GL Exclusive: South Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance Ready to Go

Several weeks ago, we carried the exclusive news that a new coalition of South Brooklyn neighborhood groups (particularly ones concentrated in the Carroll Gardens and Gowanus area) was forming to try to increase their clout on controversial community issues and to try to organize politically for the 2009 local elections. The neighborhoods are facing a large number of controversial development projects that would, together, add thousands of new residents over the next 3-5 years if approved. The group was set to announce itself at the community meeting held in Carroll Gardens last week about the Clarett Group's development at 340 Court Street, but the developer said it would back out of the meeting if the other items were added to the agenda. In any case, GL has learned that the name of the group is the South Brooklyn Neighborhood Alliance. Groups that have been involved in meetings and discussions include the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association (one of the most established neighborhood groups), CORD (which was founded over the issue of 360 Smith Street), the Union-Sackett Block Association (founded around the 340 Court Street development), Friends Of Bond (active in many Gowanus issues, including the Toll Brothers proposal), FROGG (a longtime group of Gowanus activists active in rezoning, the Whole Foods project, the Toll Brothers development and the issue of cleaning up the Gowanus Canal) and the Baltic Warren Neighbors Group. Other groups have been involved in discussions too and a formal announcement of the new group is pending, GL has learned.