Brooklyn Bridge Park to be recreated in Gowanus, by George Fiala

February’s CB6 Land Use committee was host to a couple of presentation by designers of two small park areas that are part of the Gowanus rezoning.

The first presentation for a park that will be on part of the Pig Beach property was made by Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates who are the designers of the Brooklyn Bridge Park, a much celebrated public space that actually served as taxpayer built selling points for the condos and hotel built in the park by private developers.

The second presentation was made by Scape Landscape Architects, whose motto says that they “create positive change in communities by combining regenerative living infrastructure and new forms of public space.

There project is a controversial part of the rezoning that puts schools and parks and affordable housing units on top of land that many think still contains toxic pollution, a topic addressed by the EPA, who guarantees that the project will not go forward until they believe it is safe.

What the members of the Land Use committee were mostly concerned about were much more innocent.

The planners presented things such as swinging play elements for kids that invoke the neighborhood’s industrial past (somebody questioned whether they might not be vulnerable to mischief by bad boys), hammocks for resting (won’t homeless people turn them into beds), pavers that celebrate the Gowanus legacy, and special features in the paths that will deter skateboarders.

Member Jerry Armer questioned whether the pavement under the play element might not get too hot in the sun. Somebody else asked about the permeability of that pavement as the ground underneath may still end up with some toxins (of course it won’t be permeable was the answer, as far as the heat there will be trees around for shade).

Other members wanted to make sure there were plenty of bike racks, whether they might be boat access near the canal, whether the dog run would be raised up, exposing passerbys to possible smells, will there be seating with backs for those who have tender ones, and other type aesthetic questions.

Only at the end, when the questioning was opened up to non CB6 members, were questions about possible environmental problems raised.

A week later, at the monthly Superfund meeting, Chief Engineer Christos Tsiamis said that all of a sudden, the DEC, which had been criticized for lax remediation standards, has switched gears and, just like the City DEP, is suddenly cooperative in shepherding a safe cleanup—most probably to the relief of all the developers.