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Bullet Points: Loehmann’s Seaport Plaza Expansion Postponed To Allow Community Input
Posted By Ned Berke On June 26, 2014 @ 4:00 pm In News & Features | 2 Comments
“Bullet Points [1]” is our format for Community Board 15 meeting coverage, providing takeaways we think are important. Information in Bullet Points is meant only to be a quick summary, and some issues may be more deeply explored in future articles.
Loehmann’s expansion postponed: An expected vote on an application to expand Loehmann’s Seaport Plaza (2027 Emmons Avenue) was tabled by Community Board 15 at their meeting this Tuesday to allow hearings and public input throughout the summer.
The Board was scheduled to vote on the proposal, which seeks to add an additional floor of office space totaling 10,000 square feet to the building [2]. As the first item on the agenda, the Board’s Zoning Committee chairperson, Ronnie Tawil, made a motion to table the item until the group’s next meeting in September.
“Since this property is at the centerpiece of Sheepshead Bay and is of such high significance for the entire area, I’m of the mind that we should table this matter so that we can have more public hearings and more opportunities to discuss the ramifications of this particular application,” he said before the Board.
Normally, postponing such a hearing before the summer could open the door for an end-run around the Board. The group’s recommendation is advisory, and is requested to come within 60 days before the landlord’s appearance before the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA), which has final say. If the Community Board tables a motion, it could forfeit its right to provide input.
However, the group’s chairperson Theresa Scavo said that won’t happen in this case. She met with the landlord’s attorney, Eric Palatnik, who frequently comes before the group on zoning matter and requested that he postpone the appearance before the BSA so that public hearings can be organized. He agreed, and has frozen the application, Scavo said.
“I’m asking him not to go ahead without us, he said he would not, and everything is put on hold. He’s giving it until September,” said Scavo.
Public hearings are expected to be scheduled in July or August by Councilman Deutsch’s office in conjunction with local groups like the Sheepshead Bay – Plumb Beach Civic Association. The item will be back for a vote before the Board in September.
As Sheepshead Bites first reported in March, the landlord is planning to add a new floor of commercial offices. Because it falls outside of the special zoning district [3]‘s permitted uses, and the building is already subject to a variance, the BSA must review and approve the project.
Its initial construction was a lightning rod for community activists in the 1990s, when many locals mobilized to stop it from being built. It succeeded in going forward, and many credit the development as being the death of the special zoning district.
“It’s the same thing all over again. The use exceeds the zoning by 800 percent. It was granted specifically for Loehmann’s and Loehmann’s went out [of business]. So that’s it. Unbelievable,” said Steve Barrison when he learned the news in March. “We’re talking about a special district. We’re talking about the waterfront. We’re not talking about any where else in the community. It’s disgusting.”
Zoning items:
Elected officials:
Other notable information:
Article printed from Sheepshead Bites: http://www.sheepsheadbites.com
URL to article: http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2014/06/bullet-points-loehmanns-seaport-plaza-expansion-postponed-allow-community-input/
URLs in this post:
[1] Bullet Points: http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/tag/bullet-points/
[2] seeks to add an additional floor of office space totaling 10,000 square feet to the building: http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2014/03/loehmanns-seaport-plaza-developer-seeks-additional-floor-shocking-community-leaders/
[3] special zoning district: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/zone/zh_special_purp_bk.shtml
[4] a related website: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/get_prepared/know_your_zone/knowyourzone.html
[5] Hearing On Loehmann’s Seaport Plaza Expansion Postponed; CB15 To Consider 9 Other Projects Tonight: http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2014/09/hearing-loehmanns-seaport-plaza-expansion-postponed-cb15-consider-9-projects-tonight/
[6] Bullet Points: In Response To Drug Clinic Opponents, Board Alters Bylaws To Require Neighbor Notification: http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2013/04/bullet-points-in-response-to-drug-clinic-opponents-board-alters-bylaws-to-require-neighbor-notification/
[7] Bullet Points: Community Board 15 – September 24, 2012: http://www.sheepsheadbites.com/2012/09/bullet-points-community-board-15-september-24-2012/
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