Search Results for: Administrative Decisions

Many Turn Out to Both Support and Register Concerns about Landmarks Rules Revisions

Revisions would see delegation of some work, including certain rear yard and roof top additions, to staff for review and approval. On March 27, 2018, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing on a proposed overhaul of the agency’s rules, found in Title 63 of the Rules of the City of New York. The proposed amendments were published in the City Record on January 30, 2018. Landmarks has made a PowerPoint presentation available … <Read More>

Eric Garner’s death: No Justice, No Peace

Three years have passed since Eric Garner’s choking death at the hands of police officer Daniel Pantaleo, and the episode remains unresolved. The grand jury’s secrecy and its decision not to indict anyone, along with Comptroller Scott Stringer’s unusually swift civil settlement with the Garner Family, have left the public with insufficient answers and a sense that justice has been denied. Civil rights organizations and governmental investigators have made additional attempts to obtain information, but … <Read More>

City Council to Consider New Oversight Controls on BSA

Kallos BSA

Ten bills will be aired for public opinion to place restrictions on and revamp the processes of the Board of Standards and Appeals. On December 6, 2016, Council Member Ben Kallos introduced five new bills regarding the oversight and operations of the Board of Standards and Appeals at the City Council’s stated meeting. The Board of Standards and Appeals, which was originally created to be an independent board tasked with granting “relief” from the zoning … <Read More>

City’s Failure to Preserve Deed Restrictions on the Rivington House Explored [City Council Passes Tougher Oversight]

UPDATE: On December 6, 2016, the New York City Council voted 42-0 to approve Introduction 1182-2016 which requires the Department for Citywide Administrative Services to conduct an extensive review of a request to remove a deed restriction on a property managed by DCAS, including a public hearing, to determine whether the request removal furthers the best interests of the City.

The legislation is a response the controversial sale of the Rivington House to a luxury … <Read More>

Owner Fined $18,000 for Basement Conversion

Owner converted basement into additional rental apartment without permit. On December 26, 2012, an inspector from the Department of Buildings served a notice of violation charging that Pandora Realty LLC had without a permit created an apartment in the basement, complete with gas and waste lines. The illegal basement apartment on 201st Street in Queens was being rented at the time. Included with the notice was an order by Buildings to correct the violation by … <Read More>

Comptroller Report Finds City Accountable for Failure to Stop the Sale of the Rivington House

In contrast to the DOI Report, the Comptroller’s Report places personal accountability on City Officials rather than the indoctrinated procedure for deed-modifications. On August 1, 2016, New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer issued a Report on the removal of deed restrictions from Rivington House. The Report is the product of a five-month-long investigation conducted by the Comptroller’s Office into the City’s actions in facilitating the sale of the Rivington House—a non-profit nursing home located … <Read More>