Nearly 50 years ago the city passed its landmarks law, with the goal of ensuring that historically significant sites and areas could be saved before they might be destroyed, as happened with Penn Station and countless other fallen landmarks. The law gave the city the right to landmark a property or area, but only after notifying the owner that they were considering doing so, holding a hearing at which the owner and anyone else could … <Read More>
New Preschool Planned for Vacant Fillmore Place Lot
Applicants say wood in proposed façade would mirror the tone of the historic district’s primarily masonry fabric in contemporary language. On July 8, 2014, the Landmarks Preservation Commission, in its first meeting headed by new Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan, considered a proposal for a new building on a vacant lot at 2 Fillmore Place, at the corner of Driggs Avenue, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The site lies in the Fillmore Place Historic District, a … <Read More>
New Filings and Decisions Charts for June 2014 Available
CityLand tracks these applications through the review process to a final decision. The majority of these decisions are available on the Center for New York City Law’s CityAdmin database (found at www.CityAdmin.org).
To view the New Filings and Decisions chart for June 2014, click here.
Previously Approved Building Plan Reduced in Height from Five to Four Stories
Landmarks approved application for five story building at site of existing garage in 2013; applicants sought to amend permit to reduce height while retaining approved design. On June 24, 2014, the Landmarks Preservation Commission approved an application to amend a certificate of appropriateness for a planned new building at 151 Mercer Street in the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. According to the Real Deal, the new building will serve as a flagship store for fashion … <Read More>
Municipal Liability: The Court of Appeals Clarifies Immunity Law
When municipalities are sued in tort, two of the most powerful bars to recovery are the public duty principle and the governmental function immunity defense. When these two principles are applicable, the City will not be made to pay compensation even if a City employee had been negligent and caused an injury.
Maya Wiley: Civil Rights Lawyer Becomes Counsel to Mayor de Blasio
On February 18, 2014, Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed Maya Wiley, a civil rights attorney and co-founder of the Center for Social Inclusion, as counsel to the mayor. In addition to serving in the traditional role of the counsel, Wiley will also focus on investing in the City’s technology infrastructure and expanding broadband access across the City.
Maya Wiley was born in Syracuse, New York, and raised in Washington, D.C. Her parents, active in the … <Read More>