Howard Goldman’s 35-year career as a land use attorney has ranged from helping native Alaskan communities create coastline regulations to assisting developers navigate New York City’s complex land use process. Aspiring to work for the Natural Resources Defense Council or the Sierra Club, Goldman in 1972 received an ad hoc degree in environmental and pre-law studies from SUNY at Buffalo. Goldman stayed on to earn a law degree, and after graduation he joined Neighborhood … <Read More>
Search Results for: Howard Goldman
New Local Law creates uncertainty for “as-of-right” development
Central to the concept of zoning is that a developer may rely on the text and build to the limits written into the zoning resolution. The council has now tinkered with that expectation. Under a new local law, the council can potentially overcome the “as-of-right” option by adopting a text change on an expedited basis.
The local law was a response to the controversial Two Bridges project, a proposal consisting of three residential towers … <Read More>
CityLand’s Top Ten Stories of 2016
Welcome to CityLand‘s fifth annual top ten stories of the year! We have selected a range of our most popular and prominent stories, and guest commentaries concerning New York City land use in 2016. Our fifth year as an online publication was marked by the fight to pass the Mayor’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing plan, proposed reforms to the building code to prevent illegal home conversions, and capped by the passage of state laws prohibiting … <Read More>
BSA Conditionally Approves Proposed Redevelop of Landmarked Theatre into Mixed-Use Residential and Commercial Building
The proposed redevelopment plan has been approved by Landmarks and has been modified slightly to comply with federal regulations, due to the site’s close proximity to LaGuardia Airport. On October 27, 2015, the Board of Standards and Appeals approved with conditions a request by Flushing Square, LLC., for a special permit to re-develop the RKO Keith’s Theatre, located at 135-35 Northern Boulevard in the downtown Flushing neighborhood of Queens, into a 16-story mixed use commercial … <Read More>
Say Hello to Mandatory Inclusionary Housing!
Almost 55 percent of all renter households in New York City now pay more than 30 percent of their income towards housing costs, an increase of 11 percent since 2000. As a consequence, the City Planning Commission found that “many of the city’s neighborhoods are becoming less economically diverse, which poses a threat to the city’s economic competitiveness as well as to the opportunities available to lower-income New Yorkers.”
Mandatory Inclusionary Housing is one of … <Read More>
BSA Conditionally Approves Variance for Addition of Gymnasium and Play Roof to The Chapin School
In response to neighborhood concerns, the Board conditioned the zoning variance on several limitations meant to reduce the risk of excess noise and increase pedestrian safety. On October 16, 2016, the Board of Standards and Appeals approved with conditions a request by The Chapin School, Ltd. for a zoning variance to construct a three-story addition to its existing school, located at 100 East End Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The Chapin School, … <Read More>