Tuesday, May 17, 2016

BSA grants variance for 17-story QB hotel


From LIC Post:

Defying the wishes of Community Board 2 and Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, the Board of Standards and Appeals has given the all clear to a developer to construct a 17-story hotel building at 32-45 Queens Blvd.

The BSA’s approval stems from the YMCA’s application to transfer commercial air rights to Fongtar, a Bronx-based developer that owns a 10,000 square foot lot next door to the YMCA’s Long Island City facility, which intends to construct a hotel.

The YMCA needed the approval of the BSA to modify its existing variance in order for it to sell its air rights. The BSA had to weigh in on the variance since the Queens Boulevard facility was only allowed to be built in the first place as a result of a zoning waiver.

The April 5 approval by the BSA now permits Fongtar to build a hotel three times the size of what would have been allowed on the site without the air rights transfer.

The five BSA board members unanimously approved the YMCA’s application to modify its variance. Meanwhile, in March, every Community Board 2 member rejected it.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

So BSA approves a developer's request for a variance, against the community's wishes. Nothing new here, it goes on all the time.

Anonymous said...

How much did the developer donate to de Blasio this time around?

Anonymous said...

Jimmy Van Bramer is a phony. He says he against it but takes oodles of money from developers to bend over to their wishes. He needs a big campaign war chest. Councilman Jimmy wants to be the first openly gay mayor of NYC.

Anonymous said...

We need to ditch the BSA. Period.

(sarc) said...

"...the BSA now permits Fongtar to build a hotel three times the size of what would have been allowed..."

Equals

THREE TIMES AS MANY HOMELESS
and
THREE TIMES MORE CITY MONEY...

Anonymous said...

Nice work with Team Van Bramer.

Who needs the Y? Make it another library branch Jimmy. Not only can you assign the gravy train of capital funding to another donor's nephew, but you can keep the information flow to the community tight and on point!

Anonymous said...

So BSA approves a developer's request for a variance, against the community's wishes. Nothing new here, it goes on all the time.

not so in Astoria - there they are in favor of anything cause only the dirt under their feet has value.

Anonymous said...

jimmy van brammer will be caught so just wait and see so much money being given to him -