Staten Island shopping center approved

Mall to be built on 7.7 acres of vacant woodland. Guido Passarelli sought Planning Commission approval to construct a 136,271- square-foot shopping and office center on a 7.7-acre site of undeveloped woodland in the Charleston section of Staten Island. The five proposed buildings would contain a home improvement store, a discount department store, retail outlets and office space, and would include a 454-space parking lot. Access to the site, which is bound by Veterans Road … <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 The Staten Island Borough Commissioner rescinded a stop-work order and approved construction of two, two-story single-family homes on one zoning lot in the Prince’s Bay section of the borough.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>


Glass tower to rise above Tribeca building

Enrique Norten-designed 12- story condo building will feature 6 stories of glass penthouses. The City Council approved a text amendment and special permits to allow the enlargement and conversion to loft dwellings of an existing building located at One York Street in Manhattan. The approved text amendment establishes a new special permit to allow loft buildings to be enlarged up to a 5 FAR within the Tribeca Mixed Use District. The development also required special … <Read More>


Out-of-date zoning modified to preserve community

Queens community rezoned at request of residents. On July 27, 2005, the City Council approved a 103-block rezoning in East Flushing. The proposed rezoning was initiated by the Planning Department in response to requests of the East Flushing Civic Association, the Off-Broadway Homeowners’ Association, Community Board 7 and a zoning task force created by Borough President Helen Marshall’s office. The groups raised concerns that the 1961 zoning did not reflect building patterns in the area … <Read More>


New bridge for East 153rd Street approved

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 … <Read More>