Westsiders for Public Participation
P.O. Box 20093, Park West Station, New York, NY 10025
westsiders@earthlink.net
Update – Friday, May 30, 2008
Department of Buildings’ Extension to Developers Set to Expire;
WPP Case Heads to Board of Standards and Appeals
The Department of Buildings (DOB) agreed with WPP and with Borough President Scott Stringer on two of four of our objections to the proposed “Columbus Village” development. The DOB issued a letter of intent to revoke the permits for 808 Columbus based on those two objections. That original deadline was May 16. The revocation deadline was extended on May 16 for another ten business days.
WPP promises to hold DOB accountable to properly overseeing the developers on these issues. We will file a Freedom of Information Law request immediately upon the completion of the ten-day revocation extension. If the DOB approves the previously revoked permits, WPP will take further action. Business as usual at the DOB stops here!
The developers are not likely to be able to satisfy the issues of curb cuts and parking spaces, even if they seem small. In addition, these issues were merely the tip of the iceberg of what we intend to bring up in court. Remember, we still do not have all of the approved plans for most of the development.
DOB is not the final word on any of these issues and we will take further legal action to protect our rights. Our goal is what the law requires: public participation in an environmental review of the proposed development’s impacts upon our community, followed by required mitigation of those impacts.
Our elected representatives support us in this action. Congressman Charles Rangel, State Senator Bill Perkins, State Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell, and City Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, have all agreed to join our suit in progress.
This is what we have done, and what we will do:
1. We have prepared an appeal to the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA), a higher agency than the DOB on the two zoning violations not upheld by DOB (relating to inadequate allocation of open space, and size of retail establishments). This appeal will be amended to include additional zoning violations throughout the proposed “Columbus Village” as they are identified.
2. We will schedule an injunction hearing to halt construction pending the outcome of the BSA appeal.
3. We will take additional legal action in court to discover full information about everything that has been approved for all five construction sites, including whatever may not yet be known about 808 Columbus. Appropriate legal action will be taken concerning all instances of zoning non-compliance as they are discovered.
4. The BSA will be copied on the Freedom of Information Law request, and we will amend our appeal if the DOB approves the previously revoked permits.
What Can We Say at the BSA?
Coming up in June, we will have a session with our attorney, Jack Lester, who will explain how all of the members of our community can participate at the BSA.
Message to NYC: Business as Usual at the DOB Stops Here!
Park West Village has a proud history of standing up for citizens’ rights. As far as we know, we are the only community organization that has taken the DOB to court to insist upon the legal rights of all community stakeholders. In so doing, we hope to offer leadership to other communities like ours who want to remain livable within the current climate of rapid urban growth.
