According to Brownstoner, former Brooklyn Heights Association executive director Judy Stanton opposed any development on the site, characterizing the gardens along Grace Court as a “microclimate” that should be protected. Other local residents expressed some support for development, noting the need for more housing, although one said a single family townhouse would do little in that regard. The owners of the proposed townhouse also own the adjoining townhouse at 36 Remsen Street, which they are converting from ten residential units to four.

Correction: We had earlier reported that the Thursday evening screening would be at The Binc. It is on line only. The “Moonstruck House” (19 Cranberry Street; photo) is just one of many Brooklyn Heights locations to have been featured in film. This Thursday evening, May 20, starting at 7:00, the Brooklyn Heights Association will present a virtual screening of “Heights in Lights – A Cinematic Promenade.” The Tickets aren’t cheap — they start at $40 — but all proceeds go to support the work of the BHA; you may purchase tickets here. If you can’t view the Thursday screening, your ticket allows you to have a link to view it later. Your ticket also includes the recipe for a “Heights in Lights” cocktail designed by the staff of The Binc, 60 Henry Street. Take your ticket to The Binc during this month (May) between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. to get a free aperitivo of olives or mixed nuts.

Addendum: Mary Frost in the Eagle gives some detail on the history and content of the show. It was the brainchild of former BHA executive director Judy Stanton, who was planning for the celebration of the Association’s centennial in 2010. She asked Peter Hedges, who then had his office and studio in Brooklyn Heights, to help putting it together, and he enthusiastically agreed. The initial version, “Hollywood in the Heights,” was screened at the opening event of the centennial celebration. “The Heights in Lights” is an expanded and improved version.

We lost a few in Tropical Storm Isaias, but Brooklyn Heights retains and maintains a healthy population of street, park, and garden trees. In her Eagle story, Mary Frost tells of the history. Before the 1940s the Heights, like most of Brooklyn, had few trees. This is why Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (!943) could consider the event remarkable. Then the Brooklyn Heights Association went on a tree planting binge, planting, according to the Eagle story, 1,081 trees in the 1940s, and 46 more since. The Eagle quotes BHA president Erika Belsey Worth as noting that some blocks, for example, Clark street between Willow and Columbia Heights, have lost many trees, and that many other Heights trees “are at maturity and beyond” and need “tender, loving care.”

The Eagle story also quotes former BHA executive directors Judy Stanton and Peter Bray about programs organized during their terms in office. Ms. Stanton recalled two “tree census” projects to examine the conditions of street trees, in one of which your correspondent participated. Mr. Bray supervised a program to enlarge tree pits, many of which were strangling trees’ roots. Current BHA executive director Lara Birnback wants to extend the tree pit survey, and also to recruit “block captains” to monitor the condition of trees and report any problems, as well as caring for newly planted trees.

Finally, the Eagle story notes that BHB friend Peter Steinberg, whose al fresco nuptials on Grace Court Alley I blundered onto in 2009, has created a website “that tree fans can use to easily record tree pit data. All people need in order to participate is a tape measure and a smart phone.” Unfortunately, the Eagle doesn’t give a link to the site. I’m sure Peter will give us one. Update: Here are the instructions:

Reach out to info@thebha.org and tell them what block(s) you’re interested in — they will email you the link and off you go!

By the way, the process really is dead simple — you just need a phone and a tape measure. I was able to measure all of Grace Court — both sides — I’m under two hours. And that was with an 8 year old as my assistant.

The Eagle reports that, on last Thursday evening at 7:00, a group of twenty or so young men and teenagers entered the Sunny Gourmet Deli (photo), on Joralemon Street just west of Clinton, and, in the words of owner Joe Kim, “they were grabbing candy and sodas, stuffing their pockets and book bags.” Not all of the youths stole; one, according to Kim, paid for an Arizona Iced Tea. On the way out, one of the group smashed the glass in the deli’s door (note that, in the photo, the open door is sheathed in plywood). A shard of glass hit a woman; fortunately, her injury was slight enough that she was able to accompany Kim to help identify the thieves.

According to the Eagle story, Judy Stanton, the then soon to retire executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, was instrumental in apprehending the thieves. A witness called her at 7:30 and said she was having trouble contacting the police. (The story notes that, at the time, “911 was triaging backlogged calls.”) Stanton called 84th Precinct Community Affairs Officer Sal Ferrante, who dispatched police to the deli. One witness had tracked the thieves to Pier 2, Brooklyn Bridge Park, where they were playing basketball. Ferrante radioed cops at Pier 2, and Kim and the woman witness went there to identify four suspects, who were arrested.

Word has come from Judy Stanton at the Brooklyn Heights Association that the young male parakeet in the photo (sorry for the fuzzy quality) flew into the window of a resident of 9 College Place and is being kept there in hope that its owner will come and claim it. Judy thinks the bird may have come from one of the Mansion House apartments on Hicks, as they share a back yard with College Place.

There will be fireworks tomorrow (Thursday, April 9) evening starting at 9:45 off of Liberty Island. Thanks to Judy Stanton of the Brooklyn Heights Association for notifying us of this.

Today, March 22, is the fifth anniversary of the opening of Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The opening ceremony took place on a rainy day, as the photo of Judy Stanton, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, being interviewed by NY1, shows.

This photo, taken from the Brooklyn Bridge on March 13, 2009 shows early construction work on Pier 1.

Trees are stored on the Pier 3 uplands awaiting planting on Pier 1; October 21, 2009.

The southern portion of the pier deck is being removed, exposing the pilings; October 27, 2009.

The terrain has taken shape on October 27, 2009.

Brooklyn Heights Association Executive Director Judy Stanton, who will be retiring later this year, sat down for a Q&A with amNY. When asked what she thinks the future of Brooklyn Heights holds she replied:

amNY: The neighborhood will become denser. Because the zoning around us is quite generous, new buildings will replace some of the older ones on Montague Street and Cadman Plaza, which will mean that our streets will be more crowded and P.S. 8, our public school, which is already overcrowded, will face an even bigger challenge. In time, the neighborhood may feel less small, but happily the scale of the buildings in much of Brooklyn Heights will stay protected by the 50-foot height regulation and restrictions placed on changes to facades by the Landmark Law.

If you’re walking on Schermerhorn Street towards Clinton Street, you might notice something new. The building at 141 Clinton Street will be getting a rooftop stair bulkhead to replace the existing hatch. This will allow the residents to make use of the roof as the plan presented included a “piped gas outdoor barbecue.”

On Tuesday, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the plan presented by architect Marc Ackerson of Manhattan-based Field Lines Architecture, though there were conditions. The bulkhead should all be one color and the eave should be thinner. Ackerson did not object.

LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan called the proposal “modest in the footprint.” Judy Stanton of the Brooklyn Heights Association also supported it, saying it would have “minimal impact.” In fact, it should be visible from a small spot on Schermerhorn Street.

Evan Bindelglass is a local freelance journalist, photographer, cinephile, and foodie. You can e-mail him, follow him on Twitter @evabin, or check out his personal blog.

Over the years, much work has been done on the apartment building at 54 State Street, including partial demolition, without the approval of the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission. Don’t forget, Brooklyn Heights was the first neighborhood to be designated a historic district by the LPC. On Tuesday, the commissioners took action to legalize and otherwise rectify that work. The proposal came from Atelier Architecture 64, which is based in Brooklyn.

The first item was the cornice, which was replaced without LPC approval. The proposal was to simply legalize the existing cornice and eventually apply for permission to restore the original cornice. The commissioners decided that the applicant should just do that now.

The second item was the windowsills. The proposal to replace the existing sills with new ones to match the historic sills was approved.

The third item is the railing/fence in front of the building. The LPC had approved a two-tiered design back in 2006, but that isn’t what was built. The proposal was to lower them to 36 inches, which would be more like the neighboring building, and cap them with the existing caps. That was approved.

Windows at the cellar level were infilled and then covered and stucco was applied without LPC approval. Also, the doors and stairs were not constructed as approved. The proposal was to simply legalize the existing conditions. Instead the LPC ordered that the stucco be removed. That will require probing to find out what is behind it at this point.

Tiles were installed in front of the entryway that differed from approved plans. The proposal to replace the tile with bluestone was approved.

The sidewalk concrete flags were also installed contrary to approved plans. The sidewalk will be replaced with concrete tinted to match the bluestone.

An elevator bulkhead and parapet were also constructed without approval. The proposal was to legalize it. It will be reviewed at the staff level.

There are six condenser units on the roof that are visible from Atlantic Avenue. Three of them will be relocated to reduce visibility.

Finally, stucco which had previously surrounded the front door was removed and replaced with brick not matching the historic material. Also, a intercom was installed without approval. New brick will be installed that matches historic material and the intercom will be relocated to the railing.

Judy Stanton of the Brooklyn Heights Association supported many elements of the proposals, but, like the commissioners wanted the cornice restored and the stucco removed from the base. Barbara Zay of the Historic Districts Council also spoke. “The smooth brick stretchers and thin mortar joints are an important feature of this building, so our committee asks that the applicant work with staff to match the historic brick pattern,” she said.

Remember, Brooklyn Heights residents. Most of you live in a historic district. If you do anything to the outside of your building, you have to get approval from the LPC.

Evan Bindelglass is a local freelance journalist, photographer, cinephile, and foodie. You can e-mail him, follow him on Twitter @evabin, or check out his personal blog.

With thirty year veteran Judy Stanton retiring August 31, the Brooklyn Heights Association has begun its search for a new Executive Director to “help lead a visible and highly effective community organization at a pivotal moment in its history.” Candidates should have a masters degree and experience in urban planning, historic preservation, communications, nonprofit management, public policy or–ideally–some combination of these. At least three years of management experience is essential, as is some background in dealing with New York City government. Salary is commensurate with experience. The application deadline is March 31; more information is here.

Judy Stanton, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, has announced her decision to retire, effective August 31, 2015. From the BHA’s announcement:

Since the early 1980’s Judy has served the BHA, first as a member of the Board of Governors and later as its first Executive Director. Known to many as “the face of the BHA,” her tenure reflects an exceptional dedication, integrity and passion for dealing with all issues that concern Brooklyn Heights. Her experience and deep community roots have been invaluable to the neighborhood. She has set a high bar for the BHA Board, and her example will inspire us as we look to the future.

Ms. Stanton was honored as one of the BHB Ten in 2010. At that time, we observed:

As the Executive Director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, Ms. Stanton sometimes doesn’t get enough credit for keeping things on an even keel. This year was particularly busy for the BHA as it celebrated its 100th anniversary while also taking stands on serious issues facing Brooklyn Heights including tourist helicopter noise, BQE revitalization and the future of the Tobacco Warehouse.

We at BHB are grateful for her many years of service to our neighborhood, and wish her well in her retirement.

Update: According to reader Susan Raboy (see comments) there will be no hearing today (Thursday, February 20). We will update with a new top post as soon as more information is available.

Shortly after this morning’s hearing began, the Eagle’s Mary Frost reports, representatives of the two union plaintiffs in the action against SUNY’s aattempt to close Long Island College Hospital, the New York State Nurses Association and local 1199 of the Service Employees International Union, which represents service workers at LICH, asked Justice Johnny Lee Baynes to adjourn the proceedings because “the Mayor’s office would be discussing possible plans for LICH with the community on Tuesday.” We have no word so far of any such discussions, but will update as soon as we do. Update: We are advised by Judy Stanton, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, that the BHA has not been contacted by the Mayor’s office concerning any such plans.

Ms. Frost’s article quotes Jim Walden, of Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher LLP, the attorney representing the Brooklyn Heights Association, the Cobble Hill Association, and other civic groups opposing the closure of LICH, as saying his clients were ready to go forward with the contempt proceedings. Nevertheless, Justice Baynes adjourned the hearing until this Thursday, February 20.

Responding to reports that Mayor de Blasio was backing down from his insistence that LICH be preserved as a full service hospital (see photo above, by your correspondent for BHB, of then candidate de Blasio at a “Save LICH” rally last June), Ms. Frost called the Mayor’s office. A representative of his told Ms. Frost, “This is not true.”

Judy Stanton, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, advises us that the court hearing to determine whether SUNY should be held in contempt of court orders concerning Long Island College Hospital will not be held this coming Tuesday, January 21, as had previously been announced. ” As of now,” she said, “Tuesday will be a court conference to discuss procedural issues and report on settlement talks, and the contempt hearing will start Wednesday at the earliest.”

The conference, and the contempt hearing, will take place before Judge Johnny Lee Baynes in Kings County Supreme Court, at 360 Adams Street.

News blog DNAInfo NYC picked up Jorale-Man’s opening comment in the New Year’s Open Thread Wednesday:

At the risk of sounding a (mildly) negative note to start the year, it would be nice if 2014 is the year that the city fixes the crumbling sidewalks around Borough Hall. I noticed yesterday while lugging my rollerboard suitcase from the Jay Street station that they’re in a pretty sorry state of disrepair. Perhaps the next borough president can make this more of a cause.

The article also quotes BHB’s own T.K. Small on how hard it is to traverse the broken bluestone in his motorized wheelchair, as well as Brooklyn Heights Association Executive Director Judy Stanton and Community Board 2 Executive Director Rob Perris about their efforts to get the Parks Department, which has jurisdiction over the plaza, to repair it, all to no avail. It quotes Parks Department representative Meghan Lalor as saying “We are working on a plan to restore the plaza,” but said “[s]he was “unable to give details of any repairs planned.”

Still, the attention this problem is getting may spur the bureaucracy to action. Are you with us, new Borough President Eric Adams?

Update: Reader “moni” gives us some interesting background in her comment in OTW:

The so-called ‘restoration” of the quaint flagstones was the ruse used by the powers that be to eliminate our lovely garden area so they would have a place to park their SUVs. Thus the gardens gave way to an expanse of ugly paving, with a minimum of landscaping to make it look authentic (i.e., a little less like a parking lot). The delicate bluestone could not survive the tonnage rolling over it; it chipped and eventually crumbled. Now theire is talk of yet another “renovation”.

Judy Stanton, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, sends us this message:

[This] toy Toto (Wizard of Oz character)…is presumably half of a child’s Halloween costume. During ‘trick or treating’ on Garden Place last night this was dropped next to my stoop. I brought it in so it was not rained on, and I would like to return it to whomever lost it!

You can contact Judy at jstanton@brooklynheightsassociation.org

City Council Member Steve Levin, who represents Brooklyn Heights and nearby neighborhoods, has introduced a bill in the Council that would require the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting to make “monthly reports detailing the locations of all film shoot permits in New York City, broken down by Borough, Community Board, Council District, and Street” and annual reports that would compile the information in the monthlies, as well as giving statistics on employment and other direct and indirect benefits and costs to the City from filming. These reports would be posted on line and available to the public.

Levin’s press release quotes Brooklyn Heights Association Executive Director Judy Stanton:

Brooklyn Heights is a prime location for film shoots, and we have sought access to more information about filming activity in NYC. We therefore view this bill as a direct response to concerns voiced by our members regarding the impact of filming on the quality of life in Brooklyn Heights.

Update: The hearing will continue tomorrow (Thursday, August 8), at 10:00 a.m., same place.

There will be a hearing tomorrow (Wednesday, August 7) at 10:00 a.m. in Justice Johnny Lee Baynes’ courtroom on the fourth floor of 360 Adams Street at which oral arguments in the lawsuit against SUNY Downstate’s plan to close Long Island College Hospital, which suit has now been joined by the Brooklyn Heights Association, the Cobble Hill Association and other local civic organizations (see the complaint here). Judy Stanton, the executive Director of the BHA, has urged all interested people to attend if possible.

In other LICH related news, U.S. Representative Nydia Velazquez was among those arrested yesterday at a #SaveLICH demonstration. Patients and staff have complained of harassment and intimidation by SUNY police.

According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle the Brooklyn Heights Association has urged the City Department of Transportation, which is responsible for routine maintenance of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, to mill the roadway and replace asphalt and concrete, as necessary, on the cantilevered portion of the BQE that runs below Brooklyn Heights. A letter to DOT Commissioner Joseph Palmieri, signed by BHA President Alexandra Bowie and Executive Director Judy Stanton, is quoted from in the Eagle as follows:

Residents who live close to the BQE are jolted out of their beds throughout the night and early morning. Dishes clatter. Cracks appear on interior walls…What were once rumbles and tremors are now shocks and jolts. No wonder people fear for the stability of their homes and for their own safety.

The BHA also urges residents to contact City Council Member Stephen Levin about this issue.

Ask the Mayor’s Office about the inundation of shoots for movies, TV shows and commercials and you’ll get this response: “The industry provides high-quality jobs in an era when low-paying service jobs have become the norm.” According to the Boston Consulting Group, NYC’s film sector is the strongest in history, generating $7.1 billion in 2011, while employing 130,000.

But some residents of brownstone Brooklyn have a different take, saying that they’re paying the price for the boom. According to a story in The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, with “the streets of historic Brooklyn Heights clogged with film trucks on a regular basis, local businesses and residents are fuming.”

Judy Stanton, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, says she’s losing count of the multitude of shoots in the neighborhood. For one, filming of flick “Delivery Man” is taking place at Plymouth Church, the Promenade, Brooklyn Historical Society, Henry Street, Montague Terrace, Remsen Street and Pierrepont: “How many blocks? No answer. I think it’s excessive. More consideration needs to be given to little neighborhoods like this one. Last week, ‘Law and Order’ and a Lottery commercial were shooting at the same time. The Lottery trucks blocked Montague from Court to Henry street. That really did affect merchants.”

Andrea Demetropoulos, who owns Rocco and Jezebel pet shop at 89 Pineapple Walk, has launched a cease-fire petition, and tells the Eagle, “Filming is out of control. Three customers and the UPS guy this morning told me they couldn’t park anywhere. They’re killing the people who live here. This entire neighborhood is only 5 by 13 blocks. There needs to be a moratorium.”

The Brooklyn Eagle counts more than a dozen major films and TV shows being shot locally over the last two weeks: “Delivery Man,” “Smash,” “Law and Order: SVU,” “The Angriest Man in Brooklyn,” “Noah,” “Golden Boy,” “Zero Hour,” “Orange,” “666 Park Avenue,” “Carrie Diaries,” “Person of Interest,” “How to Be a Man,” “Infamous” and “Made in Jersey”—along with a number of commercials, like the New York Lottery spot being filmed on Montague Street. Much more in the Eagle piece here.

With the Brooklyn Heights Association’s annual Dog Show returning to Montague Street Sunday, Sept. 23—part of the BID’s Summer Space—it seems apropos to share info about how much New Yorkers prize their pets. Webbie Puppy Tales featured a “New York Dog Spotting” post Sunday, with stats from the NYC Economic Development Corp.: As of February 2012, +/-1.1 million pets reside in the city (600,000 dogs, 500,000 cats), with an ownership rate of about one pet for every three households.

The corporation breaks down ownership by region: Downtown Brooklyn, which includes the Heights, is home to between 15,001 & 20,000 pets. The most-populated NYC nabes are the Upper West & East Sides (lining Central Park), Staten Island, Astoria and—for whatever reason—Williamsburg.

Meanwhile, BHA Executive Director Judy Stanton shares with BHB readers that the organization will offer registration information and details for the Brooklyn Heights Dog Show soon after Labor Day. She says, “The idea is to make this homegrown show fun for dogs, their owners and the audience. Any dog who lives in Brooklyn Heights is eligible to enter the show on a first come, first served basis.” Poochie lovers with suggestions for show categories can email info@thebha.org, heading the Subject with “Dog Show.”

(Doggie pic: Puppy Tales/Chart: NYCEDC)

Crime has caved 78% in the 84th Precinct over the last two decades and 10% over the past year, according to the 84th Precinct Community Council—comprising the neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill, DUMBO and Vinegar Hill. An all-out celebration of safety was held Tuesday at Borough Hall for the 29th-annual “National Night Out Against Crime,” which builds relationships between cops and the communities they police.

Leslie Lewis, president of the 84th Precinct Council for 22 years, told the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, “We’re here to celebrate the success of the partnership between the community and the police. When this all started, it was too dangerous to walk around at night; nobody was on the streets. Now there are people on the streets, development everywhere. It’s a very different world. Because of the success of the partnership, developers started to spend money and encourage people to move here. It’s directly related.”

Cops from the 84th precinct grilled up hundreds of burgers and hotdogs at Tuesday’s celebration, with Deputy Inspector Mark Di Paolo serving as ringleader. He told the Eagle, “When it first began in 1984, this was a night where the community came out to feel safe, not victimized. Now, 29 years later, it’s more to celebrate how this partnership brought safety to the community.”

Crime is down 10% in the 84th Precinct overall this year, and down 5% in robberies, 22% in felony assault, and 60% in stolen cars.

Judy Stanton, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, told the Brooklyn Daily Eagle that the 84th Precinct “is very responsive to local community needs as well as keeping a handle on the bigger issues in the precinct—terror targets, the bridge, etc. They give equal attention to big and little stuff.”

Update: Following last evening’s hearing, a majority of the Community Board 2 Land Use Committee voted to approve the new owner’s request for a variance to re-convert the Bossert to transient hotel use. The matter will now go to the full Community Board for consideration. We’ll keep you posted.

David Bistricer, buyer of the Bossert Hotel, was on hand for this evening’s hearing before Community Board 2’s Land Use Committee on his application for a variance to reconvert the grande dame of Montague to a “transient hotel.” While he didn’t speak, his attorney and several consultants offered these assurances: (1) it will be a hotel–indeed, a “sophisticated and upscale” (but not too upscale) hotel–not a dorm; (2) the beautiful lobby won’t be altered, but will become home to a first-class restaurant; (3) there will also be dining on the roof, but it will be very quiet; and (4) their studies of likely increases in traffic from guests arriving by taxi, limo or private car (they have an arrangement with Quick Park for valet parking service) and from delivery trucks indicate that the impact, compared with present conditions under Watchtower ownership, is not “significant.”

So, who liked it? The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, citing, among other things, the new owner’s “commitment to local hiring”; Glenn Markman, co-owner of Heights Cafe and soon-to-open Della Rocco’s, who said it will attract more business and perhaps more people to move to the Heights; Karen Johnson (who discovered she had a namesake in the audience), who “feels confident it will be done correctly”; the Montague Street BID, whose Executive Director, Brigit Pinnell, said the real comparison to be made was with alternative uses for the building, which include a dorm, a social services facility, or medical offices; and Borough President Marty Markowitz, whose spokeswoman said it will “help Downtown Brooklyn’s business community to thrive.”

Who had doubts? Brooklyn Heights Association Executive Director Judy Stanton asked what controls are in place to assure that this will be, and remain, a first class hotel. Consultant Jeff Klein said that the design, level of service, and room rates should do the trick. Ms. Stanton then noted that if the projections were wrong, there could be a large increase in taxi traffic. She also said she was concerned about guests arriving by private car; in particular, that they might have to wait in idling cars for valet service. Spokesmen for the buyer said that the assumptions made in the environmental assessment were “very conservative”, and that guests reserving rooms would be asked if they planned to arrive by private car, so that valet service could be scheduled to meet them.

Other cautionary messages came, unsurprisingly, from people living in the Bossert’s immediate vicinity. Several people from 200 Hicks Street expressed concerns. Richard F. Ziegler said the planned re-conversion “could be an asset [to the neighborhood] or an absolute devastating nightmare.” He found the statements made by the buyer’s attorney and consultants “confusing,” and said the residents of 200 Hicks had retained “high priced counsel” to represent their interests in the variance proceedings. Gretchen Dykstra, former City Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, expressed great concern about the rooftop lounge and dining area. She noted that a rooftop lounge at the Empire Hotel, also owned by Mr. Bistricer’s company, had become a venue for parties with DJs and loud music that went late into the night. When local residents complained, they were told that the owner wasn’t responsible; the space was leased to the organization[s] giving the parties. Kay Desai said more information was needed, and her husband, Rohit Desai, sternly warned Committee members that their failure to demand such information could be in violation of law.

Other neighbors with cautionary messages were David Green and Nils Larson, both Remsen Street residents. Mr. Green noted that the valet parking operation would result in an increase in traffic on Remsen because cars being taken from the hotel to Quick Park would have to go that way. Mr. Larson, a recent high school graduate, said he had grown up in Brooklyn Heights and always loved the neighborhood’s serenity. He has two much younger brothers who, because the local streets are safe, are able to walk to school and to squash lessons. He fears that the increase in traffic generated by the hotel may end that.

Photo: Brownstoner.

If you’re a registered Democrat (we understand there are a few around here; Brooklyn Heights has not yet had an Alferd Packer; note: though the linked piece spells his name “Alfred” it really was “Alferd”); there’s an important primary election to determine who may represent you in Congress coming up on June 26. The Brooklyn Heights Association gives us these details:

THIS MATTERS. Turn-out will be low because nobody thinks about voting in June! In the U.S.Congressional District which includes Brooklyn Heights, new boundaries and shifting populations have created a contest. Hoping to unseat our incumbent Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez are three challengers: Erik Martin Dilan, George Martinez and Dan O’Connor.

If you will be out of town on June 26, you need to vote now by absentee ballot. Here’s how: 1) Download a pdf version of the absentee ballot application at http://vote.nyc.ny.us/absentee.html and mail it to the Kings County Board of Elections, 345 Adams Street, 4th floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201, no later than June 18.

2) You can easily go to the Board of Elections Office on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. by walking across Borough Hall Park to 345 Adams Street (directly in line with Remsen Street). Go to the 4th floor and fill out the application. They will give you a ballot and you can vote on the spot.

Some polling sites have changed. Click here to find the current polling site for your address http://gis.nyc.gov/vote/ps/index.htm. You can also telephone the Voter Phone Bank at 1-866.868.3692 with questions.

Call the BHA office at 718-858-9193 if you need help. Thank you!

And thank you, Judy Stanton and the BHA.

1) Tomorrow, Monday, February 13 (Lincoln’s Birthday) is a holiday for the NYC Sanitation Department. No garbage will be picked up in the Heights until Wednesday.

2) Wait until Tuesday night before putting any garbage out on the curb.

3) If Monday is your recycling collection day, hold back all recylables until further notice from the BHA, because another Monday holiday follows this one.

4) Next Monday, February 20, (Washington’s Birthday)is also a Sanitation Department day off. Follow the same instructions as above.

NOTE: If Monday is your recycling day, watch for another BHA email about trash. I’ll have an update about whether/when the DSNY might collect the recycling backlog.

If you’re in an apartment building where garbage is managed by a custodian, please send me his/her email address to receive these helpful notices, for a cleaner Brooklyn Heights.

Judy’s e-mail address is jstanton@thebha.org

The Brooklyn Paper: Preservationists hailed the city for protecting a slew of Romanesque Revival and Beaux-Arts structures, including the tiered co-op 75 Livingston St., which housed some of the designation’s most vocal opponents.

“We’re thrilled,” said Judy Stanton, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, the powerful community group that helped push for the district. “The opposition exaggerated the negatives. This is going to be good for Brooklyn as a whole and very good for Downtown and Court Street.”

According to the Brooklyn Paper story, Council Members Steve Levin and Brad Lander, both of whom voted for the designation, received assurances that proposed changes to buildings within the district would be given expedited consideration by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and that the LPC will “be flexible” with requests from residents of 75 Livingston.

Following up on our inquiry, prompted by reader Andrew Porter, Brooklyn Heights Association Executive Director Judy Stanton got on the phone and found that the City Department of Buildings has no jurisdiction over the billboard (see photo) near the north end of the Promenade, because it is affixed to a building owned by the Transit Authority. Ms. Stanton then called the TA, and was told “that the sign is securely bolted to the wall and is level with the rooftop to minimize wind resistance and was installed under MTA/NYCT structural engineering specification.” Since it is evidently a source of revenue for the cash-strapped TA, it’s unlikely they’ll yield to community pressure to remove it. (Photo: McBrooklyn.)

Update: Federal legislation may provide another means of getting rid of the billboard. See BHB Ten honoree Tony Manheim’s comment on this post.

Responding to our post about an illegal billboard that was blown down by last Friday’s high winds and blocked the southbound lanes of the BQE, a local resident noted that there is an illegal–because it is within 200 feet of a highway–billboard near Brooklyn Heights. It can be seen in the photo and from the north end of the Promenade quite clearly. Within your correspondent’s now fading memory, it has always advertised Apple products (the photo was taken in June of 2010, when the iPad was the latest gadget). Reader Andrew Porter forwarded the complaint to us, and to Brooklyn Heights Association executive director Judy Stanton, who gave the hopeful response, “If it is illegal it shouldn’t be hard to get DOB to enforce it.”

Brooklyn Daily Eagle: Following what one person described as “an exhilarating” discussion on the value of contextual vs. contemporary architecture in a historic district, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) yesterday asked the design team of a proposed new five-story, five-unit building at 30 Henry St. in Brooklyn Heights to consider making some additional changes.

The story notes that Brooklyn Heights preservationist Otis Pratt Pearsall and Brooklyn Heights Association President Jane McGroarty and Executive Director Judy Stanton all urged the Commission to reject the proposed design and require something contemporary and distinctive. BHA member and architect Jonathan Marvel is quoted as saying, ““We implore you to inspire, to delight, to raise the bar on originality.” But Park Slope resident and preservationist Clem Labine said the site doesn’t need a “starchitect” building that would be “dissonant and disruptive.”

The Commission’s legal counsel said it didn’t have the power to require “a particular style.”

Dear Neighbors:

This is an updated reminder of the irregularities of NYC DSNY collection times, due to the consecutive holidays interrupting our usual Monday service.

Re RECYCLING:

If Monday (today) is your regular recycling collection day, please have all recyclables out on the curb tonight for pick up starting at midnight.

Paper will probably be picked up on the midnight to 8 AM shift tonight, and metal/glass/plastics should be picked up on the 6 AM -2 PM shift tomorrow (Tuesday).

Regular garbage will NOT be picked up before Wednesday.

ALSO, PLEASE REMEMBER THE NEXT 3 MONDAY HOLIDAYS WHEN DSNY SERVICE WILL AGAIN BE INTERRUPTED:

1) Martin Luther King, Jr. day – MONDAY, JANUARY 16.
2) Lincoln’s Birthday, observed – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13.
3) President’s Day – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20.
There will be NO garbage collection whatsoever on these days, and Monday recycling service will be skipped for the entire week, or longer.

Any changes in this ‘routine’ will bring another email about trash!

Discarded Christmas trees are not likely to be picked up at all this week, due to DSNY backlogs.

Note: These updates come to me via the Sanitation Department superintendent who is responsible for Brooklyn Heights. Should you experience service problems not referenced in these emails, it would be helpful to let us know by phoning the BHA office at 718-858-9193.

Happy New Year to All!

Judy Stanton, BHA Executive Director