The Gowanus Canal Community Advisory Group’s Land Use Committee met on Tuesday, April 5, 2016, in the offices of the Gowanus Canal Conservancy at 543 Union Street.
CAG Members present: David Briggs, Marlene Donnelly, Rafael Gomez de Luna, Andrea Parker, Buddy Scotto, Debra Scotto, Mark Shames, Sue Wolfe, Maryann Young
Guests: Terri Thompson, National Grid
Item 1
Review of March 1, 2016 meeting minutes.
Action
Minutes approved.
Item 2
The Department of Sanitation of New York [DSNY] is planning to build a compost facility and a salt storage shed at the Salt Lot, which is the planned site of a retention tank. There is confusion about why DSNY is proceeding with this work in light of the EPA’s comments at the January CAG meeting that the retention tank installations could move forward. All agreed that the design and installation of both retention tanks should proceed expeditiously and be completed prior to the dredging.
Action
Andrea and Dave will draft a resolution requesting the EPA to move forward with the OH-007 retention-tank design process and construction schedule. The draft will be circulated to the committee for review and comment.
Item 3
Bulkhead design at the north end of the canal.
Action
All agreed that further discussion on this topic is postponed until the EPA reaches a decision on the location of the retention tank at the north end of the canal.
Item 4
Design options for the retention tank head houses. Several goals were discussed, including designing an energy-efficient, low-carbon-footprint sewage facility that is an attractive addition to the neighborhood and meets its operational goals.
Action
None required.
Item 5
Rezoning of the neighborhood by the Department of City Planning. After discussion, all agreed that the committee should not involve itself in zoning changes to the neighborhood since this is not part of the CAG or CERCLA’s purview.
Action
None required.
Item 6
Examples of retention tank/head house designs of a similar size with a proven track record.
Action
At the next CAG meeting, the committee will request the EPA to share relevant examples, including tanks that do not have head houses.
Item 7
Committee mission statement.
Action
Dave will forward a draft mission statement for the Land Use Committee to the rest of the committee members.