Variance required to expand restaurant. Babbo Realty, LLC, owner of the highly-rated Babbo restaurant at 110 Waverly Place in Greenwich Village’s R7-2 zone, sought to amend a 2002 variance to expand its cellar by 697 sq.ft. for wine storage. Babbo originally sought the 2002 variance because it was unclear from the certificates of occupancy whether the restaurant had operated continually at 110 Waverly. Under the site’s zoning, restaurants are prohibited unless it can be shown that a restaurant predated the zoning’s enactment and operated continually. BSA, in granting the 2002 variance, determined that the premises continually housed an eating and drinking establishment since 1933 and found a hardship created by the premises’ unique conversion from a stable and carriage house to a restaurant.

In support of the sub-level expansion, the owners argued that it would not increase floor area or impact aesthetics. A neighbor objected to the excavation, citing potential property damage to his building, which is located to the rear of 110 Waverly. BSA granted the expansion, noting that construction safety issues were not factors for its review but fell under the jurisdiction of the Department of Buildings.

BSA: 110 Waverly Place (239-02-BZ) (December 14, 2004); BSA: 110 Waverly Place (239-02-BZ) (December 17, 2002) (Deidre A. Carson, for Babbo Realty, LLC). CITYADMIN