Before any more eager developers put a shovel in the ground at Gowanus Canal, public safety from toxins and irresponsible construction must be ensured.

We support the rezoning of the Gowanus area to encourage responsible development, but economic redevelopment must be balanced with protecting the community and the workers employed on redevelopment projects. 

Hidden below the surface of the land surrounding Gowanus Canal are at least two migrating plumes of contamination - one of carcinogenetic benzene and another of coal tar - as well as a variable toxic soup of PCBs, mercury, and lead among countless, unknown others (14 , 17). These toxins impact human health in a real and serious way.  They cause cancer, endocrine disruption, organ damage and death (21). 

The Rezone plan appears to more beneficial to developers, than to the existing residents of the Gowanus community.  For example, Shaya Boymelgreen's dangerous and substandard development practices have not factored into his proposal to develop in the Gowanus area . 

The current Rezone proposal and the immediate development plans do not adequately address the environmental, safety and housing needs that concern the community.   This "oversight" may be cause by:

• The thousands of dollars developers spend on lobbyists.  Shaya Boymelgreen alone has spent $154,640.50 lobby in New York City, 86% of which was specifically
  earmarked for land-use and zoning concerns (4).
• Brooklyn's lack of representation on the City Planning Commission. Dolly Williams, Brooklyn's only appointee to the commission, was barred from voting because of a conflict of interest.  She owns property within the proposed rezone area (5).
• Exclusion of community input.  Community officials have been left out of the decision-making process.  "It seems to me their presentation allowed very little community input," Marlilyn Oliva, Community Board 6 Parks/Recreation Chair told the Courier Life after a community participation meeting with City government officials.  "I am appalled that [Housing Preservation and Development] would come before us with an issue [it] already decided upon," said Board member Pauline Black (6).
• Inclusion of developers in rezoning process.  While local representation and the community have been excluded, developer Toll Brothers's Vice President says, "We are working with the city, and we are fairly confident that we will get rezoning for our sites within the next year" (2).

Read More About:
Contamination in the Gowanus
Immediate development concerns:

Boymelgreen's Gowanus Villiage
Toll Brothers' Bond Street Development
Public Place
Whole Foods

Department of City Planning's Proposed Proposed Land Use Framework