Brooklyn Heights Preservation Pioneers Speak Out Against Pierhouse’s Height Blocking View

By on September 24, 2014 3:00 pm in brooklyn bridge park, Brooklyn Heights, Development, Real Estate

Brownstoner reports on the battle over the height of Toll Brothers Pierhouse condos and hotel now in construction at Pier 1.

This latest dispute about the Park has raised the ire of two of Brooklyn Heights most beloved and passionate community activists, Otis Pratt Pearsall and Martin Schneider.

RELATED: Read Heights Preservation Leaders’ History of Brooklyn Bridge Park

At issue: the height of the new building and whether it violates either the spirit or the letter of a 2005 agreement that sought to preserve views of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. In the opinion of preservationist Otis Pratt Pearsall and the Brooklyn Heights Association, it does. Park management has another take.

Brownstoner goes on to detail the 2005 discussions between Mr. Pearsall, the BHA and Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation to “hammer out an agreement intended to preserve or even enhance the existing view of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Brooklyn Heights Promenade — ‘a famous view of international importance,’ in Pearsall’s words — as future developments rose in Brooklyn Bridge Park.”

Now Pearsall and the BHA have cried “foul” because a three-story addition on the Pierhouse—which will contain a bar as well as mechanical and elevator equipment—is clearly visible crowning the hotel portion of the Pierhouse.

According to Mr. Pearsall, the most revered preservationist in Brooklyn, the 30 foot high addition “bifurcates” the view of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Promenade.

Martin Schneider, another greatly respected Brooklyn Heights’ voice, also weighed in about this latest dispute over BBP, which Brownstoner described as “another tempest (you decide if it’s in a teacup)”:

This article in today’s Brownstoner effectively summarizes and illustrates the issue over the projected height of the still under-construction Pierhouse at Pier One in the Brooklyn Bridge Park.

Despite the struggle to hold down the height of the building which Otis Pearsall engaged in nine years ago, it appears that this world class view of the great Brooklyn Bridge is about to be seriously compromised.

Exactly why that is happening remains to be revealed. Likewise, whether it can be rolled back is up in the air.

But this concise article sets the issue forth with impact. Hopefully, other media will pick up on it and with the help of an informed concerned citizenry, it will yet be stopped.

PHOTO CREDIT: Brownstoner

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  • gc

    The real estate interests and all their political toadies (which unfortunately appears to include our Governor as well as our new Mayor) seems to roll over any and all opposition. As Mario Savio said back in 1964, we need to be willing to throw our bodies unto the gears of the machine. Without a serious and sustained effort it is impossible to fight the money and the influence it can buy. Take a look around. From the library to the hospital to the park it couldn’t be clearer.

  • Doug Biviano

    ha, you had a body willing to throw himself unto the gears as a candidate for Assembly. As Ed Koch said long ago after losing, “The people have spoken … and they must be punished.”

    The biggest power voters have over double dealing people like de Blasio, Cuomo and the legislators are the elections. Next time use it.

  • marshasrimler

    well said. we need these leaders in the battle

  • marshasrimler

    but Doug we must all move forward now. Please do not be bitter . For me it is a New Year and a fresh start. Think about it.

  • Heights Observer

    Too little, too late. The real estate interests will prevail and damn everyone else. The unobstructed view now belongs to the rich that will occupy the building. Sad.

  • Doug Biviano

    This is not bitter, this is a learning moment with a little Koch sense of humor.

    Elections are unbelievably important and voters must take them back by taking them seriously again. Right now we have seen unprecedented voter apathy. We also have a press that won’t cover local elections in any meaningful way so that money not substance wins every election by fooling the few voters left.

    For the record, I’m in a very good place, not one bit bitter. Feel great about how we forced and shaped the entire debate back to issues like this post that are important to this community. There is some structure too from articles we forced from the press that will be built upon as we go forward and more of the corrupt election system harming our community is exposed.

  • TMS

    The Brooklyn Heights Promenade — a famous view of international importance…this view, this historical landmark should be respected and upheld. How can we as a community do something about this? We were impotent to prevent it, let’s rise up now.

  • marshasrimler

    That is the BHA’s responsibility. They supported housing in the park from day 1 and now support the oversized ,over bulked library destruction plan. They can still be leaders and save themselves

  • marshasrimler

    remember all the other overdevelopment too
    its more than the promenade. its the whole neighborhood. what will you do when its flu season and you cannot get served in an er?
    when there is no room in the local school for your kids.. no more condos

  • TMS

    There is no more room in the schools, my child is affected by this. I voted. I voice my opinion. But how do we really get heard?

  • Park Lover

    They also support the overlarge Pier 6 skyscraper. Build now and shrug at the consequences later?

  • marshasrimler

    yes they do..they seem very central heights brownstone owner centric or money centric and the rest of us can starve as far as they are concerned. I believe the only reason they were in the LICH coalition was because they were worried about themselves and where they would be taken come a stroke or heart attack.. That said
    maybe they can now save themselves as BBP has mislead them too

  • marshasrimler

    we shall see.. this is far from over..

  • bethman14

    Yes, Brooklyn Heights has been totally and completely ruined. Just look at how many people are fleeing the neighborhood. Property values are just plummeting! It must be a dump with that horrendous waterfront park and that gorgeous new library being built. Man can’t get me out to the South Bronx or East New York quick enough….not one dammed lick of real estate development happening out there. Not a developer for MILES around. Not too many of those darned pesky pedestrian to disturb your somnolent reverie. Its an urban paradise!!!!!!!

  • bethman14

    I love this!! The very rich fighting the super rich! Life is tough in the Heights.

  • bethman14

    Uhm I don’t think the folks paying $2M for a 1 BR are going to the ER because the have the flu. And none of the fabulously wealthy in Brooklyn Heights have been using LICH for anything….thats why its, uhm, bankrupt. Any first grader could tell you that.

    What they are doing is paying taxes to support safety net ERs that are used by lower income people who don’t have health insurance and do use the ER as a primary care doctor.

  • bethman14

    So lets build more schools!!! By all means!! Of you’re going to need property tax revenue to pay for those new schools. Hence new development. Thats how this works.

  • Andrew Porter

    What’s your real name, Troll?

  • Andrew Porter

    See my comment via the Brownstoner (not Browstoner, sic) link, which, unlike the discussion here, is rather calm and reasoned. And, note that I post under my own name. Unlike so many others.

  • gc

    I used it last time. I sent you a $50 campaign contribution and also voted for you. Sorry it didn’t work out differently.

  • Doug Biviano

    Thank you. I’m honored to have gained your confidence.

  • Jorale-man

    This “Bethman14″ is quite the troll on this thread. It’s probably someone unhappy because they didn’t get the apartment in the Heights they were after. Now they’re venting their anger here.

  • Jorale-man

    The Brownstoner post lays it out well. If you look at the rendering for the condo complex, there’s no rooftop addition and the roofline doesn’t rise above the roadbed of the Brooklyn Bridge. But the 30-foot addition clearly blocks a good chunk of the bridge from the Pomenade. It may seem trivial to some, but it’s not what the building agreements spelled out. It goes to show, corporate greed trumps aesthetics every time.

  • Rock E. Fella

    Doesn’t the Pier House basically match the size of the previous warehouse buildings in that location? Not sure, but looks like they are cheating a bit compared to old photos of previous buildings — you could see the BB roadway over the buildings…

    http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4f3184a7ecad043017000058/this-is-new-york-citys-new-millionaires-row.jpg

  • Park Lover

    I’ve used the ER more than once, for my kids when they were young– also when a visitor’s daughter accidentally ate nuts and had a severe allergic reaction. And by the way- it’s fairly well known that SUNY mismanagement of billing practices, following Continuum using the Othmer bequest for other purposes, put a severe dent in LICH’s finances. But that’s beside the point, when the question is whether our catchment area should have adequate health services– a study that SUNY never undertook, when it decided instead to view LICH only in terms of real estate value.

  • marshasrimler

    gee.. you are bitter

  • marshasrimler

    when you have a stroke or a heart attack you get taken to your nearest er.. even if your paying lots for a condo. any first grader can tell you that. also folks with high flu fevers are taken by 911..

  • marshasrimler

    we are paying taxes for new schools already-do not need more and more condos. higher and denser to do it

  • John Schwartz

    It did match, until the addition.

  • Cindy Sm

    There is a basic lesson in all this;
    Either you own a building or land
    Or you don’t…

    But the basic occult religion in the
    Heights is for, well forever, has and
    Always will be to own nothing and
    Control everything…this is basic
    Thread needle street doctrine…

    There was a time when ALL of the
    Property or a very significant section
    Was acquirable but NO….that violates
    The occult technology of the casino.

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