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March 9, 2010
State 'cages' key Atlantic Yards holdout
The Brooklyn Blog [NYPost.com]
by Rich Calder
Daniel Goldstein feels he’s being treated like an Enemy of the State.
Goldstein – the public face of an opposition group that nearly killed Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards project through mounting litigation – isn’t a convict behind bars or under house arrest. But he says he’s now being forced to check with the state whenever he has visitors to his Prospect Heights condo.
Goldstein and his family are the last holdouts on a Pacific Street block between Fifth and Sixth avenues that was fenced off from the rest of the real world yesterday to pave way for Atlantic Yards.
It is now impossible to enter the Fifth Avenue side, which is closed off with cement barricades. The Sixth Avenue side has temporary barricades being guarded by security officers, who are blocking all vehicles entering the block except Goldstein’s.
The guards, Goldstein said, are even stopping friends and family walking to his home to visit him, his wife and 16-month-old daughter.
“I’ve been told I can’t have visitors unless I give advanced notice,” said Goldstein, adding he had friends already stopped by guards.
“I live in New York City and pay taxes, so there’s no way that I should be treated differently. I actually don’t feel like I live in New York City or a free country anymore.”
While his mail is getting delivered, something as routine as having pizza delivered is now problematic, he added.
Elizabeth Mitchell, an Empire State Development Corp. spokeswoman, said “we are aware of Mr. Goldstein's concerns. The goal is to disrupt Mr. Goldstein and the other occupants' lives as little as possible while addressing the safety and security issues related to the development of the project, and we will continue to work with Forest City Ratner Co. to achieve this goal.”
NoLandGrab: With all due respect to Elizabeth Mitchell, that sounds like just one more load of bulls--- from an agency that seems to specialize in it.
Posted by eric at March 9, 2010 10:19 PM