The local paper for Downtown wn A WARHOLIAN FUNHOUSE AT THE ARMORY, CITYARTS, < P. 12
WEEK OF JULY
21-27 2016
STANDING UP FOR THE VILLAGE NEWS Community pushes back against a number of mega-projects in the far West Village BY MADELEINE THOMPSON
Though in general the Alexander Hamilton craze may be slowing down, the founding father’s legacy popped up last week in an unexpected place, and this time Hamilton the musical wasn’t mentioned once. At a Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing on the conversion of 85-89 Jane Street into a mega-mansion complete with a separate glass tower, one community member’s testimony in opposition to the project cited Hamilton’s personal connection to the area as a reason not to allow the proposed development. “Jane Street was just a country lane … when Alexander Hamilton died in the Bayard Home in 1804,” she said of
Rosemary Kristiansen and Ron Shipley holding signs in protest of the planned Jane Street development, at the LPC hearing. Photo by Madeleine Thompson
the William Bayard House that once stood at 82 Jane Street. “The house was demolished, but the memory of Hamilton is still living, and is an important part of Greenwich Village’s history.” In recent months, the far West Village and the Meatpacking District have seen several large, luxury projects appear before Community Board 2 and the LPC that have brought residents out in droves -- the LPC received 250 emails from residents in response to the 85-89 Jane Street project alone -- to stand up for their historically diverse neighborhood, which was given landmark status in 2006. “While it’s incredibly charming, it’s usually very simple,” Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, said of Greenwich Village architecture. Berman described some of the recent proposed developments as “castle-like” and out of scale. “I think what the applicant [for 85-89 Jane Street] is bumping up against is they have a very grand idea of what they want their home to be like, and as the commissioner said, it’s intriguing, it’s inventive, but it doesn’t belong in this spot,” he said. After nearly two hours of discussion
last week, the LPC ultimately took no action on the glass tower and renovated row house that were designed by Steven Harris Architects LLC for 8589 Jane Street. The commissioners’ comments on the huge single-family home made it clear that they did not find the buildings to be appropriate for the neighborhood, despite its striking aesthetic. “It is a very interesting presentation, and intriguing in terms of drawing from different building typologies and thinking creatively,” LPC Chair Meenakshi Srinivasan said. “But I think in the end all these ideas are not reflected in this building. I just grapple with the idea that this tower is representative of what has been identified as the inspiration, which are these water towers and other industrial-type smokestacks … The execution fails to make that transformation.” Srinivasan’s comments were loudly applauded by the audience, and went on to be echoed by every other commissioner. The conversion of a one-story garage at 11-19 Jane Street into a five-story residential building inspired similar ire and also resulted in no action from
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CHELSEA PARK DESIGN SPARKS DEBATE Preliminary plans for the new 20th Street Park includes a short fence BY JEFFREY KOPP
A preliminary design for the new 20th Street Park has been released and is causing some controversy, particularly with regard to the inclusion of a short fence. The design, presented by Parks Department officials at a July 14 Community Board 4 meeting, was prepared with input gathered during an April “scoping meeting,” when Chelsea
residents were given the opportunity to collaborate on the design of the newest neighborhood park. Common themes at that meeting were the needs for a relaxing green space, an area for children to play and a section for art to reflect the culture of the neighborhood. At last week’s CB4 meeting, Parks officials presented a “bubble graph” that depicted approximate areas for each proposed section of the park. It
Parks and community officials are discussing design plans for a park at this former Sanitation Department parking lot on West 20th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Photo: Jeffrey Kopp
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FOR HIM, SETTLING SMALL CLAIMS IS A BIG DEAL presided over Arbitration Man has three decades. for informal hearings about it He’s now blogging BY RICHARD KHAVKINE
is the common Arbitration Man their jurist. least folks’ hero. Or at Man has For 30 years, Arbitration court office of the civil few sat in a satellite Centre St. every building at 111 New Yorkers’ weeks and absorbed dry cleaning, burned lost accountings of fender benders, lousy paint jobs, and the like. And security deposits then he’s decided. Arbitration Man, About a year ago, so to not afwho requested anonymity started docuhe fect future proceedings, two dozen of what menting about compelling cases considers his most blog. in an eponymous about it because “I decided to write the stories but in a I was interested about it not from wanted to write from view but rather lawyer’s point of said Arbitration view,” of a lay point lawyer since 1961. Man, a practicing what’s at issue He first writes about post, renders and then, in a separatehow he arrived his decision, detailing blog the to Visitors at his conclusion. their opinions. often weigh in with get a rap going. I to “I really want whether they unreally want to know and why I did it,” I did derstood what don’t know how to he said. “Most people ... I’d like my cases the judge thinks. and also my trereflect my personalitythe law.” for mendous respect 80, went into indiMan, Arbitration suc in 1985, settling vidual practice
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MANHATTAN'S APARTMENT BOOM, > PROPERTY, P.20
2015
In Brief MORE HELP FOR SMALL BUSINESS
The effort to help small seems to businesses in the city be gathering steam. Two city councilmembers, Robert Margaret Chin and Cornegy, have introduced create legislation that wouldSmall a new “Office of the within Business Advocate” of Small the city’s Department Business Services. Chin The new post, which have up told us she’d like to would and running this year, for serve as an ombudsman city small businesses within them clear government, helping to get through the bureaucracy things done. Perhaps even more also importantly, the ombudsman and number will tally the type small business of complaints by taken in owners, the actions policy response, and somefor ways to recommendations If done well, begin to fix things. report would the ombudsman’s give us the first quantitative with taste of what’s wrong the city, an small businesses in towards important first step fixing the problem. of for deTo really make a difference, is a mere formality will have to the work process looking to complete their advocate are the chances course, velopers precinct, but rising rents, -- thanks to a find a way to tackle business’ is being done legally of after-hours projects quickly. their own hours,” which remain many While Chin “They pick out boom in the number throughout who lives on most vexing problem. said Mildred Angelo,of the Ruppert construction permits gauge what Buildings one said it’s too early tocould have the 19th floor in The Department of the city. number three years, the Houses on 92nd Street between role the advocate She Over the past on the is handing out a record work perThird avenues. permits, there, more information of Second and an ongoing all-hours number of after-hours bad thing. of after-hours work the city’s Dept. problem can’t be a said there’s with the mits granted by nearby where according to new data jumped 30 percent, This step, combinedBorough construction project noise Buildings has data provided in workers constantly make efforts by Manhattan to mediate BY DANIEL FITZSIMMONS according to DOB of Informacement from trucks. President Gale Brewer offer response to a Freedom classifies transferring they want. They knows the the rent renewal process, request. The city They 6 “They do whatever signs Every New Yorker clang, tion Act go as they please. work between some early, tangible small any construction on the weekend, can come and sound: the metal-on-metal or the piercing of progress. For many have no respect.” p.m. and 7 a.m., can’t come of these that the hollow boom, issuance reverse. owners, in business moving The increased beeps of a truck has generto a correspond and you as after-hours. soon enough. variances has led at the alarm clock The surge in permits
SLEEPS, THANKS TO THE CITY THAT NEVER UCTION A BOOM IN LATE-NIGHT CONSTR NEWS
A glance it: it’s the middle can hardly believe yet construction of the night, and carries on full-tilt. your local police or You can call 311
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