Landmark status of SI lot officially revoked. On December 21, 2006, Landmarks rescinded the designation of the now vacant lot at 66 Lafayette Avenue in New Brighton, Staten Island, where the New Brighton Village Hall once stood, and after years of neglect, faced demolition.

Landmarks Chair Robert Tierney commenced the hearing with a brief recital of the hall’s history. Landmarks designated the 1871- built hall in 1965. After several failed incarnations, including a doctor’s office, Retrovest Associates purchased the hall in 1985, received Landmarks permits to renovate, but never started the work. The building deteriorated. (more…)

Developer had received building permits on historic stable prior to landmarking hearing. On October 17, 2006, Landmarks held hearings to consider the designation of two Upper West Side buildings originally used as livery stables, the Mason or Dakota Stables at 348 Amsterdam Avenue between West 76th and West 77th Streets, and the New York Cab Company Stable at 318 Amsterdam Avenue at West 75th Street.

Opening the hearing on the Dakota Stables, Landmarks Chair Robert Tierney stated that the current owner, Sylgar Properties, had received permits from the Department of Buildings to make “fairly significant facade alterations” to the five-story Renaissance-Revival style stables and that Landmarks knew of the permits’ issuance when it voted to consider designation. The Dakota Stables, designed by architect Bradford Gilbert, was one of the largest livery stables in the city when constructed in 1894. During public testimony, a current photo showing the building covered in tarps and scaffolding remained projected on the hearing room wall. (more…)

Residents sought rezoning to halt subdivisions and out-of-character residential development. On March 22, 2006, the Planning Commission unanimously approved a rezoning impacting 82 blocks of the Bayswater and Far Rockaway neighborhoods in Queens. The rezoned areas are predominately residential and border the Far Rockaway commercial district. The rezoning was proposed in response to overdevelopment concerns caused by the subdivision of large lots and replacement of one- and two-family homes with multi-family homes.

Existing R2, R3-2, R4, and R5 districts will be rezoned R1-2, R3A, R3X, R4A, and R4-1 to ensure that new development will match existing density and housing types. The new zoning restricts residential development to one- or two-family detached residences with height limited to 35 feet (R3A, R3X, R4A, and R4-1) or based on the sky exposure plane (R1-2). Minimum lot size requirements within the rezoning are 5,700 sq.ft. (R1-2), 2,375 sq.ft. (R3A and R4-1), 3,325 sq.ft. (R3X), and 2,250 sq.ft. (R4A). (more…)

Rezoning will allow Chelsea’s International Toy Center to be converted for residential use. 200 Fifth, LLC applied to rezone 200 Fifth Avenue and 1107 Broadway in Chelsea, Manhattan, to allow conversion of manufacturing/commercial buildings to residences with an expected 500 units. The buildings, located between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, along West 23rd and 25th Streets, are home to The International Toy Center and nearly 300 toy companies, many of which have been tenants since 1938. The map amendment would replace M1-6 with C5-2 on two blocks, permitting residential and commercial use without altering the FAR or height limits. 200 Fifth also applied for a special permit to construct a 54-space attended garage on the site to service the new residences.

At the February 8, 2006 Commission hearing, there were no speakers in opposition. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer’s representative, Anthony Borelli, advocated approval on condition that current tenants have access to the building for the February 2006 toy fair. The Toy Industry Association also spoke in favor and noted 200 Fifth’s agreement to allow tenants to remain for the toy fair and provide relocation assistance. A representative from the Economic Development Corporation spoke about its efforts to keep the toy industry in New York City by helping relocate the tenants. (more…)

Council down-zoned lots with pending development. The Council rezoned 14 blocks of Greenwich Village west of Washington Street, replacing manufacturing and commercial zoning in the area with contextual zoning districts. The proposal came from the Planning Department after Far West Village residents complained of the growing number of large development proposals that followed construction of the Richard Meier-designed, 205-foot luxury residential towers along West Street.

In the proposal, the Planning Department designed contextual commercial zones to allow commercial and residential uses, but limited the size and density of new development to match the neighborhood’s existing character. The rezoning will cluster medium-density residential buildings on portions of West and Washington Streets and greatly restrict the density along the Far West Village’s narrow residential streets like Charles Street. (more…)