From Little Neck Patch:
Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone, introduced two bills this week that would enable community boards and the borough president to fight decisions made by the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals.
Halloran accused the city agency of consistently ignoring community input before granting variances to developers.
“Zoning variances are a powerful tool, which some developers have used to fundamentally change our neighborhoods,” the councilman said. “Our current laws let developers run wild with variances and doesn’t provide us with a way to keep them in line and preserve the character of our communities.”
The Board of Standards and Appeals could not be reached for comment.
Halloran’s first bill would give local community boards and Borough President Helen Marshall the ability to appeal decisions made by the BSA. The appeal would then be heard by the City Council, which would vote on whether to grant the variance.
Currently, the BSA has the final say on whether to approve a variance.
The second bill is meant to ensure that developers abide by variances granted to their properties. Under the legislation, the BSA would be required to notify a property owner that they must apply for a new variance six months before their current one expires.
If a property owner operated for six months without an updated variance, they could be fined by the city.
Currently, there are no penalties for developers operating at properties with expired variances.
11 comments:
A better system is to reverse the order of reviews: start with BSA which has the technical knowledge. If it approves, move it to community boards. If they recommend approval, send it then to the borough president, who is the only elected official in the process, for final say.
Halloran's idea of "protecting the character of a community" is extending a commercial overlay 5 feet on to a residential property so that a private developer can build a 30 foot tall building on the property line of a residential property. This is exactly what he did with the zoning application on the Whitehouse block. Although the City Planning Commission secured a letter from the developer promising an 8 foot side yard adjacent to the resident next door (which is what is required by law when a C2-2 is next to an R2A or R3-1), when it reached the City Council, ie. Halloran and the Land Use Committee (Weprin and Comrie) they decided to disregard the CPC and grant the developer free range. And in the process, stripped the residents of their rights as residential property owners.
This is why Halloran really wants to take possession of power from the BSA.
Halloran in his "infinite wisdom" believes that what HE thinks is right, is right for all.
Halloran in his "infinite wisdom" believes that what HE thinks is right, is right for all.
In that sense, he is like every other city councilperson. And since you all reelect them time and again they are right.
Halloran must really be taking heat from backing the White House Restaurant expansion.
So what does the hollerin' councilman do?
Introduce a smokescreen bill to make him look like a "good guy" ....that everyone knows will go nowhere.
Nice try Dan but the voters are watching you.
Enjoy the rest of your first and last term in office.
Halloran....friend of the "wiseguys" instead of a "good guy".
The BSA....
Bureau of Shove it up your Ass!
He's not taking heat, because nobody knows what he did. Start spreading the news...
This guy needs to be investigated!!
I don't think Halloran can get out of this one or maybe he and O'Connor can paint over it.
Watch out, Halloran only works for the $pecial interests, not residential owners! Don't take your eye off the ball. Vote this phoney out the next election. Write in your vote!
we new to vote haloran and oconer out of office. the dems need to talk our town back. i am so tired of this
Anon No. 10:
English translation, please?
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