Proximity to subway and historic district created uniqueness. Manhattan developer sought a variance to build an 11-story, mixed residential and commercial project on a 10,697-square-foot lot at 122 Greenwich Avenue at Eighth Avenue, arguing that the lot’s proximity to the Eighth Avenue subway line, its split zoning, the shallow depth, its location within the Greenwich Village Historic District, and its odd five-sided shape made an as-of-right building infeasible. The final 11-story undulating glass design necessitated … <Read More>
Open space at issue in rezoning near Lincoln Center
Proposal includes controversial new bulk waiver that will impact ten community districts. West 60th Street Associates, LLC applied to rezone 14 lots in Manhattan’s Lincoln Square neighborhood from manufacturing to commercial zoning. On 11 lots, West 60th would develop a mixed residential and commercial project with 301 rental units, 41 condos, 10,000 sq.ft. of retail and 200 parking spaces. Along with a special permit for on-site parking, West 60th proposed a text amendment that would … <Read More>
Council modifies controversial Queens plan
- Level of restriction debated by Council. Douglaston/Little Neck Rezoning Adopted Zoning Districts Map used with permission of the New York City Department of City Planning. All rights reserved.
Change by Planning Commission rejected in part after lengthy Council hearing. The City Council voted to approve the rezoning plan for a 135- block area of the Douglaston and Little Neck communities of Queens and rejected a portion of the modifications made by the Planning Commission.
City … <Read More>
Council reverses 16-year-old Bd. of Estimate vote
Council re-designated buildings despite owner’s offer to tenants. On February 1, 2007, the City Council voted unanimously to overturn one of the final actions of the Board of Estimate. In 1990, Landmarks designated the entire 15-building complex called the First Avenue Estate that occupies the block bounded by East 64th and East 65th Streets and York and First Avenues. At its final meeting, the Board of Estimate carved out two buildings from the designation to … <Read More>
David Paget Talks About Over 20 Years of Environmental Law in New York City
Since 1975, when New York State enacted the requirement that government agencies study the potential significant environmental impacts of land use projects, environmental studies have evolved from 20-page documents prepared by City employees into several thousand-page documents written by experts at a cost of millions. Attorney David Paget, who for more than 20 years has advised clients like the Empire State Development Corporation and Related Companies on environmental review compliance, talked to CityLand about his … <Read More>
Plan for Brooklyn Bridge Park Withstands Challenge
Citizens group challenged inclusion of private residential development. In 2002, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Pataki created the Brooklyn Bridge Park Development Corporation as a subsidiary of the Empire State Development Corporation and charged it with the responsibility to design and build a proposed park on Port Authority land along Brooklyn’s East River waterfront. The 2002 agreement required that no less than 80 percent of the acreage be park space, all revenue generated from commercial uses … <Read More>