City Planning Approves Two 14-Story Affordable Buildings in the Bronx

The City Planning Commission approved the construction of 474 low-income affordable units in Longwood, Bronx. On June 7, 2017, the City Planning Commission issued a favorable report on an application from Ader Group, LLC, to facilitate the construction of two new 14-story mixed-use buildings at the intersection of Whitlock Avenue and east 165th Street in the Bronx’s Longwood neighborhood. The application requested a zoning map amendment to change the project area from an M1-1 zoning … <Read More>


Planning Commission Approves New Affordable Housing and New Charter School in The Bronx

The City Planning Commission approved the construction of 175 new affordable units and a new charter school in the Melrose neighborhood of the Bronx. On April 5, 2017, the City Planning Commission issued a favorable report on an application from 600 Associates, LLC, an affiliate of the nonprofit developer Phipps Houses. The applicant proposed changing the zoning of the lot in question from manufacturing to residential, and proposed designating the lot as a Mandatory Housing … <Read More>


DOI Report Exposes NYCHA’s Failure to Maintain Fire Safety Devices

The Department of Investigation’s Report found that NYCHA maintenance workers were negligent in their duties to ensure smoke and CO detectors were functioning. On October 4, 2016, the Department of Investigation issued a Report finding that New York City Housing Authority maintenance workers frequently ignored their obligation to perform safety checks and often falsified documents to cover up their negligence. DOI Commissioner Mark G. Peters stated in the Report that, “DOI has now found that … <Read More>


NYC Landmarks Law and Regulation of Open Space

The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has jurisdiction over both buildings and landscape features on landmarks sites.   But the Commission rarely directly regulates changes to landscape features. For routine landscaping changes and in urban contexts, the landscape features are rarely a concern. In other cases the landscape takes on central importance. This is especially true where there where the existing landscaping and natural land features figure prominently in the beauty and importance of the site. In … <Read More>


CPC Approves New Affordable Housing Building in The Bronx

The building will be targeted to low-income and homeless individuals or families.  On April 1, 2015 the City Planning Commission voted to approve an application by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development facilitating construction of a new affordable housing building in The Bronx.  The building will be located at 1561 Walton Avenue in West Concourse, and feature sixty units of rental housing for low-income and homeless individuals and families.


CityLaw Profile – NYCHA General Counsel David Farber on Meeting NYCHA’s Challenges

David Farber was appointed New York City Housing Authority Executive Vice-President for Legal Affairs and General Counsel in August 2014.  When speaking with David, his clear love for New York City is readily apparent and supplemented by a driving desire to leave the city better than he found it.  Turning 50 this year, David has spent the majority of his professional career in service to his city with great satisfaction.

Born in Manhattan and raised … <Read More>