The proposed laws seek to enforce existing State regulations by increasing illegal hotel fines and reporting requirements. On October 30, 2015, the City Council Committee on Housing and Buildings heard testimony on three proposed laws that seek to ramp up enforcement of state laws that prohibit the operation of illegal hotels. The proposed legislation would regulate only those residential units located in multiple-dwelling buildings—not one- to four-family homes. The proposed legislation is intended to address … <Read More>
City Planning Approves Parking Garage in West Chelsea
The automated garage will offer thirty-nine spaces within a mixed-use facility. On October 21, 2015 the City Planning Commission approved a special permit for WC 28 Realty, LLC to construct an automated parking facility at 530 West 28th Street in the West Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. A public hearing was held on the application on September 22, 2015. (See previous CityLand coverage here.)
Zoning for Quality and Affordability Program Sent to Community Boards for Public Review
The program would amend generation-old zoning regulations to encourage construction of efficient mixed-use buildings and affordable senior housing. On September 21, 2015, the City Planning Commission issued a press release revealing two of the major programs to be implemented under Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Housing New York plan. The programs, which are currently making their way through the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure process, are the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Program and the Zoning for Quality … <Read More>
A Pastor’s Plea Against Landmarking His Church
I presently serve as pastor, of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. The church, formerly St. Paul’s Methodist Episcopal Church, 7558 Amboy Road in Tottenville, Staten Island, has been in existence for 156 years and has seen so many changes over the years that, to my mind, it truly does not meet the criteria of “historic landmark.” But the larger issue isn’t really about St. Paul’s UMC specifically, but about the nature of … <Read More>
BSA Denies Appeal of Illegal Advertising Sign
Board found the tunnel approach qualified as an “arterial highway” under the Zoning Resolution. On July 21, 2015 the Board of Standards and Appeals voted to deny an appeal by 121 Varick St. Corp. of a previous Department of Buildings determination that their advertising sign was not established as a lawful non-conforming use. The sign is a 75′ by 75′ illuminated advertising sign placed fifty feet above curb level on 121 Varick Street, Manhattan, … <Read More>
Special hearing on Backlogged Items Devoted to Staten Island Properties
Items at issue included a former retirement community for sailors, a Colonial-era stone farmhouse, a lighthouse, and the Vanderbilt family mausoleum. On October 22, 2015, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held the second of four special hearings to address the backlog of items calendared before 2012 but never brought to a vote on designation. The hearing consisted of three batches, of seven to eleven items each, all located in Staten Island. Twenty-six items in total were … <Read More>