According to a newsletter distributed by hand to Gowanus residents’ mailboxes this week (scanned and posted above), there is a Community Board Six public hearing tonight concerning the Lightstone Group’s massive planned development on Bond Street between Second and Carroll Streets.

The Lightstone Group is said to be able to circumvent the usual review process if they are only making “minor” changes to the plans approved by the property’s original owners, Toll Brothers. Lightstone’s plans for the nearly two-square-block tract include buildings as high as 12 stories and units for as many as 1,400 residents, creating additional pressure on the already-strained sewage, water, and subway systems. The letter’s author also cites possible environmental threats resulting from the construction process and calls for a full community review by the City Planning Department — as is usually the case with these kinds of new developments — in addition to an environmental review.

The hearing starts tonight at 6:45pm at the PS 32 auditorium, on Hoyt Street between President and Union Streets.