Council considers law to allow review of BSA decisions

Proposal would permit Council by a majority vote to review variances and special permits. The City Council’s Land Use Committee heard public testimony on July 24, 2007 on Local Law Intro. 261 to amend the City Charter’s review procedures on BSA decisions. The amendment, sponsored by Council Member Tony Avella, would give the Council the power to review BSA variances and special permit decisions if a majority of the full Council votes to take review. … <Read More>


Two new historic districts approved for West Village

Landmarks simultaneously designated two adjacent areas in the Far West Village. On May 2, 2006, in front of a jubilant public audience, Landmarks completed the final step in designating the Weehawken Street Historic District and the Greenwich Village Historic District Extension.

The waterfront Weehawken Street Historic District comprises 14 buildings, built between 1830 and 1938. The district is on the former site of Newgate Prison. When the prison was closed in 1829, an open-air public … <Read More>


Variance for midtown building amended

342 Madison Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Photo: Kevin E. Schultz

BSA grants office, retail, and church building variances from Grand Central Subdistrict requirements. 340 Madison Owner LLC, the owner of 342 Madison Avenue, a 48,265-squre-foot lot between East 43rd and 44th Streets in Manhattan, proposed to enlarge an existing 21- story, 503,487-square-foot office, retail and church building. 340 Madison, which received variances on March 23, 2004 to transfer floor area across a zoning district and … <Read More>


Permit awarded to art school

Performing arts school to convert vacant three-story building. Montgomery Academy, a performing arts school located at 414 Utica Avenue, Brooklyn, sought a special permit to convert a vacant three-story commercial building on nearby Lefferts Avenue into additional school space. Montgomery stated that the building was necessary to accommodate increased enrollment.

Prior to submitting its application, Montgomery sought alternate sites, but failed to find any buildings that allowed a school as-of-right suitable with respect to size, … <Read More>