Carroll Gardens Gets Its Due

One of the better pieces of news in recent weeks has been that Carroll Gardens is on its way to get the downsizing rezoning its been asking for for years. In the early 2000's, the brownstone Brooklyn neighborhood became an easy target for avaricious developers, because it lacked the zoning protections and large historic districts enjoyed by nearby nabes like Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and Park Slope. Community flouting slobs like Billy Stein, Robert Scarano and the Clarett Group were throwing up any sort of crap they pleased.

Amanda Burden and the Department of City Planning kept telling residents it would take years and years to address the matter. But the wheel of CG's many activist community groups (God bless 'em) never stopped squeaking, and, lo and behold, the Department of City Planning recently announced the beginning of the public review period (known as ULURP) for a more Carroll Gardens rezoning. Thrown into the bargain is the area west of the BQE surrounding Columbia Street. The new rules will instate certain height and density limitations for future building in the area.

The good news brought with it one of the best laughs I've had in days. Said Burden, “Today we are fulfilling that promise as well as furthering Mayor Bloomberg’s strategy to protect the city’s low-scale neighborhoods by bringing zoning protections to these unique areas."

I think she was actually serious.