Up for Approval: Gowanus Park's Makeover Plan, Red Hook Chicken Joint's Liquor License

GOWANUS, BROOKLYN — A city plan to completely refurbish Gowanus' Ennis Playground is one of the items before Community Board 6 at its full board meeting on Wednesday night.

The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of Brooklyn Borough Hall, located at 209 Joralemon St.

Community Board 6 (CB 6) represents Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Gowanus, Park Slope, Red Hook and the Columbia Waterfront.

Here are a few highlights from the meeting's full agenda:

ENNIS PLAYGROUND: At a September CB 6 meeting, the city's Parks Department presented its design for a refurbished Ennis Playground — complete with new play equipment, an asphalt basketball court, spray fountains, bike racks, lighted pathways and many other amenities.

While the design was generally well received, some at the meeting asked if the city could switch the proposed location of a children's play space and an adult gathering area, to limit the amount of noise near homes along the park's eastern edge.

In November, Parks Department officials reported back to CB 6. According to minutes and documents from that meeting, the department did present an alternative design for Ennis, which would have moved the adults away from the homes in question:

However, Parks officials said they favored their original design. They suggested creating a “Friends of Ennis Park” group that would alert the NYPD if excessive noise was coming from the park, and noted that the community can request to set the hours for when the park is open.

A majority of the parks committee voted to approve the original design presented, with two stipulations: that an additional entrance be added to the park, and that another area in Gowanus be identified for outdoor bar-b-ques, which are not permitted in the park under the design presented.

On Dec. 14, the full board will vote on whether to accept the parks committee's proposal.

NEW LOCAL BUSINESSES: CB 6 will also vote on a liquor license for Hometown Pan Fried Chicken, a new venture to open next spring at 329 Van Brunt St. The restaurant is the work of Billy Durney, owner of Hometown Bar-B-Que.

Durney told Patch that his future spot will seat about 40 people, who will be able to enjoy "a mug of ale" and "a really old-fashioned traditional fried chicken supper" in an "authentically old-fashioned" space.

Other businesses are also seeking liquor licenses from CB 6, including Curry! Modern Caribbean Experience..., a planned 7th Avenue restaurant in Park Slope (the work of Brooklyn native Michael Frazier); and the Nargis Bar & Grill, an Uzbek restaurant also slated to open on Park Slope's 5th Avenue under the ownership of Boris Bangiyer.

You can read the full agenda for CB 6's meeting here.

Renderings of Ennis Playground courtesy of the NYC Parks Department