From the Queens Gazette:Officials at the Dutch Kills Civic Association had requested that the BSA block further construction of the hotel at 39-35 27th St., arguing that developer Stephen Bahar’s request for the variance to continue the project lacked proper foundation.
Bahar filed for a city variance for permission to move forward with plans to build the $3.8 million hotel on 27th Street, claiming he used his life savings for the project and he has suffered grievous financial losses, in part, because he was unable to lay the foundation before the new rezoning took effect.
Bahar’s attorney, Marvin Mitzner, argued before the panel at a January meeting that his client has also suffered financial setbacks as a result of Stop Work orders issued by Department of Buildings inspectors for unsafe working conditions and on other grounds, including other adverse conditions and circumstances.
Civic leaders and homeowners went on record stating their opinion that Bahar was not vested in the project prior to the rezoning because he failed to lay the required percentage of the building foundation before the new rules went into effect.
In a decision released last week, the BSA ruled that Bahar met the requirements by completing the required percentage of the foundation before the new zoning regulations went into effect and grandfathered the project into the old zoning, giving the developer a green light to go ahead with construction of the hotel.
7 comments:
Dutch Kills Civic? Upzone! Upzone!
The only civic in the city to ask for increasing development?!?!?!
Why does the media and polticians insist on giving them creditiblity?
They were the civic of record so they have to take the blame for this.
How about following the real community: the Dutch Kills Advocacy Group?
Calm down.
Its just the Gazette - you know, the paper that has Vallone Junior as defender of the community against developers and Gianaris' picture on the front page so the community knows who he is so they can send him back up to Albany for another term.
They just do NOT learn!
They just do NOT learn!
----
Lets see if they can....
1. Does Dutch Kills Civic or anyone in it have ties to development and politicans? Inquiring minds want to know.
2. Should Penny Lee of City Planning step down because the community (yes, the people she is SUPPOSED to serve - afterall they are paying her salary) no longer has confidence in her?
3. Polticans front and center! I am tired of this stuff happening and politicans are nowhere in sight - hiding until the next big development or tweeder project gives them a photo op, eh? We demand to know what Onorato, Van Bramer, and Nolan have to say about this AND what they intend to do (no, 'as of right' is not an option unless the voters kick you all out of offfice because that is our 'as of right'.
4. Start to cover the Dutch Kills Advocacy Group so more of the community's voice is heard.
5. Queens Civic Congress - can they pry themselves away from yet a politicans love fest and do something useful?
Should Penny Lee of City Planning step down
SOMEONE'S HEAD SHOULD ROLL FOR THIS!
Once again, a developer anticipates that the rules will be bent in his favor, because he assumed that, well, all the rules will be bent in his favor. He assumed the risk, so let him fail -- if only for the encouragement of the others.
Now I heard they want to close St Pats. That should finish off the community.
You have a neighborhood now of people in the majority that have no interest in it and no committment to it - just like in LIC.
The residents are now a minority that can pretty safely be ignored. They can thank the pols for that.
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