Landmarks Chair testified that changes could be better promulgated through agency rule-making rather than by legislative fiat. On September 9, 2015 the City Council held a hearing on two potential bills that would alter the Landmarks Law section of the Administrative Code. The hearing drew a crowd that filled the main Council chamber, with over 100 people filling out forms to testify on the proposals.
Search Results for: Text Amendment
BSA Vested Rights Decision Upheld by First Department
First Department recognized retroactive validation of a permit. In 2005, the Board of Standards and Appeals denied recognition of GRA V, LLC’s common law vested right to perform work under a Department of Buildings permit on the grounds Buildings deemed the underlying permit invalid. (See CityLand’s extensive previous coverage here.) A common law vested right occurs when a developer performs substantial work in reliance that the underlying permit or zoning is valid. In 2011, … <Read More>
Astoria Cove Developers Testify Before City Council
Council Members questioned the developers on the project’s affordability and use of union labor. On October 20, 2014 the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a public hearing on the proposed Astoria Cove development project. The project, which would create a new mixed-use development of 1,700 apartments, commercial space, a school, a supermarket, and parks, was approved by the City Planning Commission over opposition by both Queens Community Board 1 and Queens Borough … <Read More>
City Council End of Year Round Up; Kingsbridge Armory Approved; Midtown Zoning Disapproved
New York City: Largest Ice Sport Center Approved in the Bronx.
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On December 10, 2013, the City Council voted 48-1 to turn the Kingsbridge Armory, currently a vacant landmark, into an ice sports center. The $275 million development project by KNIC Partners, LLC will feature nine ice rinks and approximately 64,300 sq. ft. of related program space, including a wellness and off-ice training center, curling rinks, and locker and equipment storage. The … <Read More>
Crown Heights West Rezoning Approved by City Council
City Council approved Crown Heights rezoning despite calls for mandatory inclusionary housing and anti-harassment legislation. On September 16, 2013, the Brooklyn Borough Office of the Department of City Planning testified before the City Council’s Land Use Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises in support of its proposal to rezone 55 blocks in the western portion of Crown Heights (Crown Heights West). Crown Heights West is bounded by Atlantic Avenue, Pacific, Dean and Bergen streets to the … <Read More>
Sidewalk Cafe Legislation Calls for Earlier Hours, Efficient Application Process [UPDATE: Brunch Bill Approved]
Community boards fight City Council on shortened sidewalk cafe review period. On May 7, 2013, the City Council’s Committee on Consumer Affairs held a joint hearing with the Land Use Zoning & Franchises Subcommittee to discuss proposed amendments to sidewalk cafe regulations. Introductions 875-2012, 876-A-2012, and 1039-2013 seek to expand sidewalk cafe hours and streamline the sidewalk cafe licensing and registration process.
Sidewalk cafes are licensed and monitored by the City’s Department of Consumer Affairs… <Read More>