Tonight Joy and I (with Jacob in tow) made our way to a protest against a developer who seems to want special treatment in the Park Slope area near 4th Ave. This is not far from where we lived, so, despite not knowing alot about the issue, we went. (Updated to Josh Skaller's public statement on the issue):

Statement from City Council Candidate Josh Skaller
(D-39th District) Regarding the Requested Zoning Variance at 580 Carroll Street

"The entire process of development in our city has fallen apart. New York City has to grow, we all know that - but it has to grow in a way that works for communities. The current process is a rubber stamp for well-connected developers that goes on behind closed doors, with the community on the outside looking in.

"The City's Board of Standards and Appeals - also known as the BSA - should be part of the solution. Instead, it's a big part of the problem. The BSA often takes action on developments that disregard the interests of communities - and behooves the interests of developers. And that's what gets us to where we are today.

"Now we hear that the developer wants to change the rules and build even more units, ignoring the clear objections of community members and neighbors. The BSA shouldn't be a shortcut for developers to pad their pockets while ignoring the will of the community. I'm running for City Council to change the way the City does things - to make the rules fair, end the reign of developers, and finally put the community first."

This is from Josh Skaller's previous announcement of the protest yesterday:

There is bad or questionable development taking place all over the 39th Council District. Some of this development is driven by flawed City policies and some is driven by pure greed. I find that everywhere I look, there are problems with developers. That is why I have refused to accept campaign contributions from developers -- and I was the first Council candidate to do so!

One common problem is the behavior of the City's Board of Standards and Appeals -- fondly referred to as "the BSA." There are numerous instances where the BSA has taken action on developments that are not in line with the preferences of communities -- and very aligned with the interests of developers.

A new battle is taking place between the residents of Carroll and Garfield Streets (between 4th and 5th Avenues), the developer of 580 Carroll Street ... and the BSA. The developer working on 580 Carroll Street has asked for a variance to build additional units -- and the community is very opposed to this move. The developer is already allowed to build a substantial development "as-of-right." Neighbors may not have loved that, but it was then within the rules and the development included a front garden area.

Now, however, the developer wants to change the rules and build even more units -- where the garden was supposed to be. Did someone say "greed"? This variance requested by the developer would create a site that is wholly out of scale with the rest of the neighborhood and there is overwhelming public opposition to this. Nearly all of the neighbors on Carroll Street and Garfield Place have signed a petition. The Land Use Committee of Community Board 6 voted unanimously against it.

Our neighbors on Carroll Street and Garfield Place between 4th and 5th Avenues are asking for help...

You are...invited to show your support at a BSA hearing in Manhattan on Tuesday, July 28 at 1:30 pm. This hearing will take place at 40 Rector Street, in the 6th Floor - Hearing Room "E."

I pass the building site between Carroll and Garfield most weekdays on my way to work. The construction has clearly been disruptive to the neighborhood, and, according to some of the locals, has outright damaged neighboring facades. I can say that there have been times where the construction workers have blocked the sidewalk or otherwise inconvenienced passerbys, but this apparently has only been a small aspect of the problems the neighbors have experienced. I just pass by and notice it. The neighbors have to live with it.

The protest was a mix of the neighbors and local politicians. Two representatives for the developer were also there. When we arrived, several local candidates were working the crowd. Josh Skaller, who sent us notice of the protest and seemed to have the largest presence, was joined by fellow City Council candidates Gary Reily, John Heyer, and Brad Lander. The neighbors talked about their problems with the developer and pointed out that the developer didn't do their homework before starting construction and now want the city to cover for their mistake. Josh and Brad seemed to tag team cornering the developers to question their actions and call on them to stick with their original agreement with the city. I should note that Brad seems to have taken note of my recent criticisms of his short temper and was friendly and personable. However, I should also note that I received many comments on my recent article on Lander's temper and there is considerable agreement with my view...including from some fellow bloggers who often disagree with me. Brad take note: your temper and your campaign's behavior is unpopular among a diverse group of bloggers, politicians and activists. It has already driven people away. I am doing you a favor letting you know you have to learn better anger management and better campaign management if you don't want to alienate voters, bloggers and other politicians who you will later have to work with.

I did not hear Gary or John talk, but they were present in support of the neighborhood against the developer. Joan Millman and (if I heard correctly while watching Jacob) Velmanette Montgomery sent statements supporting the neighborhood. Bill DeBlasio (who, now that he is, for now, kicked off the ballot due to his campaign's carelessness in the face of the city's insane petitioning laws, seems to be emailing me 4-5 times a day!) also sent a representative, but this gentleman was not well received. It seemed people were blaming Bill DeBlasio for the development fiasco along the block...but more on that later.

I actually was not able to be a part of most of the event, since Jacob (after a brief period of, on his own initiative, handing out Josh Skaller, Jo Anne Simon, Norman Siegel and John Liu literature) decided he'd rather sit on a local stoop and draw. One picture did say "Vote for Josh," but otherwise they were all notes to neighbors or his sister or drawings of planets. He also shared one of his books (about the planets, of course...he is, after all, in his "I want to be an astronaut phase) with a little girl and her father. I was only able to hear a small amount of the speeches. Both neighbors and developers spoke and answered questions. Brad and Josh also spoke as well as reps from other politicians. All politicians (even largely pro-developer Bill DeBlasio and often pro-developer Brad Lander) objected to this particular development issue. But mostly I just got the gist of this after the fact because I was watching Jacob.

But I did get the chance to talk to people afterwards once the speeches were over and the press had gone. And one particular conversation struck me.

Through the whole event I saw a group of 3-4 locals sitting watching the event from across the street. I missed when one of them did get up to speak, but mostly they were looking on with what seemed like disdain and cynicism. As far as I can tell, I was the only person who went up to talk to them. They were long term residents of the area and had nothing good to say about the development project. Their views were enlightening.

First off, they immediately told me that they blamed Bill DeBlasio for the decline of their neighborhood because Bill allowed excessive development. They had particular vitriol and blame for DeBlasio and they wanted me to know that right off the bat. Their next comments were for liberals. These gentlemen struck me as conservative even from a distance, and they expressed disdain for liberals, BLAMING THEM FOR THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS. I gave a lesson above for Brad Lander regarding anger management. For the more progressive, pro-community candidates, Gary Reily, Bob Zuckerman, and, my choice for the office, Josh Skaller, I have another message: there are people in this very neighborhood who agree with your message but write you off because they blame liberals (like DeBlasio and Yassky) for the overdevelopment in their neighborhood. I can understand their view. I am liberal, but I am amazed and dismayed at the way local Democrats bend over backwards for developers. Vito Lopez and Steve Levin give developers anything they want. Marty Markowitz has never seen a developer he didn't like. Bill DeBlasio has occasionally taken a stand but the locals in Park Slope aren't falling for it and are blaming DeBlasio SPECIFICALLY for their problems. David Yassky has whined about how developers hurt neighborhoods but still takes their money and supports them most of the time. All of these so-called liberals take developer money and give developers favors in a very clearly corrupt bargain that leaves residents of the community with no one representing them.

Candidates like Norman Siegel, Josh Skaller, Gary Reily, Jo Anne Simon, and Eugene Myrick need to reach not just the more liberal end of these neighborhoods, but the more CONSERVATIVE end of the neighborhood, right across and next to these insane overdevelopment projects because these more conservative people are open to your message even if their first reaction is to dismiss you as too liberal. In fact they make your own message more convincingly and passionately than you do. They know they have been betrayed by the likes of Bill DeBlasio, David Yassky, Michael Bloomberg and Marty Markowitz. But they are not convinced by the likes of Josh Skaller (or Gary Reily), Jo Anne Simon (or Ken Diamonstone), or Tony Avella, or Norman Siegel or Eugene Myrick or John Liu. Josh/Gary, Jo Anne/Ken, Tony Avella, Norman Siegel, Eugene Myrick and John Liu need to reach these people, more conservative perhaps, but savvy to the destruction for which developers are responsible.

This is why walking the district, no matter how big, is the key. And this is why all voters have to grill candidates on their top issues every chance they can. DeBlasio's representative did not hold up well to questioning. Voters have to challenge candidates and see how they do. Find their weaknesses and see if they can hold their own.

That is how democracy can be restored in Bloomberg and Quinn's little NYC Dictatorship and that is how candidates and voters can reconnect in a constructive way.