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Parking

Brooklyn Heights

Pervasive ‘Delivery Man’ Film Shoot Hijacks The Heights

October 23, 2012

Consider this the week that the “Delivery Man” took over Brooklyn Heights. Locating a street where the feature film shoot from 533 Kids Productions isn’t shooting in the neighborhood is easier than naming all those where it is. Tuesday’s scheduled filming near and along the Promenade was postponed until Wednesday because of cloudy weather—meaning that vehicles forced to move Monday on Montague Terrace, Pierrepont Place, Pierrepont Street and Remsen must repeat their desertion act Tuesday evening.

Meanwhile, vehicles were banned Tuesday along parts of Orange, Cranberry, Clark and Henry streets, as filming ensued (with an abundance of kids present) early afternoon along Orange Street. “Delivery Man,” due in 2013 and starring Vince Vaughn, Ben Bailey, Cobie Smulders, Britt Robertson and Chris Pratt, centers on a man whose life is turned upside down when he learns he’s fathered 533 children as a sperm donor. When a bunch of the kids want to meet their dad, he must decide whether to reveal his identity.

See vehicle restrictions for Tuesday at 10 p.m. below the jump, along with more pics from Tuesday’s shoot. For questions or concerns, call 533′s Location Department at 646-513-2360. (Photos: Chuck Taylor)

Cars must be moved tonight by 10 p.m. on both sides of Clark Street between Cadman Plaza West and Henry, Pierrepont Street between Monroe Place and Clinton, Clinton between Pierrepont and Remsen, Montague Street between Cadman Plaza West and Clinton, and the west side of Cadman Plaza West between Pineapple and Clark.


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49637

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Brooklyn Heights

The Heights Are Alive… With The Sound Of Movie & TV Shoots

October 11, 2012

Following Tuesday’s BHB post about Brooklyn Heights being potentially overtaken by a multitude of film shoots, there was certainly plenty of ongoing action we witnessed along Montague Street, the Promenade, Montague Terrace, Pierrepont Place and Remsen Street on Wednesday and Thursday. It’s a red cone zone, for sure—along with associated mammoth vehicles taking up gobs of parking spaces and humming like a herd of Fresh Direct trucks. More pics below. (Photos: Chuck Taylor)


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/49175

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Brooklyn Heights, Police Blotter

Montague Street Parking Ticket Overkill? Come On!

August 28, 2012

Are you kidding? This UPS truck parked on Montague Street Monday afternoon across from the AT&T store was adorned with not one, not two, but three parking tickets, each strategically placed so as not to overlap. I’ve never known a UPS truck to dawdle for so long that it merits this kind of overkill. Really? No, really? (Detailed pics below the jump)
(Photos: Chuck Taylor)


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/46474

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Brooklyn Heights, News

Willowtowners Fear Traffic Nightmares From Fieldhouse Crowds

June 29, 2012

Yesterday (Wednesday) evening the Fieldhouse road show continued in Willowtown, at a meeting arranged by the Willowtown Association and hosted by their President, Ben Bankson. The opening presentation was similar to that at St. Francis on Monday, except that Fieldhouse Executive Director Greg Brooks stressed even more–no doubt anticipating the questions he knew would come–that this was a meeting to hear concerns and get information from the community, not to offer answers. Also, the design portion of the presentation was handled by Jean Phifer (photo) of Thomas Phifer and Partners, instead of Greg Smith, of that firm.

Kate Collignon, of consultant HR&A Advisors, Inc., fielded the first volley of questions. The opening question was, what is the expected daily usage of the Fieldhouse? Ms. Collignon said there is no specific expectation at present; this will have to await information from local schools and other community organizations about their needs and desires. The next question was: How, then, can projections of traffic be made for the supplemental Environmental Impact Statement without full information about usage? Joralemon Street resident Frank Ciaccio said the issue of transportation needed to be addressed first. Others quickly seconded this, some noting that Joralemon between Hicks and Furman is already overburdened with auto (especially livery cab) traffic seeking a shortcut to the BQE. There was general agreement that the best solution to this problem was to block entrance to Furman Street from Joralemon. It was suggested that this could be done with retractable bollards that could be lowered to allow passage of emergency vehicles when needed. However, this would require assent of the City’s Department of Transportation, as well, perhaps, of other agencies.

Parking was also a concern. Some residents noted that parking in Willowtown had become more difficult since the playground on Pier 6 had opened, and anticipated its being much worse with the Fieldhouse. Ms. Collignon noted that one of the ways to encourage people to use mass transit instead of cars was to provide jitney service from nearby subway stations. Mr. Ciaccio suggested opening a tunnel from the Clark Street subway platform to Furman Street, which he said could be done at minimal cost.

One resident, noting Ms. Phifer’s emphasis on the lightness of her firm’s buildings, said she had spent a winter fostering a family of abandoned dogs in the the then derelict area where the Fieldhouse is to be constructed. She said the winter time she spent there showed the site to be extremely cold and windy, and she hoped that the architects, who were proud of their “light” buildings, would design something strong enough to withstand the weather. Ms. Phifer assured her that they would.


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/43232

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Brooklyn Heights, News

Bossert Plans Draw Cheers and Caveats

June 21, 2012

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.


Source: Brooklyn Heights Blog
http://brooklynheightsblog.com/archives/42752

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