Preservation of Section 8 properties will prevent conversion to market-rate housing. On August 15, 2018, the Housing Preservation and Development, the Housing Development Corporation, and the LIHC Investment Group announced the preservation of 669 units of project-based Section 8 housing in high-cost City neighborhoods where similar buildings have been converted to market-rate housing. (more…)
Block Party in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Image credit: Tuukka Koski
Local Community Boards are an integral part of the approval process to close down a City street for a block party. As the cold, gray dreariness of winter in New York City subsides and the summer weather brings the City streets back to life, block party season is right around the corner. Throughout the streets of New York City, thousands of street related-events are held annually. In the interests of ensuring safety and maintaining order, the City and local Community Boards have procedures and guidelines in place to close down a City street for an event. (more…)
Sign Painting Shop in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn was granted an appeal to include a caretaker’s apartment within the property. The owners of 1109 Metropolitan Avenue in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn are planning to convert the property into the Sign Painting Shop, which will include a proposed caretaker apartment as an accessory use. On May 4, 2015, Department of Buildings (“Buildings”) determined that the proposed caretaker apartment was not permitted in the manufacturing zoning district. On December 5, 2017, the Board of Standards (“Board”) and Appeals disagreed with Buildings. (more…)
Illustrative Bird’s Eye View. Image Credit: Pfizer Sites Rezoning EIS.
A former Pfizer factory site in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn will be redeveloped into 1,146 housing units, 62,810 square feet of commercial space, 26,000 square feet of publicly accessible open space, and 404 parking spaces. On September 19, 2017, the City Planning Commission issued a favorable report on land use applications by Harrison Realty LLC. The land use applications include: (1) a zoning map amendment to change the current manufacturing district into a residential district with a commercial overlay, and (2) a zoning text amendment to establish a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing area on the site. (more…)
Eric Palatnik testifies before the Board of Standards and Appeals. Image credit: BSA
Board found the applicant had a vested right to complete construction of the building as designed. On June 2, 2015 the Board of Standards and Appeals voted to permit 250 Manhattan LLC to continue constructing a six-story mixed commercial and residential building at 250 Manhattan Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The building will contain eight dwelling units and commercial space totaling 7,613 square feet of floor area.
