Landmarks unanimously designated despite community controversy. On June 26, 2007, Landmarks voted to designate Sunnyside Gardens, Sunnyside, Queens, as a historic district. A planned community designed by Clarence Stein and Henry Wright in the 1920s to house working class families, Sunnyside Gardens’ distinctive characteristics include its large landscaped courtyards and its mixture of single- and multi-family buildings. It was one of the first planned communities built by a private limited-dividend corporation, and, as a non-car … <Read More>
BSA denies challenge to NYU East Village dorm
City’s zoning laws do not restrict transfers of air rights from federally-owned sites. On June 12, 2007, BSA denied a challenge by several East Village residents to the 26-story New York University dormitory currently under construction on East 12th Street in Manhattan. The residents, who objected to the 26-story height as out-of-character with surrounding walk-ups, first sought an injunction to halt construction while they filed an appeal with BSA, which a court denied in 2006. … <Read More>
DOB’s denial of Staten Island permit overturned
Developer proposed unique design to exploit loophole in zoning text. Fred Corono applied for a building permit to add a second building in the rear of his oversized 6,938- square-foot lot in Staten Island. The Department of Buildings denied the application, believing that Corono specifically designed the new building to evade the requirements of the City’s Lower Density Growth Management zoning restrictions. The controls, enacted in 2004, set strict size and yard limits on proposals … <Read More>
City Comptroller faults BSA’s fee procedures
Problems found with the safeguarding, accounting and transfer of fees to the City. On June 12, 2007, City Comptroller William C. Thompson issued an audit report on BSA’s collection and reporting of revenues, concluding that BSA correctly determined and accounted for fees, but problems existed with the safeguarding of fees, the integrity of receipt systems, and the forwarding of funds to DCAS.
Application fees are the primary source for BSA revenues. In 2006, BSA … <Read More>
Commission approves 529-space parking facility
Garage to be part of as-of-right development two blocks from Penn Station. J.D. Carlisle Development Corporation sought Planning Commission approval for a 529-space attended public parking garage to be built as part of a 46-story as-of-right development at 839 Sixth Avenue between West 29th and West 30th Streets. The garage, to be located in the cellar and portions of the ground floor, would be accessible from curb cuts on West 30th and West 29th Streets. … <Read More>
Solow files applications for former Con Edison site
Plan includes seven mixed-use buildings and public parking facilities. On June 12, 2007, Solow Properties filed 17 linked applications to permit major new developments on two large parcels along First Avenue roughly extending from East 35th to East 36th Streets, and East 38th to East 41st Streets. The applications propose to rezone the full city block along First Avenue between East 35th and East 36th Streets and the FDR Drive from manufacturing to a commercial … <Read More>