Community claims developer poured foundation after effective date of rezoning. On June 7, 2005, BSA granted a permit extension, allowing work to continue on the development of a single-family home located at 102 Greaves Avenue in Great Kills, Staten Island that did not comply with the zoning requirements set by a Staten Island 2004 down-zoning. 1 CityLand 4 (Oct. 15, 2004). Work on the single-family home was required to stop on August 12, 2004, and BSA was required to find that the applicant completed excavation work and made substantial progress on the home’s foundation prior to that date.

At the BSA hearing, the applicant submitted receipts, photographs and letters from Buildings, a contractor’s affidavit and proof that 64 percent of the foundation cost had already been incurred. Community Board 3 and Council Member Andrew Lanza opposed the permit extension, claiming that community members witnessed the applicant pouring the concrete foundation after the rezoning date.

Variance will permit 43-unit luxury apartment complex. Ira Weinstein, the owner of 2184 Mill Avenue, a 99,340-square-foot lot located on the northwest side of Strickland Avenue in an R3-1 district of Mill Basin, Brooklyn, sought a variance to convert a four-story, 100-year old munitions factory, currently used as a warehouse and retail showroom, into a five-story, 67,000-square-foot multiple dwelling with 45 luxury residential units, doctors’ offices, and a ground-floor restaurant.

Weinstein argued that commercial and manufacturing uses were infeasible due to the varying floor levels and poor circulation in the building and that demolishing the building to create as-of-right single and two-family homes would be too expensive due to chemical contamination from the former munitions factory. Community Board 18, State Senator Carl Kruger, Assemblyman Frank Seddio, Council Member Lewis Fidler, and the Mill Island Civic Association opposed the variance, claiming the proposed multi-unit dwelling was out of character with the surrounding one and two-family homes and Weinstein understated the cost to convert the building and the estimated profit from the as-of-right scenarios. Weinstein responded that the costs for removal of asbestos, lead or other contaminants in order to convert the building to conforming uses were accurate and pointed out that multiple dwellings were permitted on Strickland Avenue, directly across from the site.

Upscale social club to occupy five floors of new 41-story residential building. RFD 55th Street LLC, owner of 60 East 55th Street, a 41- story mixed-use building currently being developed in Midtown Manhattan between Park and Madison Avenues, sought a special permit to allow a 19,249-square-foot high-end social club, known as the Core Club. The Club will feature a restaurant, library, outdoor lounge, screening room, meeting room, gym and spa. At the BSA hearing, RFD stated that the Club, which it categorized as a “physical cultural establishment,” would include facilities for weight training and massage treatments, employing ten licensed therapists.

BSA granted the special permit, finding that the proposed upscale club would not have a significant impact on the residential units in the building due to its 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily hours. BSA also found the required Department of Investigation background check on the applicant was satisfactory.

Staten Island Council Member wins approval for down-zoning despite strong concerns of Commissioners Merolo and Phillips. Council Member Andrew J. Lanza, representative for District 51 on the south shore of Staten Island, sought two map amendments for the Eltingville and Tottenville sections of Staten Island, which would predominantly restrict new development to single-family homes

In Eltingville, Council Member Lanza sought to rezone 12 blocks bound by Richmond Avenue, Koch Boulevard, Hayes Avenue and Hylan Boulevard. The area, which had been down-zoned in 1997, would be rezoned from a R3A to R1-2, allowing only single-family homes as-of-right and requiring 40-foot-wide lots. The Tottenville rezoning would cover 65 blocks bound by Arthur Kill Road to the north, the Arthur Kill to the west, Raritian Bay to the south and Page Avenue to the east. The current R3A district would be changed to R1-2 and R3X to restrict a portion to single- family homes and require large lots for any two-family homes. Tottenville had been contextually rezoned in 1995, 1996 and 1997.

Bridge will provide four traffic lanes, two bike paths, two walkways and a needed cross-town connection. The Department of Transportation sought a City Map amendment for the construction of a new East 153rd Street bridge in the Bronx to span the Metro North railroad tracks and reconnect the east-west linkage of East 153rd, between Morris Avenue and the Grand Concourse. DOT closed the original 1899 two-lane bridge in 1988, due to safety concerns, and demolished it in 1992. The new $40 million cable-stayed bridge, envisioned to be a showpiece for South Central Bronx, will have four traffic lanes, two bike lanes, and two sidewalks, and will require the widening of East 153rd Street to accommodate the added traffic lanes. The existing right-of-way will be expanded from 113 feet to 143.3 feet and two other portions of East 153rd Street, from Grand Concourse to Concourse Village West and from Concourse Village East to Morris Avenue, will be widened and realigned. DOT will acquire four privately-owned lots and demolish two buildings for the expansion of East 153rd Street.

At the Commission’s April 13, 2005 public hearing, only a DOT representative appeared. The Commission unanimously approved on May 25, 2005, finding that the bridge will provide a needed cross-town connection and ease congestion on East 149th and East 161st Streets, South Central Bronx’s east-west thoroughfares. The Commission noted that DOT sent a letter addressing each recommendation of Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion, Jr., which confirmed Parks’ approval of the traffic island at Grand Concourse and East 153rd Street as green space and DOT’s commitment that lighting would extend to Grand Concourse and Morris Avenue.

BID will encompass 366 properties and address sanitation, security and marketing needs. The Planning Commission unanimously approved an application by the Department of Small Business Services to create a DUMBO Business Improvement District. The proposed BID would encompass 366 properties containing 575 existing businesses bounded by DUMBO’s York, Old Fulton, Gold, and Bridge Streets and extending to the East River.

Under the proposed BID, businesses and industrial uses would be assessed $.05 per-square-foot and $.004 per dollar of assessed valuation. DUMBO residents would pay an annual $1 assessment. Government and not-for-profit groups will be exempt from the assessment, relieving the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, which, in 2004, obtained City Council’s approval for a 736,000-square-foot development on a full city block within the BID area. 1 CityLand 33 (Dec. 15, 2004).

There were no speakers in opposition at the Commission’s April 27, 2005 hearing. The Commission approved the BID as submitted.

BID Approval Process The Department of Small Business Services, as lead agency, issued a negative declaration on March 9, 2005 and submitted the BID plan to Mayor Bloomberg, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Community Board 2, Council Speaker Gifford Miller, and Brooklyn Council Member David Yassky.

Community Board 2 unanimously approved. Mandatory public hearings before the City Council Finance Committee and the mayor are pending.

CPC: DUMBO BID (N 050365 BDK) (May 25, 2005). CITYADMIN