BSA Conditionally Approves Enlargement of Religious School

The variance permits the construction of a new floor to accommodate the School’s programmatic needs. On March 22, 2016, the Board of Standards and Appeals conditionally approved a variance to construct an additional floor onto the Bais Yaakov D’ Chasidei Gur religious school, located at 1975 51st Street in the Borough Park neighborhood of Brooklyn. The four-story building will be expanded into a five-story building to accommodate the School’s existing students and anticipated increase in … <Read More>


BSA’s denial of special permit upheld by Second Department

BSA found that project did not qualify as an enlargement. In 1999, BSA granted the owner of 155 Norfolk Street in Brooklyn a special permit to enlarge a one-story home. The enlargement was not built pursuant to the approved plans. More than three years later, the owner submitted a different set of plans to Buildings for an as-of-right enlargement and began construction. In 2005, after resolving a series of violations, the owner obtained an alteration … <Read More>


Court Street development grandfathered

Developer did not fully complete foundations of twelve-building development before the City Council approved the Carroll Gardens/ Columbia Street Rezoning. Between May 2008 and October 2009, the Clarett Group obtained permits to build a 119,271 sq.ft. development consisting of eleven four-story townhouses and a seven-story mixed-use building at 340 Court Street in Brooklyn. The 43,753 sq.ft. site is located on a lot with frontages on Union, Court, and Sackett Streets. On October 28, 2009, the … <Read More>


Midtown’s Central Synagogue wins variance

Opponents of Central Synagogue’s enlargement cited concerns about location of entrance for synagogue’s breakfast for the homeless program. Central Synagogue applied to BSA for a variance to build a two-story addition on top of its nine-story Community House at 123 East 55th Street, which is across the street from the synagogue’s sanctuary. The Community House is one of four tax lots that were merged into a single 17,321 sq.ft. zoning lot. The other buildings on … <Read More>


Variance denied for Park Slope project

Developer wanted to build three additional townhouses after discovering concrete bunkers during construction of as-of-right development. 25 Garfield Sparta LLC applied to BSA for a variance to build three townhouses on a through-block lot at 580 Carroll Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn. In 2007, the developer obtained permits to build an Enrique Norten-designed five-story condominium at the site that would front Garfield Place, provide open space along Carroll Street, and include nine underground parking spaces.… <Read More>


Variance for office tower next to High Line granted

 

BSA grants Romanoff Equities’ variance application for a ten-story glass tower next to the High Line. See story on page 8. Image: Courtesy of James Carpenter Design Associates (JCDA).

Property owner claimed that a complying development was difficult because the High Line crossed the lot. Romanoff Equities applied to BSA for a variance to construct a twelve-story, 215-foot tall office building at 437 West 13th Street, a site occupied by a portion of the … <Read More>