SATURDAY • MAY 8, 2004 Including The Bensonhurst Paper Brooklyn’s REAL newspapers Published every Saturday by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 55 Washington Street, Suite 624, Brooklyn NY 11201. Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • © 2004 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 18 pages including GO BROOKLYN • Vol. 27, No. 18 BRZ • Saturday, May 8, 2004 • FREE RIDGE REZONE SET City’s plan calls for much less density By Jotham Sederstrom blocks, reducing the number zoned for significant down-zoning.” develop, according to the new zoning The Brooklyn Papers so-called “Fedders-style” attached row The proposals, said Myer, would dis- philosophy. housing by half. Those set aside for de- courage developers from knocking “My head is spinning right now,” said City Planning officials released pre- tached homes, considered the pride of down existing buildings because new Community Board 10 Zoning Chairman liminary plans on Wednesday intended Bay Ridge would nearly triple, said zoning would put tighter limits on what- Stephen Harrison after Myer’s presenta- to safeguard most of Bay Ridge from Regina Myer, Brooklyn Commissioner ever structure was to be built on the site. tion to the committee Wednesday night. future condo development by signifi- of City Planning. An 80-foot building on Fourth Avenue, “The breakdown is phenomenal, the cantly down-zoning much of the “We digested a great deal of informa- for example, would now stand on a site detail is amazing,” he added later. neighborhood. tion about Bay Ridge,” said Myer. “And zoned with 75-foot height limits, mak- “That’s not to say that we aren’t going The new plans take into account 250 this is tailored for each block. There is ing it less worthwhile to destroy and re- to go through it with a fine-tooth comb, but this is a great beginning.” After some hesitation, said Myer, planning officials chose to maintain the Special Bay Ridge District, which when created in 1978 sought to maintain the height and bulk of buildings, but not necessarily their character. In the years since it was enacted, say Community Board 10 members, it had become a Lachman won’t burden on parking while doing nothing to preserve the character of Bay Ridge. By removing many of the designa- tion’s sore spots, they said, zoning could still be tailored to fit the character of the area without being tied to some of its more outdated notions. Under the new run — sources plans, for example, curb cuts would be cut back to one for every 16 feet, cur- rently what is common throughout most By Jotham Sederstrom Other sources said an announcement of New York City, said Myer. When the The Brooklyn Papers would be made on Monday. special district was first imagined, fami- “He’s exploring his options and he Elected officials and political lies had fewer cars and most Bay Ridge said he would let us know this coming residents demanded off-street parking. operatives from both sides of the Tuesday as to what direction he will Under the proposed plans, for which aisle say that Bay Ridge-Staten go,” said Norman. “I saw him yester- details are still being smoothed out, larger Island state Sen. Seymour Lachman day, and he reaffirmed that he would one- and two-family homes west of Third may be awaiting medical advice make a public statement.” Avenue would be encouraged while before announcing whether he will Jimenez said he was not aware of many of the neighborhood’s tallest build- run for re-election this year. any such announcement. ings would be down-zoned, in some cas- A political insider who spoke to A political consultant with ties to es by as much as one story on thorough- Lachman, 70, on Wednesday said that both Democrats and Republicans said fares like Fourth Avenue, where both the four-term Democrat had been re- that Lachman was considering employ- commercial and residential units meet. ceiving treatment for prostate cancer for ment outside of the public sector. Of more than a dozen CB10 members some time, and had an appointment “The grueling commute, it’s not who attended the presentation at the with doctors on Thursday. something people look forward to even board’s district office on 86th Street at Jay Jimenez, a spokesman for Lach- when they’re in good health,” the Gatling Place, nearly all approved of the man, would neither confirm nor deny source said. “No one would begrudge plans, although most contend that some the status of Lachman’s health. him if his health is less than 100 percent details are unclear. Mango / Greg “What I can tell you is that the sena- and he decides to look for something a Harrison said that one of the most / Greg Mango / Greg tor is seeking re-election,” said Jimenez. little bit closer to home.” promising aspects were plans that would “As far as anything beyond that, it The conjecture about Lachman’s fu- put limits on housing between Fourth and would be pure conjecture.” ture comes amid news that the Democ- Seventh avenues, which have been target- Assemblyman Clarence Norman Jr., ratic Party is grooming new candidates ed by developers over the years because Papers The Brooklyn chairman of the Kings County Democ- to run against Lachman, including of the disconnect between their size and ratic Committee, said he spoke to Lach- Kelvin Alexander, a retired Staten Is- what they are actually zoned to be. man on Wednesday, and that he was un- land police sergeant who is a field di- “Whenever you have that kind of hous- The Brooklyn Papers File The Brooklyn Dancing Sandy aware of health concerns. But Norman rector with the Rev. Al Sharpton’s Na- ing stock, that’s when you see vulnerable Bay Ridge state Sen. Seymour Lach- added that Lachman told him a public tional Action Network. communities,” said Harrison. Warming up for the Cyclones Opening Day next month is team mascot man, will not seek reelection due to announcement about his future would Diane Savino, vice president of politi- The wheels were set in motion in De- Sandy the Seagull. Or is it? Find out on page 5! health reasons, sources said this week. be made this Tuesday. See LACHMAN on page 15 See REZONE on page 15 NOT JUST NETS Weekend Great deals, amazing views Council’s X-bus By Lisa J. Curtis GO Brooklyn Editor THIS WEEKEND On Saturday, May 8, the Brooklyn Waterfront Art- ists Coalition unveils its 12th annual Pier Art Show with a reception and a live performance by the band foul play Lovebutton. reprieve By Deborah Kolben Part neighborhood celebration and part treasure trove of The Brooklyn Papers By Jotham Sederstrom emerging Brooklyn artists, the enormous collection of works, displayed in a warehouse on the Red Hook water- After battling to have their voices heard in an official The Brooklyn Papers front, is worth a visit whether you’re a collector, an artist public forum, community members were left fuming this Weekend express bus service, which was set to end in need of inspiration, or an art lover in need of fresh air week when a City Council hearing on the Atlantic Yards later this month, was granted a reprieve on Thursday and wonderful views. arena proposal left them waiting nearly five hours to testi- when legislators in Albany agreed to fund the embattled This year’s exhibit spans 20,000 square feet of gallery fy. fleet for at least one more year. space and features the works of 300 artists. The delay meant that their testimony was not heard by most In the BWAC Community Outreach Exhibit, the works Bay Ridge State Sen. Marty Golden announced on Friday that daily news media, whose reporters left to file stories for the by patients in the Creative Arts Therapy program — in- evening deadline, and even many council members and officials the Senate Transportation Committee had agreed to budget $1.08 cluding J. Gonzalez’s painting, “6 am on the J @ 100” million for X-27 and X-28 buses, marking the second time in as had long since departed the council chambers by the time the (pictured) — will be on display. largely anti-arena testifiers spoke. many years the senator has secured operational funding for the The exhibit, open on weekends through June 27 (and service at the 11th hour. By the last hour of the hearing, which ran until about 7:30 pm, Memorial Day, May 31) from noon to 6 pm, also has live only the chairman of the Economic Development Committee that The remaining $12,000 would be provided by the Metropoli- music, slide presentations and lectures. tan Transit Authority, said John Qauglione, a spokesman for hosted the hearing, Queens Councilman James Sanders, and Admission is free. Free shuttle bus service will be Prospect Heights Councilwoman Letitia James, a member of the Golden. Mango / Greg available from the Smith-9th Street G and F train committee and a staunch opponent of the plan, remained out of “That’s a service we fought for, we fought for years,” said station from noon to 6 pm on May 8 and on Golden. “These seniors, some of them haven’t been to Manhat- nine members of the panel. June 27. The show is in a warehouse at on More than 300 supporters and opponents of the plan packed tan in years.” the waterfront at 499 Van Brunt St. For The buses have been championed by senior citizens and phys- into the standing-room-only council chambers at 10 am on Tues- more information, visit www.bwac.org day, many taking the day off from work to weigh in on the $2.5 ically disabled people who contend that not only is the service Papers The Brooklyn or call (718) 596-2507.