Edward Lauria testifies before the Board of Standards and Appeals. Image credit: BSA
Board approved a new commercial building on satisfying Fire Department requirements. On July 14, 2015 the Board of Standards and Appeals voted to grant a permit for the construction of a single-story commercial building at 47 Trioka Way in the Special South Richmond Development District of Staten Island. The building will be concrete block with metal walls and roof, covering 15,120 square feet of floor area divided evenly among ten storage units and contractor’s establishments.
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Applicant claimed that a conforming residential development would not yield a reasonable return given the lot’s irregular shape, location, and sloping grade. Joseph Maza applied to BSA for a variance to build a one-story commercial building with 21 accessory parking spaces at 4553 Arthur Kill Road in Charleston, a Staten Island neighborhood located just north of the Outerbridge Crossing. The site was located within the Special South Richmond Development District, a district established in 1975 to guide the development of the southern portion of Staten Island. The proposal required a variance since Maza intended the building to be occupied by retail stores, which are prohibited within the R3-2 residential zoning district.
Maza claimed that the lot’s irregular triangle shape made it difficult to construct a conforming residential development, and that the lot’s 15-ft. upward slope, beginning at its Arthur Kill Road frontage, would increase sewer line installation costs. The proposed commercial development avoided these added costs since an on-site septic system would be utilized, eliminating the need for a new 700-ft. sewer line. Maza also claimed that a nearby 87,000 sq.ft. bus depot would render the site unmarketable for residential use given the depot’s task of servicing several hundred buses daily, seven days a week. The depot, Maza added, would increase traffic around Arthur Kill Road, a 60- ft. wide arterial road that provided access to New Jersey by way of the Outerbridge Crossing. The traffic-choked road, which touched the site, would further lessen the prospect of successfully marketing a conforming residential development. (read more…)
Staten Island residential developer denied certification. Salvatore Culotta wanted to build 12 dwelling units in six detached residences on property he owned in the Special South Richmond Development District, a special zoning district created by the City in 1977. Before applying to Buildings for a permit, however, Culotta was required to apply to City Planning for a certification that there was sufficient school capacity to accommodate the expected increase in school children. When Culotta filed for certification in 2004, City Planning withheld it because the property had an outstanding Buildings violation for the alleged unauthorized removal of a tree.
Culotta filed an article 78 petition to compel City Planning to issue the certification. Justice Eric N. Vitaliano dismissed the petition, finding that, under the Zoning Resolution, City Planning could adopt reasonable guidelines for issuing certifications and that its policy of withholding certificates from a developer with outstanding violations was reasonable. The outstanding Buildings violation would prevent the project from proceeding and issuing a certificate would only serve to hold up school seats that may otherwise be used for other project developments. (read more…)
