New public school will be among first built since 1970s without City funding; school construction program amended to increase flexibility. The City Council’s Land Use Committee voted yes on two applications that would enable private development of a 520-seat City middle school on the Upper East Side at no cost to the City.
In 1966, the City created the New York City Educational Construction Fund, a public benefit corporation, to allow the leasing of City … <Read More>
Two Williamsburg residential towers near approval after City acts to apply 20 percent inclusionary affordable housing text to development. On June 5, 2006, the Council’s Land Use Committee voted to approve a 591,138-square-foot residential and retail development along the East River waterfront in Williamsburg, outside of the City’s recent rezoning. Along with the development, the Land Use Committee approved a separate zoning amendment application initiated by the Planning Department that would apply the City’s Inclusionary … <Read More>
Council finds no support for discrimination allegation. The full Council approved Landmark’s designation of the Fieldston Historic District in the Bronx on April 26, 2006 after members of the Land Use Committee rejected allegations of discrimination surrounding the designation. 3 CityLand 12 (Feb. 15, 2006).
At the April 11th vote of the Land Use Committee, Council Member Simcha Felder stated that during the designation process some opponents claimed that the designation was “being used to … <Read More>
Developers built over-sized homes using floor area exemptions. On April 5, 2006, the City Council approved the 83-block rezoning designed by City Planning for Utopia Estates, Fresh Meadows and West Cunningham Park in Queens. As older homes were replaced by newly constructed mini-mansions, residents of the three Queens neighborhoods, Borough President Helen Marshall and Council Member James F. Gennaro raised concerns to the City that the zoning was not sufficiently restrictive.
The entire 83-block area … <Read More>
The Council allowed 75-foot rather than 80-foot height. Following a modification proposed by the Planning Commission, the City Council approved a controversial application by 22 Caton Place Corporation to rezone two lots in Brooklyn’s East Windsor Terrace to facilitate a large residential development.
Caton’s original application received strong opposition from local residents, Brooklyn Community Board 7 and Borough President Marty Markowitz, who complained that the proposed 68-unit, 80-foot tall structure was too large for East … <Read More>
Many in community testified in opposition to landmarking of Bronx neighborhood. On March 28, 2006, the City Council’s Landmarks, Public Siting & Maritime Uses Subcommittee held a hearing on the designation of the Fieldston Historic District, located in the northwestern portion of the Bronx. The 97-year-old community’s historic significance lies in its winding roads and eclectic mix of Medieval, English, Tudor, Dutch, and Mediterranean architecture. Fieldston was unanimously designated by Landmarks in January, 2006, despite … <Read More>