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Brooklyn Bridge Park

Community Advisory Council (CAC)
Presentation To:

February 3, 2015
Congregation Mt Sinai
250 Cadman Plaza West

By the end of 2014 everyone could see something had

gone terribly wrong.

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From the 2011 Pier 1 Request For Proposal

Proposals must comply with all relevant land use
controls. Such development controls include,

without limitation, the MGPP, the FEIS, the

Letter of Resolution, select requirements found in the
New York City Zoning Resolution relating to the
preservation of the view plane from the Brooklyn
Heights Promenade, the Design

Guidelines and

certain other requirements discussed below.

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From the 2005 Final Environmental Impact Statement

"The efforts include measures to fully protect the

extraordinary views currently available within the

park and its surrounding environs. For instance, the
design intends to protect views at the Fulton Ferry
and Atlantic Avenue entries, as well as the view plane
and the existing views of the Brooklyn Bridge and
the harbor from the Promenade. New structures
have been carefully placed so that important

viewsheds and protected view planes around the site

have been fully respected."
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Major deviations from Parks Plan discover to date.

Parcel A
1. The southern tall wall too close to the Promenade
2. Incorrect base plane used
3. Bulkheads added to the roof
Parcel B
4. Plans violate SV-1
5. Plans show part of building over 55

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As planned in 2005, unobstructed views of the Bridge would

have been visible from many points along the Promenade.

View Line

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Instead the tall wall of the hotel complex was extended

closer to the Brooklyn Promenade, breaking the view line

New View Line 1

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Next, the base plane was raised. Even a small change at the
building ends up being a large change in the view.

New View Line 2

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Finally, bulkheads have been placed on the roof, blocking

even more of the view of the Brooklyn Bridge.

New View Line 3

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The difference between the top and bottom views lines is the
total view lost because the BBPC failed in their duty to read
and enforce their own Planning documents.

Stolen
Views

As built in 2015

2005 Plan

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From the Design Guidelines: Pier 1 Building Envelope. Open

water views from all of Squibb Park were in the BBPC Plan.

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What happened to the water views from Squibb Park?

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From the 2011 Pier 1 RFP

Respondents are strongly encouraged to

transition in height down to no more than

34 within 80 feet of the southern courtyard,

limiting the height of the southern section of
Parcel A, across Furman Street from

Squibb Park, in order to protect the views of

the East River from Squibb Park.

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BBPC, why was the height not limited to 34 as

specified in the Design Guidelines and RFP?

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