Two community groups filed challenge eight months after DOT constructed bike lane. Beginning in April 2009, the Department of Transportation held a series of meetings with Brooklyn Community Board 6 regarding the proposed construction of a bike lane along a portion of Prospect Park West in Park Slope, Brooklyn. DOT planned to reduce the traffic lanes along Prospect Park West from three to two in order to install the two-way bike lane. CB 6 conditionally approved the bike lane proposal in July 2009. DOT constructed the bike lane during June and July of 2010.

After its installation, DOT made minor modifications to the bike lane and announced that it would monitor the bike lane and review traffic and safety issues over a six-month study period. In January 2011, DOT released the results of its traffic and safety study and found the bike lane to be a “resounding success.”

In March 2011, a group including Seniors for Safety and the Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes, filed an article 78 petition challenging DOT’s construction and implementation of the bike lane. The group claimed that DOT characterized the bike lane as a trial project and only intended to make it permanent after the completion of the traffic and safety study. In support, the group submitted an affidavit from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz claiming that during a meeting with DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, the commissioner stated that the bike lane would be installed on a trial basis and finalized based on data collected during a trial phase. The group also claimed that DOT’s study actually demonstrated that the bike lane was a failure because it created dangerous conditions for pedestrians and vehicles. In addition, the group claimed that DOT did not provide a complete response to a request for documents under the City’s freedom of information law.  (more…)

Developer wanted to build three additional townhouses after discovering concrete bunkers during construction of as-of-right development. 25 Garfield Sparta LLC applied to BSA for a variance to build three townhouses on a through-block lot at 580 Carroll Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn. In 2007, the developer obtained permits to build an Enrique Norten-designed five-story condominium at the site that would front Garfield Place, provide open space along Carroll Street, and include nine underground parking spaces.

During construction, Garfield Sparta discovered below-grade concrete bunkers on the Carroll Street-side of the lot that were related to the site’s former use as a Brooklyn Edison substation. In order to compensate for the costs associated with removing the bunkers, the developer proposed building three four-story townhouses on the portion of the lot set aside for open space. Garfield Sparta needed a variance because the proposal exceeded the maximum floor area, maximum lot coverage, and violated minimum rear-yard depth. (more…)

Comm. Board’s transportation committee opposes initial plan. The Department of Transportation proposed a plan to Brooklyn Community Board 6 to change 6th and 7th Avenues in Park Slope to one-way traffic and reduce the number of lanes on 4th Avenue.

On March 15, 2007, DOT presented the proposals to Board 6’s Transportation Committee. DOT proposed to turn 6th Avenue between 23rd Street and Atlantic Avenue into a northbound one-way avenue, and 7th Avenue between Flatbush and Prospect Avenues into a southbound one-way avenue. DOT said the changes would reduce traffic conflicts, create predictable traffic patterns, remove left-turning conflicts and potentially reduce head-on collisions. Overall, the plan would improve automobile and pedestrian safety. The changes to 4th Avenue would affect the stretch between Dean and 17th Streets, reducing the number of moving lanes from three to two, and adding left-turn lanes. DOT explained that it would follow the full board’s final recommendation. (more…)

Architect’s rendering of the Pavilion Theater development. Image credit: Morris Adjmi Architects

Proposal would demolish one-story commercial building to construct five-story-plus-penthouse apartment building, and build a contemporary addition onto 1920s theater. On April 18, 2015, Landmarks considered a proposal to demolish a one-story 1920s commercial building, construct a new apartment building, and alter and build an addition to a 1920s theater at 187-191 Prospect Park West in the Park Slope Historic District Extension. The theater building, at the corner of 14th Street, faces Prospect Park, as would the new apartment building, but with a longer curved facade on Bartel Pritchard Circle. The site’s developers are Hidrock Properties.

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Ikea to build a 346,000-square-foot waterfront store in Red Hook. The City Planning Commission approved an application by Ikea Property, Inc., for the development of a 346,000-square-foot furniture store and three ancillary buildings on a 22-acre site along the Red Hook, Brooklyn waterfront. The store, Ikea’s first in New York City, will be its largest store in the United States. The Commission also approved 70,000 sq.ft. of retail and restaurant space and a 6.3-acre public esplanade/bikeway.

Red Hook is primarily zoned M3-1 for heavy manufacturing. Recently, the neighborhood has begun a slow revitalization with the opening of the Community Justice Center in 2000 and with increasing private renovations to its residential and neighborhood retail buildings. (more…)