[Gvshp] NEWS: Huge Turnout at Landmarks Hearing; Maintaining Integrity of Far West Village Downzoning; Dorm Victory

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Subj: [Gvshp] NEWS: Huge Turnout at Landmarks Hearing; Maintaining Integrity of Far West Village Downzoning; Dorm Victory
Date: 10/19/2005 5:25:37 PM Eastern Daylight Time
From: aberman@gvshp.org
To: gvshp@lists.mayfirst.org
Sent from the Internet (Details)



N E W S from
the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
www.gvshp.org

*HUGE TURNOUT AT LANDMARKS HEARING
on FAR WEST VILLAGE
*GVSHP FIGHTS ATTEMPTS TO SKIRT NEW
FAR WEST VILLAGE ZONING RESTRICTIONS
*VICTORY IN DORM BATTLE

LANDMARKS HEARING: A standing room only crowd packed the Landmarks Preservation Commission yesterday to show support for the proposed expansion of landmark protections in the Far West Village and to ask the Commission to go even further (for maps of the proposed Far West Village Historic districts heard yesterday, go to www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/maps/gvexten.pdf and www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/downloads/pdf/maps/weehawk.pdf).

The Commission was clearly impressed by the turnout, acknowledging the hard work done by many including GVSHP to bring us to this point. However, we still need the Commission to vote these entire proposed landmark districts into law, we need them to designate the other sites in the Far West Village they have promised to consider for landmarking, and we need to get them to expand their proposal to include gravely endangered sites like the Superior Inks factory.

HOW TO HELP:
Go to www.gvshp.org/FWVletters.htm for sample letters to send to the Commission urging they designate these districts in their entirety as soon as possible, that they hold hearings on the other sites in the Far West Village they have committed to consider, and that also include other worthy endangered buildings like the Superior Inks factory.

NEW ZONING VIOLATIONS: Now that the Far West Village rezoning is law, GVSHP is fighting to ensure that several developments which were in motion before the rezoning are forced to abide by the new zoning that does not allow high-rises, rather than the older, less restrictive zoning. The City determines if a project under construction when a rezoning passes is allowed to continue under the old zoning, based upon how far along the work has gotten.

One development at 393 West 12th Street was already prevented from going ahead under the old zoning. But at 360 West 11th Street, owner Julian Schnabel began work on adding a 110-ft. tall tower atop his turn-of-the-century stable just before the rezoning passed in the hopes of "beating the clock" and completing enough of his work in time for the City to allow him to finish. GVSHP immediately asked the City to inspect the site and revoke the permits, but neighbors say his work continued after the rezoning and that illegal after-hours work took place before that. We have also asked the City to consider a revocation of permits at 163 Charles Street, where a developer had demolished an 1831 house to make way for a new apartment tower but has apparently not yet completed the project's foundations.

HOW TO HELP:
Go to www.gvshp.org/DOBletter.htm for sample letters to the City urging them to revoke the permits for these two developments and ensure that they conform with the new zoning. PLEASE WRITE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AS WE EXPECT A DECISION FROM THE CITY AT ANY MOMENT.

DORM VICTORY: Yesterday the Board of Standards and Appeals announced that they rejected a request by developer Gregg Singer to allow him to build an extra-large dorm using a community facility bulk bonus at 605 E. 9th Street, because he had no school to occupy the supposed 'dorm.' GVSHP had joined local East Village groups in fighting this case, and we have consistently fought against attempts by developers to abuse community facility regulations and build the larger buildings that our zoning regulations allow for dorms, which then turn out to be nothing more than residential high-rises.

In a further victory for local advocates, yesterday the City also announced they will formally consider landmarking the existing historic building on the site, the former P.S. 64, which for many years housed the Charas/El Bohio Community Center.


For more information on the fight to save the Far West Village,
go to www.gvshp.org/protectingFWV.htm.

To join GVSHP or support its preservation efforts,
go to www.gvshp.org/membership.htm.


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