Brooklyn’s Real Newspaper BrooklynPaper.com U (718) 834–9350 U Brooklyn, NY U ©2008 BROOKLYN HEIGHTS–DOWNTOWN–NORTH BROOKLYN AWP/14 pages U Vol. 31, No. 27ÊU Saturday, July 14, 2008 U FREE WITH CARROLL GARDENS, COBBLE HILL, BOERUM HILL, FORT GREENE, CLINTON HILL, DUMBO, WILLIAMSBURG, GREENPOINT 5&3303453&&5 Feds to keep Cadman Plaza parking permanently By Sarah Portlock Now the federal government, officials don’t want the public to The Brooklyn Paper courts and U.S. marshals are working know that Cadman Plaza East is The feds giveth and then the with the city Department of Trans- merely a parking lot. feds taketh away. portation to finalize that “temporary” When Sebastian Kahnert, a Four million dollars in federal closure of Cadman Plaza East. Brooklyn Paper photographer, Community leaders are concerned funds to renovate little-used Walt headed out last week to take pic- that their beautiful new park will Whitman Park next to the federal tures for this story, he was harassed become a prisoner behind fortified by a uniformed security officer and courthouse on Cadman Plaza East barricades and a judicial parking have become linked to a separate ordered to delete his pictures as the lot, so Community Board 2 has put security officer watched. federal plan to permanently close aside money to finance a solution, the street to traffic and formalize Kahnert — who grew up in East District Manager Rob Perris said. Germany, where such things could the block’s use as a judicial parking “There are design treatments that happen every day — said the whole lot. would make it function like an open incident was “strange” and not what The street was closed after 9-11, Kahnert Sebastian space, while still allowing emer- citing security needs. Subsequently, gency vehicles to drive down Wash- he expected in America. judges and other employees from the ington Street,” he said. “But if it’s In fact, Kahnert’s high regard for U.S. District Court and workers at going to look and function like an American freedom is legitimate; the the city’s Office of Emergency Man- open space, cars have to be moved officer who ordered Kahnert to de- agement, both between Tillary Street away from that area.” lete his pictures was wrong to do so, and Red Cross Place, commandeered The Brooklyn Paper / It seems clear, however, that the admitted U.S. Marshal chief deputy the block — the only direct link be- Part of Cadman Plaza East — a public street — has been com- judges have no intention of giving Tim Hogan, who oversees security tween DUMBO and Downtown. mandeered as a parking lot for federal court employees. up their street parking. In fact, court See CARS on page 5 Margo Gibson Margo OUR OPINION WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?: Little Severine McQueeney’s BRING BACK OUR TROLLEYS mom, Margo Gibson, was harassed by Parks workers after taking this cute picture at Underwood Playground in Clinton Hill. he Federal Government’s Place needed to be secure (the city’s the waterfront under the Manhat- something memorable and locals plan to permanently seize Office of Emergency Management tan Bridge. Along the way, it would a way of getting from Downtown T most of Cadman Plaza East has since opened its headquarters pass the State Supreme Court, the to the promised future attractions so judges and employees of the on the same block). main post office, Cadman Plaza of Brooklyn Bridge Park. imperious courthouse there can Even if it will remain a parking Park, and — most important — the True leadership means that while park for free is wrong. lot for judges, Cadman Plaza East entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge the feds seize the street, our civic The feds’ arrogant move, how- could become a much-neded direct footpath. leaders seize the opportunity. ever, gives local officials an op- link between bustling Downtown Putting in a trolley — that clas- With the federal government (05$)" portunity to do something for the and tourist-attracting DUMBO — sic Brooklyn symbol — would not asking city permission to per- benefit the our fledgling tourist in- and that’s where Brooklyn’s trol- jeopardize courthouse security (in- manently close a street, we must Mom ordered to stop taking dustry by demanding a trolley in EdnasAntiqueShop.com ley should make its triumphant re- deed, despite the presence of armed counter with a bold proposal for return for the land. sealed off to vehicular traffic. At turn. guards, pedestrians can currently a trolley, a true tourist attraction pictures of daughter in park After 9-11, Cadman Plaza East the time, officials said that the fed- The route would run from Bor- walk on the closed-off street). But that generations of Brooklynites — the only direct link between Bor- eral courthouse on the block be- ough Hall (with its tourist office the simple trolley line would ener- — and the tourists who love them By Jessica Firger When contacted by The Brooklyn ough Hall and DUMBO — was tween Tillary Street and Red Cross and transit hub) to the city park on gize the entire area, giving tourists — will cherish. for The Brooklyn Paper Paper, a Parks Department spokes- It was the sweetest of summertime person said that adults are allowed to rituals — a mother taking photos of take photographs of children in play- her 1-year-old daughter splashing in grounds — if they’re taking shots of a park sprinkler. their own kids, that is. As a result, the Parks worker’s in- A little park in ’09 But Margo Gibson squeezed off timidation “was probably a misunder- 4$3"11&% just three frames on her camera be- standing between him and the parent,” By Mike McLaughlin ish the entire project by 2012. fore a Parks worker rushed over and said the agency’s spokesman, Joe East- The Brooklyn Paper Despite the setback, Regina Myer, pres- ordered her to stop — and Gibson is man. Decades of planning will culminate in ident of the BBPDC, pointed out that most miffed. Indeed, just a week earlier, Gibson a small, but usable, Brooklyn Bridge Park of the demolition work is done and con- “I never heard of being ordered to had been able to take pictures of Sev- by the end of 2009, state planners prom- struction would soon begin in earnest on stop taking pictures of your kid,” Gib- erine in the same park. ised this month — but the same officials Pier 1, adjacent to Fulton Ferry Landing. son said. “She was being cute, so I The inconsistent administration of admitted that they don’t know when, or if, “We’re thrilled,” she said. “The park is wanted to take some pictures.” enforcement power is what bothers key parts of the 85-acre open space and really getting built.” There were only three or four kids be- Gibson and her husband the most. condo development will be completed be- Myer, who took over the agency about sides her daughter, Severine McQueeney, “Parks workers look the other way at cause of a lack of public funding. eight months ago, revealed the construction in Clinton Hill’s Underwood Park when folks breaking all the posted rules,” said schedule at separate meetings of the park’s the man in the green uniform asked her Severine’s father, John McQueeney. The 1.3-mile strip of open space from directors and with the public last Monday. to holster that camera. Pier 1 to Pier 6 along the Brooklyn Heights “But [with the photo ban], they are She told The Brooklyn Paper that she was Gibson said the worker explained trying to enforce an unconstitutional and DUMBO waterfront was budgeted to emphasizing public spaces over the resi- that the photo prohibition was “a cost $150 million in 2002, but that figure secret rule.” dential development of 1,200 units of hous- safety precaution,” enforced by the has soared to well over $300 million to- That enforcement left the Gibson- ing inside the park that is also part of the Parks Department to ensure that other McQueeney clan with precious few day — yet only $225 million has been al- plan. located by the state and city. As a result, Michael Van Valkenburgh and Associates kids would not inadvertently end up shots of little Severine splashing about “Park construction must precede resi- This gorgeous rendering of Pier 2 in the proposed Brooklyn Bridge Park is a mirage in the photos. on a hot day. the state-run Brooklyn Bridge Park Devel- dential development,” she said. opment Corporation now says it won’t fin- — the pier is not currently scheduled to be built thanks to cash shortfalls in the now That, however, turned out to be un- “I only got three pictures and a one- See PARK PLAN on page 5 $300-plus million waterfront development and open space project. true. minute movie,” said Gibson. 3*32 5)&(3&"5&45 L@RSDQ Josh Huttenbach from Carroll Gardens made the ‘Nut makes history again first purchase at the new TKTS discount tickets oey Chestnut, the greatest eater in modern booth in the Metrotech history and, perhaps of all time, outdid even THE BROOKLYN complex on Thursday. himself on July 4 at Coney Island, tying for- He bought seven ducats + for the night’s showing mer six-time world champ Takeru Kobayashi with of “Legally Blonde” for 59 hot dogs and buns in the 10-minute contest — -&+$ $458.50. and then shoving down five more HDBs in an un- By Gersh Kuntzman Also available were half- precedented one-on-one stuff-your-faceoff to beat priced tickets to “Spa- Kobayashi by mere seconds.