Search Results for: City Council

Commercial zone overlays eliminated in Staten Island

Council angered by allegation that rezoning will impede affordable housing construction. The full Council approved three linked proposals to eliminate commercial zoning overlays in 21 areas of Staten Island after a public hearing where a Staten Island architect alleged that the actions would impede affordable housing development.

The October 6, 2005 hearing before the Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises became heated when a Staten Island architect, who first testified that a block on Wyman … <Read More>

Far West Village to have district designation hearings

Two new proposed districts would encompass 50 buildings west of Greenwich Village Historic District. Landmarks took the first step towards expanding the Greenwich Village Historic District and creating a new historic district along Weehawken and West Streets in Manhattan by voting unanimously on September 20, 2005 to hold hearings on the designations.

As proposed, the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension would add 36 buildings within the three-block area bound by Perry, Washington, Christopher and Greenwich … <Read More>

BSA rejects waivers for L.I.C. apartment bldg.

Queens developer claimed out-of- date layout made apartments unfit. A Queens developer proposed to demolish two adjacent two-family buildings in Long Island City, replacing them with a five-story, 20- unit building that required waivers from BSA for floor area, yard, height, setback and open space.

The proposal was strongly opposed by the community, Borough President Helen Marshall, Community Board 1 and Council Members Peter F. Vallone, Jr. and Tony Avella. Faced with community opposition, the … <Read More>

College Point rezoned to protect residential areas

Queens down-zoning covering 161 blocks was designed by City Planning. Increasing demolition of small single-family and detached buildings for new, large apartment developments had concerned the College Point community and Community Board 7. Borough President Helen Marshall’s zoning task force and the community urged the Planning Department to commence a comprehensive down-zoning to protect its smaller residential character and to analyze the broad areas remaining zoned for manufacturing.

Finding that over two-thirds of the lots … <Read More>

Two residences allowed on one lot

BSA accepts Buildings’ zoning interpretation of minimum lot area requirement. The Staten Island Borough Commissioner rescinded a stop-work order and approved construction of two, two-story single-family homes on one zoning lot in the Prince’s Bay section of the borough. A civic association in opposition appealed the approval to BSA.

At the BSA hearings, the civic association argued that the project did not meet the 3,800-square-foot minimum lot area requirement set in the City’s zoning code. … <Read More>

Landmarks holds hearing on Brooklyn warehouse

Massive concrete building attributed to Cass Gilbert. On July 26, 2005, Landmarks held a public hearing on the proposed designation of the Austin, Nichols & Co. Warehouse, a six-story unadorned, reinforced concrete warehouse attributed by some to Cass Gilbert. Built on the East River in 1913 for the largest grocery wholesaler of the period, the 500,000-square-foot warehouse was the first collaboration between Gilbert and the Turner Construction Company, and was followed by their collaboration on … <Read More>