COMMENTARY: Could Landmarks Have Saved Dangler House? City Should Conduct Post-Demolition Official Review

On July 21, 2022, the Jacob Dangler House at 441 Willoughby Avenue in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, was demolished less than two weeks after the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing to consider its designation as an Individual Landmark. Despite the attempt by Landmarks to save the Dangler House by commencing the designation process, the Commission has been criticized for not acting quickly enough. Could Landmarks have actually done more?


Mayor Appoints Asim Rehman as Next OATH Commissioner

Rehman is the first Muslim-American to serve as OATH Commissioner. On March 29, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced Asim Rehman had been selected as the next Commissioner and Chief Administrative Law Judge for the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH). OATH serves as the City’s administrative law court, which handles the adjudication of issues referred by City agencies, summonses from City agencies, and other topics including but not limited to employee discipline, City-issued license <Read More>


Council Approves Bill to Require Board of Standards and Appeals to Record Decisions

The bill provides better transparency and helps potential purchasers and agents. On June 17, 2021, the New York City Council passed a bill to require the City’s Board of Standards and Appeals to record a copy of a decision affecting a parcel of land made by the Board in the appropriate title recording system. The bill, Int. 2257-2021, will require the Board to record the decision with the Automatic City Register Information System (ACRIS) for <Read More>


Council Approves Go Broome Development on Lower East Side

Council Member Chin was pleased to announce deeper affordability, senior housing and the preservation of two Lower East Side institutions in Go Broome project. On February 27, 2020, the full City Council unanimously approved with a companion resolution, GO Broome LLC’s application to rezone and develop a large-scale, mixed use development on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The Chinese-American Planning Council and the Gotham Organization Inc. partnered to propose a development with mixed-income, intergenerational … <Read More>


City Council Approves Borough Based Jails

After modifications and a lengthy Stated Meeting, Borough Based Jails passed despite significant opposition. On October 17, 2019, the City Council voted to approve the City’s Borough Based Jails System application with modifications. The approved plan includes four jail facilities located at 124-125 White Street in Manhattan, 745 East 141st Street in the Bronx, 126-02 82nd Avenue in Queens and at 275 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn and closure of the Rikers Island detention facility.


City Planning Hears Proposal to Convert Part of 1845 Greenwich Village Townhouse to Hair Salon

The applicant needs special permit to modify zoning requirements. On December 5, 2018, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on an application for a special permit to modify the use and building envelope requirements for a four-story building located at 59 Greenwich Avenue in the Greenwich Village Historic District in Manhattan. If granted, the special permit will allow the applicant to repair and reconstruct the existing building and use the first two floors … <Read More>