Cool or Not Cool: Daniel Goldstein's Own Private Battle for BK?

Daniel Goldstein in Battle For Brooklyn

Back in July our fearless Managing Editor wrote a stellar review for the movie Battle for Brooklyn. This brainchild of filmmakers Suki Hawley and Michael Glinsky used 500 hours of footage taken over the span of 8 years to explore the highly controversial Atlantic Yards project. The narrative focused on a graphic designer by the name of Daniel Goldstein, whose apartment was declared imminent domain by the city. Goldstein's struggles to fight against Ratner and consequently become a leading member of the opposition against the Atlantic Yards made him a sort of urban grassroots hero around these parts. 

When Goldstein was booted out of Prospect Heights pad kicking and screaming, he crossed Flatbush with nearly 3 million smackers in settlement money from the city. He bought himself a hot little number in Park Slope. According to Gothamist, Goldstein and his wife now want to add an 18 foot extension onto their Park Slope Shangri-La . But get this: their neighbor, an administrative law judge by the name of Kathryn Roake, says no way.

Say why, Kathy? "You're going to wreck my garden and cut off the sunlight," she argues.  

It's safe to say that this story has become a pretty good example of irony. Goldstein himself says that he will only do what is appropriate within the rights of zoning. Technically he hasn't even filed the plans yet, but he went on to explain why it's important he add this extension:

The irony here is that under the blight New York State did for the Atlantic Yards footprint, a gas station that is zoned, for example, to be three stories would be considered 'underutilized' and therefore 'blighted' if it's only one story. My new home would currently be considered 'underutilized' and 'blighted" under the state's 'blight' criteria. Our renovation will bring the property above that arbitrary threshold.

Kathryn Roake doesn't want to hear any lip though. She even went so far as to say she hopes their house burns down, which I would say demonstrates her law-abiding restraint as a judge. Regardless of her outbursts Ms. Roake plans to fight the Goldstein's plans as soon as their asses file them.

So what do you FIPS'ters think about the extension: cool or not cool?