The land use committee of Brooklyn's Community Board 6 was not impressed with the Lightstone Group's plan for the old canal-front Toll Brothers site on Bond Street. For several reasons, the committee voted against the proposal, which altered the Toll Brothers plans to include 700 rental units instead of 447 condos. Lightstone reps said the sprawling building would be capped at 12 stories, 20 percent of the units would be affordable, and there would be a public waterfront esplanade. They also said the building would have "a neutral impact on the environment," and they would install a new bulkhead in the toxic canal, new storm sewers, and green roofs. Lightstone made it clear that they would be cleaning the land and contaminants that are likely there.
DNAinfo reports that the committee requested that the building be capped at 8 stories, and they asked that Lightstone obtain a new Environmental Impact Study. More than 100 residents showed up to the meeting, according to the Brooklyn Paper, and many said the development would overcrowd the neighborhood and strain the sewer system. Others praised it for bringing affordable housing. The full CB6 will vote on the proposal next month.
A representative from Lightstone sent over the following details about the developer's plans to clean the site:
Lightstone is going to comprehensively clean the property to the highest standards of environmental purity, ridding it of all toxic substances. Lightstone's work in this regard will be reviewed and approved by NYC Department of Environmental Protection, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation. EPA itself has already expressed vigorous, public support for Lightstone's plan to decontaminate the property, build new storm sewers and an entire new bulkhead, all of which EPA has affirmed will bolster and advance their cleanup effort while saving them/taxpayers many millions of dollars since Lightstone will pay for all this new infrastructure with no government subsidies.· Community Board Six Votes Against Rental Building on Gowanus Canal [DNAinfo]
· Critics: Gowanus Canal Development Would Be Too Populous [BK Paper]
· Lightstone Group Gowanus coverage [Curbed]