Daniel R. Garodnick on serving the City and his district

Council Member Daniel R. Garodnick, the recently re-elected representative for Manhattan’s 4th District and chair of the subcommittee on Planning, Dispositions & Concessions, takes pride in being born and raised in the district he represents. Garodnick grew up in a rent-stabilized apartment in the Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village community and still lives in that neighborhood with his wife. His district also includes parts of the Upper East Side, Midtown, and Murray Hill.

After graduating from … <Read More>


High Court voids variance

Court of Appeals ruled BSA abused discretion in granting variance. GAC Catering Inc. purchased a single-family home at the intersection of Otis Avenue and Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island across the street from its catering business. GAC demolished the house and applied to the BSA for a use variance to build a two-story commercial photography studio to be used in conjunction with GAC’s catering hall. GAC claimed that commercial uses predominated the area, and that … <Read More>


Court upsets Columbia’s eminent domain option

Property owners challenge ESDC’s authority to use eminent domain on behalf of Columbia. Looking to expand in West Harlem, Columbia University teamed up with the City’s Economic Development Corporation in 2001 to redevelop the area. Not long after, EDC issued a West Harlem Master Plan. The plan stated that West Harlem could be redeveloped through rezoning, and did not mention any blighted conditions in Manhattanville. Columbia began purchasing property in the area in 2002 for … <Read More>


Demolition contractor fined $3,400

Contractor left job but work continued under its expired permit. An officer from Buildings issued B & A Demolition & Removal notices of violation for engaging in demolition work with an expired permit, failing to safeguard the public and property affected by demolition operations, failing to post a required Department of Transportation permit, and failing to provide adequate housekeeping during demolition operations. At a hearing, B & A claimed that it had been fired from … <Read More>


NOVs for unstable building dismissed

 

604 Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Photo: CityLand.

Board found that owner had been properly monitoring the building. In March 2008, two Buildings officers issued separate notices of violation to the owner of 604 Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, Brooklyn for failing to maintain the premises in a safe condition. The first NOV noted that the building was leaning one-half to one inch to the south, and a second NOV issued twelve days later noted … <Read More>


Construction fence violation upheld for inactive site

Owner of stalled construction site had an expired construction fence permit. A Buildings officer inspected a construction site owned by Honawatie Kharran after receiving a complaint about a broken construction fence. Although no one was working at the site, the construction fence had an expired permit posted on it. The officer issued Kharran a notice of violation for working without a permit, a violation of the Administrative Code.

At a hearing, Kharran’s contractor said no … <Read More>