Today we're launching a Gowanus Legal Defense Fund to defend our neighborhood from a dubious proposed rezoning, that is not sustainable, healthy, nor a path to address equity issues in our city. We invite you to help in this defense.
Your financial support right now (before year’s end!) at any level, is what will make that happen. Donate to the Fund today!
When the powers-that-be continue to ram a terribly planned, out-of-scale, environmentally unsustainable, luxury rental-centric, anti-community, pro-displacement rezoning down our throats, what else is a community left to do?
Especially during a pandemic when it's difficult to organize and express community concerns in person — and it's pretty much impossible to do so in virtual "public meetings" that are heavily controlled by city officials because they find all the community sentiment so "distracting."
Distracting? Government-run zoom-sessions have already proven to be a form of muzzling the community on many fronts. Legitimate concerns about putting residential towers on forever-toxic sites, as recently reported in amNY and other news outlets, should not be "distractions," as city officials declare—these disqualifying concerns cannot go ignored by the city.
We are not going to take this lying down. We are raising funds via our new Gowanus Legal Defense Fund to retain attorneys to attack the ill-advised Gowanus rezoning proposal on multiple fronts. We can do better.
A better plan—one that actually makes for a healthier environment, and that is led by the community rather than by developers and politicians—is possible. But it's clear we'll never get that healthy and sustainable plan with the current politicians in place unless we defeat the greed-fueled juggernaut careening toward our neighborhood.
BE ON THE SIDE OF GOWANUS - DONATE TO THE GOWANUS LEGAL DEFENSE FUND
Even a small donation will help the cause right now, as the city has just indicated it will certify the proposed Gowanus rezoning on January 19, 2021, kicking off the ULURP (land use review) process that could codify it into law. This rezone is the most important and impactful issue ever discussed in Community Board 6, one that will affect the future of residents not only in Gowanus, but Park Slope, Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Red Hook and Sunset Park. Donations to the Gowanus Legal Defense Fund are managed by one of our Voice of Gowanus coalition member Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus, and are tax-deductible to the fullest extent provided by law.
Of course, if you want to make a big donation, we'll accept that too. Lawyers cost a pretty penny! Donate!
Our legal strategy will focus on environmental and public health considerations, due process concerns, and more - every lawyer we speak with finds additional reasons to be concerned with the proposed Gowanus rezoning from a legal perspective.