BSA Update: Second Public Hearing for 180 East 88th Street
FRIENDS of the Upper East Side Historic Districts and Carnegie Hill Neighbors’ fight against 180 East 88th Street continues. Next Tuesday, October 30th, the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) will hold a second public hearing to address our joint community challenge of the Department of Buildings’ (DOB) approval of a 10 foot by 22 foot portion carved out of the property’s lot in order to evade the City’s zoning requirements meant to regulate building’s height and form.
FRIENDS in the News!
This past Tuesday, FRIENDS’ Executive Director Rachel Levy was interviewed along with longtime zoning consultant George Janes about the impending development at 249 East 62nd Street.
A New Chair for the Landmarks Preservation Commission
Last week, Mayor Bill de Blasio nominated Sarah Carroll as the new Chair of the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC), a position that has been vacant since June. Ms. Carroll has served as the Executive Director of the LPC since 2014, and she has been at the agency for 24 years, including serving as LPC’s Director of Preservation from 2005 until 2014.
You’re Invited to the 15th Annual Ambassador to the Upper East Side Award Dinner!
Please join us as FRIENDS presents the 15th Annual Ambassador to the Upper East Side.
“Fix Our Zoning Rules,” Say Manhattan Borough President and City Council Speaker
Last week, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Council Speaker Corey Johnson wrote a letter, supported by the entire Manhattan delegation of the City Council, to Department of City Planning Chair Marisa Lago to encourage the agency to address and prevent the suite of loopholes being exploited by developers.
ADVOCACY ALERT: We need your support to save Marx Brothers Playground
Dear Friend, When the City agrees to give away the public’s parkland to a private developer with deep pockets, you know we’re in trouble.
Great News! LPC Announces Second Public Hearing for Rules Changes!
The Landmarks Preservation Commission has voted to calendar a second Public Hearing in October to allow the public to comment on the amended proposal for revised LPC Rules.
180 East 88th Street Has First Board of Standards and Appeals Public Hearing
This week FRIENDS, along with other New Yorkers concerned with the impact of megatowers on our city, has been advocating full force for the City to make good on its promises to enforce the misuse of zoning loopholes.
ADVOCACY ALERT: Next Tuesday, East and West Side Megatowers to be Heard at Board of Standards and Appeals
Next Tuesday, July 17th, will be a big day for New Yorkers concerned with the impact of megatowers on our city as two high profile projects on the Upper East and Upper West Sides will have their day at the Board of Standards and Appeals.
ADVOCACY ALERT: Manhattan Electeds and Advocates Call on City for Immediate Reform
In advance of Tuesday’s hearing, FRIENDS will join with elected officials and colleagues on the steps of City Hall to raise these issues to the citywide stage. The ability to freely sculpt zoning lots, as at 180 East 88th Street and 200 Amsterdam Avenue, that serve no purpose beyond circumventing zoning requirements has serious policy implications for New York City.