal of Teresa Toro as chair of the board&#8217;s transportation committee. Although there was speculation over the reason for her dismissal, the board&#8217;s chair, Vincent Abate, had previously refused to elaborate on why. </p>
<p>Last night he <a href="http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/32/2/32_2_bm_toro.html" target="_blank">revealed</a> that Toro was deposed because of a correction she requested from a local paper, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. She clarified to the paper that a letter from Abate expressing his personal opinion was interpreted as the opinion of the whole board. The letter, which was sent on the board&#8217;s letterhead and was also signed by District Manager Gerald Esposito, was sent to the Department of Transportation and it asked them to reconsider the bike lane. </p>
<p>The correction request lead to a contentious back and forth between Toro and other board members and ultimately resulted in her firing. The email exchange, which was <a href="http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=27&#038;id=25776" target="_blank">accidentally forwarded</a> to the Eagle, was between those who were upset by her &#8220;going to the press,&#8221; and those who supported her.</p>
<p>At the hearing, a motion was made by board members to reinstate Toro but was denied, <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/01/14/a_tense_first_meeting_for_cb1.php" target="_blank">according</a> to Gothamist. Abate refused to say whether he would place her back in the chair, saying &#8220;Don&#8217;t worry about it.&#8221;</p>
<p>About <a href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2009/01/14/cyclist-turnout-impressive-at-cb1-meeting-on-kent-ave-bike-lane/" target="_blank">150 people showed</a> up to the sometimes sleepy hearing, according to Streetsblog.</p>
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		<title>Green Roofs, Walls, and the Sewers</title>
		<link>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/08/13/green-roofs-walls-and-sewers/</link>
		<comments>http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/2008/08/13/green-roofs-walls-and-sewers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 2008 20:03:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mike Muller</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Land Use]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Parks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Waterfront]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green roof]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green roofs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green wall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green walls]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.gothamgazette.com/blogs/wonkster/?p=1979</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Advocates concerned about sewage overflowing into the city&#8217;s waterways are pleased with the new state law passed last week incentivising green roofs. Green roofs consist of vegetation and soil which absorb rain water, keeping it from overburdening the sewer system &#8211; among other benefits such as energy conservation and a reduction in the urban heat [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Advocates concerned about sewage overflowing into the city&#8217;s waterways are pleased with the new state law <a href="http://www.ny.gov/governor/press/press_0808083.html" blank="_target">passed</a> last week incentivising green roofs. Green roofs consist of vegetation and soil which absorb rain water, keeping it from overburdening the sewer system &#8211; among other benefits such as energy conservation and a reduction in the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/news/topstory/2005/nyc_heatisland.html" blank="_target">urban heat island</a> effect. The <a href="http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A11226" blank="_target">law</a> grants a tax abatement of up to $100,000 a year for certain buildings in the city that install such roofs. </p>
<p>&#8220;Each 10,000 square foot green roof can capture between 6,000 and 12,000 gallons of water in each storm event,&#8221; <a href="http://swimmablenyc.info/?p=89" blank="_target">said</a> Paul Mankiewicz, Gaia Institute executive director. &#8220;This is rainfall that will never enter the combined sewer.&#8221;</p>
<p>Some city agencies are already getting into the act. The Parks Department has started a <a href="http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_newsroom/daily_plants/daily_plant_main.php?id=21342" blank="_target">pilot green roof project</a> that has 12 systems, each of which has a different growing medium, plant type, or installation model. </p>
<p>So what&#8217;s next?<br />
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<p>On the technology side, the Green Brooklyn blog <a href="http://greenbrooklyn.com/green-buildings-new-york-wrap-up-developers-homeowners-contractors-this-ones-for-you/2008/06/23/" blank="_target">says</a> that &#8220;green walls&#8221; were one of the next big things at the recent green building conference, held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. One yoga studio on the Upper East Side has<a href="http://afinecompany.blogspot.com/2008/08/green-gone-wild-living-wall-graces-86th.html" blank="_target"> already installed one</a>.</p>
<p>One the policy front, the Water Watch blog <a href="http://waterwatchnyc.wordpress.com/2008/07/14/green-roof-blue-roof/" blank="_target">proposes</a> requiring buildings applying for sewer permits prove that the site will retain enough rain water to avoid overburdening local sewer infrastructure. </p>
<p>&#8220;The field of study is too new for the city to mandate a specific solution that applies across the board,&#8221; it says. </p>
<p>For a look at some of the green roofs around the city, check out this recent Business Week video via the <a href="http://www.bronxriver.org/" blank="_target">Bronx River Alliance</a>.</p>
<p><center><iframe src='http://feedroom.businessweek.com/linking/index.jsp?skin=oneclip&#038;fr_story=39568b0716d9b6f6d9b16640f51b1b3edb9f2491&#038;rf=ev&#038;hl=true' width=302 height=263 scrolling='no' frameborder=0 marginwidth=0 marginheight=0></iframe></center></p>
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