701 Bay Street, owned by Mazzei and the contested lot next door featuring MTA signage. Image Credit: Google Maps
Business owner claimed adverse possession of land sought by the MTA for substation. The MTA ordered Staten Island business owner Ettore Mazzei to vacate an undeveloped lot adjacent to the Staten Island Railway transit line. Mazzei claimed ownership by adverse possession of the 5,000-square-foot lot next to his 701 Bay Street building. Mazzei sued the MTA, Staten Island Railway, and the City to establish title to the lot he has used as a parking lot for over 30 years. The MTA and Staten Island Railway, with the City’s support, moved to dismiss the complaint. (read more…)
Court ruled the signs were not under City jurisdiction. On March 26, 2012 the Department of Buildings issued Notice of Sign Registration Rejection letters denying registration for twenty-one advertising signs owned by CBS Outdoor Inc. The Department based its rejection on the signs being too close to an arterial highway, in violation of the City Zoning Resolution. On January 29, 2013 the Board of Standards and Appeals upheld the rejection. CBS Outdoor, joined by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, filed suit to vacate the decision.
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A rendering of the proposed building at 19 East Houston Street. Image credit: Perkins Eastman
(READ UPDATE FROM 9/30/2014 BELOW)
Developers seek permission for three floors of retail over community objections. On September 16, 2014, the New York City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held a public hearing on a proposed six-story commercial building at 19 East Houston Street in the SoHo Cast Iron Historic District of Manhattan, between Broadway and Crosby Street. The lot was incorporated into the Historic District after the Landmarks Preservation Commission expanded the district in 2010. (See previous CityLand coverage here.) (read more…)
Ross Sandler
Richard Ravitch in his book So Much to Do states two “stubborn facts” about public transportation: public transit costs more than what private markets can provide, and “public” in public transit means politics. Ravitch ‘s readable book tells how for 50 years he has successfully helped political leaders bridge these stubborn facts of public promises and public revenues. (read more…)
Regional Plan Association event featured a variety of discussions on how the New York metropolitan region might face climate change, tackle transportation advancements. The Regional Plan Association, a non-profit urban research and advocacy organization, focuses on planning for economic competitiveness, quality of life, and long-term sustainability in the region that includes New York City, Long Island, Westchester and Orange counties, western Connecticut and northern New Jersey. On April 19, 2013, the Association held its 23rd Annual Assembly to discuss the challenges the region faces, and to plan a livable, sustainable, and economically strong future for the area. The Association recently commenced work on its regional plan, which will be the fourth since the organization’s inception in 1929. The plan will address climate change, deteriorating infrastructure, population increases in urban centers, and the lack of affordable housing, among other issues.
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