Rendering for Flushing Commons, from inhabitat.com

The beauty of development in New York is that there is always another layer. Today, it’s the argument about plans for Flushing Commons, the 5.5-acre mixed-use development slated for Flushing, Queens.

As we reported a few weeks ago, Streetsblog.com has voiced its opposition to the plan, citing it as an example of the Bloomberg administration not following through on its PlaNYC commitment to transit-oriented development. The plan will add 500,000 square feet of vehicle storage, which the transportation-advocacy blog says will encourage more driving rather than green transit. But yesterday an article on the Queens Neighborhood Retail Alliance blog added several more shades of nuance to the argument.

About 80 small businesses showed up to the City Planning Commission meeting last week to protest the project. They argued the project could seriously harm their businesses, the increased housing and retail could choke traffic and that the city had not offered the proper contingency plans should the plan stall or fail.

“Something doesn’t add up,” said Flushing BID Chairman James Gerson, “and I guess the biggest issue that concerns us is that these negotiations and this change to the plan took place without any community input whatsoever.”

Here are a few of the issues of concern to those following the project:

*Streetsblog says adding parking will worsen congestion, and ignores the PlaNYC goal to reduce transportation emissions by 44 percent by 2030.

*The Neighborhood Retail Alliance reports that in fact, locals are calling for more parking in the crowded neighborhood.

*According to the Alliance, nearly everyone agrees that parking or no, the development will exacerbate congestion.

*BID Chairman James Gerson also wonders about the plans to distribute $2 million in assistance to local businesses, saying there is no real plan for allocation and that the money may fall short.

*Then there is the contingency plan, or lack thereof, in the case that the project should fail. It’s not unreasonable to expect that the city provide some contingency plan so that we don’t get stuck with a hole in the ground,” said Gerson, “and so far the issue has not been addressed at all.”

*Ever suggestive, Curbed has noted that someone must “really” want the plan to go through given that opposition from all sides has not stymied the project, which almost died in 2007 but was reborn last January. Know who is pulling strings? We’d love to hear.

And so, other thoughts on Flushing Commons? More questions to add about the plan? Do you think that it will bring something needed to the neighborhood? Let us know….

- removal of the W line, which goes from Broadway at Whitehall Street in Manhattan, to Astoria, Queens. The Q will extend to Astoria.

- no more V service, which extends from Second Avenue, Manhattan, to Forest Hills in Queens. The M will replace it between Broadway-Lafayette and Forest Hills.

- the G train, which runs from Church Avenue in Brooklyn through 71st Ave in Forest Hills, Queens, will stop at at Court Square in Queens

Express bus routes will be discontinued between Manhattan and Queens, Grand Central and Lower Manhattan, Staten Island and Manhattan, and more.  Hundreds of local bus routes are being cut or restructured as well.  Waiting times on numerous subway lines will increase midday and on weekends.

For a full listing of changes, click here.

In the 2010 PlaNYC Progress Report, the Bloomberg administration blamed the recession, saying “maintaining and improving the current transit network as well as expanding the system to accommodate future demand – have been subject to dynamics largely out of City control.”

courtesy of midtownlunch.com

New York City is known for many things, but arguably nothing more important than its pizza.  Now, in the wake of the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day and the 3^rd anniversary of PlaNYC, the city has opened its first “green” pizzeria.

Pizza by Cer Te opened its doors on Earth Day to satisfy New Yorkers and the eco-conscious as the first of its kind to hit Gotham City.  The space is LEED-certified and makes its pies from locally grown ingredients served in recyclable boxes with biodegradable utensils.  And get this…all food will be delivered by foot or hybrid truck!

Among the other initiatives, rainwater will be collected in special gutters to be reused and the heat from the ovens will be recycled.

Owner and chef, Edward Sylvia, told Crain’s New York Business that though a lot of money is put out to create the space, he expects to save money on energy and expenses.

Pizza by Cer Te is located on E. 56^th St. between Park and Lexington Avenues.

If you stop to try a slice, leave a comment to let us know if the pizza is as delicious as it is eco-friendly.

Click here for slideshow.

We’ve covered the controversial U.S. Concrete plant opening along Red Hook, Brooklyn’s scenic waterfront a couple of times before, but it’s better described with photos.  For some background, click here.  Click the photo to your left or here to see the photo slideshow.

Our Earth Day Coverage

• Schedule of Earth Day Weekend Events
• Earth Day Celebrations Draw Small Crowd
• Video: What Do New Yorkers Really Want From PlaNYC?
• Lack of Recycling on Earth Day
• Updates to PlaNYC

On Earth Day, April 22, 2010, PlaNYC turned three. Mayor Michael Bloomberg celebrated the birthday of his wide-sweeping plan to reduce carbon emissions by 2030 with festivities in Times Square. Pepsi was there to show off its new recycling machines. Office Depot made an appearance to display its double-flush toilets and hand out gift bags. We stopped in at two of the more PlaNYC-related booths: the Parks’ Department table to talk about the MillionTrees NYC initiative, and the booth for Transportation Alternatives, an advocacy group that promotes low-impact modes of getting around town.

We brought back the following reports for you, which touch on some of the more successful elements of PlaNYC, and some that might need improvement.

Video: MillionTrees and PlaNYC

Andrew Newman knows a lot about trees, particularly the more than 300,000 the city has planted since 2007 as part of its PlaNYC goal to add one million trees to the city’s streets by 2030. Click here to learn a little more about the project, and how more trees contributes to the effort to make New York for a cleaner, greener city.

Video: Do Parking Requirements Counteract the Goals of PlaNYC?

On the third anniversary of the plan, Transportation Alternatives took a critical look at PlaNYC’s efforts at “transit oriented development,” focused particularly on the zoning regulations that require new buildings include a certain number of parking spaces per residence. Take a look at why Aja Hazelhoff thinks providing parking works against the ultimate goal to make New York more sustainable.

Cool rooftop to decrease the city's carbon footpring and lower energy consumption. Photo courtesy: cresscorp.com

New Yorkers are constantly trying to find ways to save money.  What would you say if you could save money, live comfortably, and help save the environment?  If it sounds too good to be true, its not.

The NYC Service, NYC Department of Buildings and Community Enviornmental Center have joined together in an effort to promote and facilitate the application of cool, reflective surfaces to New York City’s rooftops.

The goal is to coat 1 million square feet of rooftop this year to make “NYC healthier, cleaner, cooler and more cost effective.”

The cool roofs will begin given to buildings that exhibit roof temperatures higher than the citywide mean.  Some neighborhoods include Hunts Point, East New York, and Long Island City.  Training will be given to green job trainees and community volunteers who will work with site supervisors to coat the buildings roof.

Check out the benefits of these roofs below.

• Reduce roof temperatures to keep the surrounding air temperature cooler
• Reduce internal building temperatures
• Reduce CO2 emissions by 1 ton to help fight climate change
• Coated roofs can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and smog which will improve air quality
• Decreasing the roof temperature and cooling loads can extend the life of the cooling equipment usually found on rooftops

The proposed site for “Gowanus Village,” which was accepted into the State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program in 2004.

When Mayor Michael Bloomberg put together PlaNYC in 2007, he made brownfields one of the three overarching themes of his land use initiatives. But what is a brownfield, and what can brownfields do to help make New York a “greener” city?

A brownfield is an abandoned or underused industrial site available to be used or developed. Often, contamination from a previous use has left these buildings and properties polluted. “Brownfield” is a bit of a misnomer: these sites range from old auto body shops and pharmaceutical plants to factories and generating stations. In Brooklyn, dozens of these site dot the neighborhoods, particularly areas along the waterfront once home to heavy industry.

The following  slide show is a portrait of the “life” of one brownfield, which in 2004 was included in the New York State’s Brownfield Cleanup Program. The property, now called “Gowanus Village,” is a 2.4 acre site along Brooklyn’s notorious Gowanus Canal. The towering brick building on the property was once a power plant owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Over the past two decades, it became a favorite spot for graffiti writers and squatters, who called it “the Bat Cave.” This is the story of industry, development and growth through one building, on one brownfield, in New York City.

Click on the thumbnail to view the slide show.

You can find a map of with details of the city’s brownfield sites at Habit Map.

How was she contributing to Earth Day?

She uses newspaper amongst other materials to make puppets for different performances.  I caught up with her while she showed me how to make an elephant out of a periodical in this slideshow.

Click to see slideshow

Economists say the recession is over, but with the unemployment near 10 percent, it sure doesn’t feel like it. So some New Yorkers may have to stay local this summer. But for some poorer residents every year, they take a staycation. They take advantage of New York city’s open spaces. And Soundview Park, located in the southeast Bronx, just got rehabilited as part of PlaNYC, check out the photo slideshow here.

The Croton Reservoir from maisa_nyc on Flickr

A 12.9 percent increase in the water rate for the average household in Queens: $83.

One billion gallons of water through the New York City sewer system every day: priceless.

The presentation from the Department of Environmental Protection about a proposed increase on water bills was less of a sales pitch and more of an itemized receipt for Queens residents. Those who came to a community meeting in Jamaica on Tuesday night ready to oppose the citywide hike were met by itemized details of where billions of dollars in funding have been going.

“Your water rates have funded $13 billion in capital construction,” said DEP Commissioner Cas Holloway. “New York City’s water quality is fantastic, and we want it to stay that way.”

From nearly $5 billion for federally-mandated filtration plants to $5 billion for the ongoing efforts to build City Water Tunnel No. 3, projects to update the city’s sewer system have been on a debt system. Rate increases will help shoulder the burden of interest rates for past and future projects.Around $571 million alone was spent on infrastructure in Queens, Holloway added. “That is more than any other borough, and it’s still not going to get the job done,” he said.

In Jamaica, where flooding has been a chronic problem for decades, Holloway’s message about investments was particularly welcome. The DEP is conducting a new water flow study in the neighborhood in the hopes that a year of data will help the agency make changes to the system.

A video (shown below) of flooding after an August 2007 rainstorm highlights what residents say is a catastrophic problem in their neighborhood.

City Councilman James Gennaro fielded concerns about property flooding.

A resident at Hollis Courts pleaded for help for the rent-stabilized buildings. Her landlord has failed to pay bills for five years, she said, and the DEP refuses to fix sewage backups without a request from the owner.

“Water is coming into my building but nobody is paying for it,” Mays said, urging Gennaro and Holloway to find a solution for delinquent landlords who drive up costs. Holloway, who took the reigns of the DEP in January, has been making these town hall-style meetings something of a trademark. Despite arriving nearly two hours late, the commissioner had some in the audience gushing after his presentation.

“People don’t realize how lucky we are, this is the greatest system on earth,” said Sam Rodriguez, of Queens. “I don’t mind the increase – and don’t get me wrong, I’m on fixed income.”

The proposal will be reviewed by the Water Board after hearings in the coming months. The DEP’s next stop is in Staten Island on May 6 at Wagner High School at 8 p.m.. Hearings on the water rate increase will be help at the Thomas Edison High School in Jamaica on May 11 at 7 p.m.