In eminent domain case court ruled that appraisal could be based on assumption that variance would be granted. The City acquired title to a vacant M1-2 property, owned by Congregation Adas Yereim, through eminent domain. The property’s zoning allowed light manufacturing uses as-of-right, but prohibited residential uses. Prior to condemnation, Congregation had already begun the process of applying for a special permit and variance that would have allowed it to build a five-story school and … <Read More>
Search Results for: Special Permit
Park access to Gowanus Bay waterfront restored
- Fence along esplanade in Red Hook ordered to be removed. Photo: NYC Law Department.
Private owner built a fence along the Henry Street Basin. The Gowanus Industrial Park consists of 46 acres of land on the edge of the Henry Street Basin in Red Hook, as well as land under the Basin. The industrial park is adjacent to Red Hook Park, which, in addition to ball fields and a pool, has an esplanade with trees … <Read More>
Williamsburg Mixed-Use Project Withstands Legal Challenge
City approved developer’s request to rezone 15 tax lots to facilitate the development of two, six-story buildings near site of Domino Sugar project. Bruce Terzano (through JBJ, LLC) sought City approval to build a two-building mixed-use project at the corner of Wythe Avenue and South 3rd Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. To facilitate his proposal, Terzano asked the City to expand a nearby MX-8 special mixed-use district to include 15 tax lots on the eastern … <Read More>
Landmarks wins court order to remove illegal signs
- 598 Broadway. Image: Cityland.
Landmarks alleged that building owner and sign company repeatedly installed advertising signs without approvals. In April 1999, 598 Broadway Realty Associates Inc. obtained a permit from Landmarks to install a single advertising sign on the Houston Street-facing facade of a twelve-story building at 598 Broadway in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District in Manhattan. The permit was valid until April 2005. In August 1999, 598 Broadway applied to Landmarks to install … <Read More>
Coney Island Redevelopment Clears Judicial Hurdle
Community group challenged City’s 47-acre Coney Island rezoning. In 2007, the City unveiled a comprehensive rezoning plan for the redevelopment of a 47-acre portion of Coney Island, Brooklyn. The plan sought to revitalize the iconic beachfront amusement area by transforming it into a year-round amusement and entertainment destination alongside new residential and retail uses. The proposal included rezoning nineteen blocks in order to permit new residential and hotel development around a 27-acre amusement and entertainment … <Read More>
Trump SoHo Wins Appeal
Court finds that BSA’s decision to uphold DOB permits was supported by substantial evidence. The New York City Department of Buildings issued permits for a transient hotel at 246 Spring Street in Manhattan. Believing that the design amounted to an unpermitted residential building in an M1-6 zoning district, SoHo Alliance appealed DOB’s decision to BSA. BSA denied the appeal, 5 CityLand 74 (June 15, 2008), and SoHo Alliance filed an article 78 petition challenging … <Read More>