Owner completed 99 percent of building’s foundation before City Council approved Astoria Rezoning plan. Plaza Group 36 LLC obtained excavation and foundation permits to begin work on a four-story residential building at 30-86 36th Street in Astoria, Queens. On May 18, 2010, Buildings issued a new building permit to Plaza Group for the project. One week later, the City Council approved the Astoria Rezoning, changing the site’s R6 zoning to R5B and rendering the 6,565 sq.ft. eight-unit project out of compliance with the district’s maximum permitted floor area and number of dwelling units.

Buildings inspected the site two days after the rezoning and initially determined that Plaza Group had completed the foundation by the enactment date. Buildings, however, issued a stop work order the next month after finding that three interior footings for steel columns were not completed before the rezoning. (read more…)