The BroadsheetDAILY June 6, 2019

Tribeca Traffic Island Remains Forlorn, Despite Developer Promises in Exchange for Zoning Variance

The Tribeca building now nearing completion on Sixth Avenue, between Franklin and White Streets, was made possible only after the City granted a zoning variance, allowing a larger (and therefore more valuable) structure on the site than would have been possible under prevailing regulations.

Community Board 1 is trying to hold a developer to a bargain made five years ago, but never memorialized in writing. The deal committed builder DDG, which is erecting a large new residential and retail structure on a tiny former parking lot in Tribeca, to refurbish a nearby traffic island into a small park.

This quid pro quo first arose in 2014, when the firm announced plans to build on the small parcel, which fronts Sixth Avenue, between Franklin and White Streets, but asked for a zoning variance, claiming that the legal requirement to make the structure narrower on its upper floors was unworkable, because of the unusual configuration of the plot on which it was located. (The erstwhile parking lot was shaped like two triangles, joined at a single, narrow point.)

The City’s Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) granted the exemption to allow a controversial project to proceed, with DDG’s design calling for a structure six floors tall on the portion of the lot that adjoined Franklin Street, and another building, rising eight stories high, on the lot adjacent to White Street. These buildings will share a continuous brick facade, making them appear to passersby like a single structure, will house high-end retail on the ground floor, along with ten luxury condominium apartments above.

The waiver on the requirement for the building to taper back at its upper floors created more than a thousand additional square feet of valuable space within the structure, arguably increasing its value by several million dollars.

In exchange for this consideration, DDG promised to fund the upgrade of a nearby median into a new park. The Broadsheet noted in 2015 that, “as part of its negotiations with the City, DDG has also agreed to pay for the transformation of a triangular traffic island in front of their site into a vest-pocket park.” This arrangement was also noted in multiple other publications at the time.

But now, as the building nears completion, DDG has broken off contact with community leaders and City officials. And local leaders have discovered that the written confirmation of this agreement is missing — if it ever existed in the first place.

As part of its deal with the City, DDG (the developers of the structure) promised to pay for the transformation of an adjacent traffic island into a small park – even going to the trouble of producing this rendering. But in the five years since, no work has been done on this amenity, and City officials now say they cannot find any paperwork attesting to the agreement.

At the May 28 meeting of Community Board 1 (CB1), Paul Goldstein, who chairs that panel’s Waterfront, Parks, and Cultural Committee, explained, “this is a triangle located on White Street, between Church Street and Sixth Avenue, just outside the Roxy Hotel. It’s basically in pretty decayed condition, and is not much of anything.”

“Back in 2014, the developer came before this Community Board and requested approval for a building that he subsequently received and has built,” Mr. Goldstein continued. “In the course of those discussions, he made certain promises to this Community Board — specifically to work with the Department of Transportation to design and improve that space for the community.”

In recent months, he added, “the community has made countless efforts,” noting that CB1’s Director of Planning and Land Use, Diana Switaj, “has been on the phone and attempted to reach the developer multiple times, with very little success.”

Ms. Switaj added, “the office of City Council member Margaret Chin also reached out to them, and they didn’t get back to her, which seems really egregious.” She continued, “part of the problem is that this agreement was never captured in the BSA paperwork,” that approved the zoning variance requested by DDG. “We’ve inquired with the Department of Transportation, and they say that plans were never filed.”

Laura Starr, who serves on CB1’s Land Use, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee, observed, “we never got anything in writing. There was nothing locked in.”

CB1 chair Anthony Notaro agreed, “that was the problem. We should have got it in writing, but it didn’t happen. And now this developer has gone completely silent. We need to get this restarted.”

Mr. Goldstein concurred, saying, “clearly, if we had something in writing, that would have been great.” He then introduced a resolution, explaining, “our purpose is to go on record and ask our elected officials to pursue this on our behalf.”

“The resolution says, ‘you made certain promises,’ and that we want to move forward,” he summarized.

The measure, which passed by a large majority states, “there is no sign of any improvement to [the traffic island], nor has the Community Board seen any pending plans,” and notes that, “CB1 has repeatedly asked DDG to come before the Community Board for more than a year to update us on this promised plaza improvement, but DDG has not been willing to attend any meeting thus far and we remain in the dark as to their plans.”

Borough President and City Council Member  Hold Rally to Underscore Objections to Planned Development at Two Bridges

	The four towers proposed by developers (visible on the right) as described by the de Blasio administration as “minor modifications” to nearby (and much smaller) existing structures.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council Margaret Chin  held a rally outside the Municipal Building to build support for their ongoing lawsuit against the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, over City Hall’s plans to erect a string of super-tall towers along the East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan.

To the Editor,

Since the GPTA Rally for Rent Stabilization ended abruptly when the skies opened up, I did not get the chance to express my gratitude to many and to convey some important information.

On behalf of GPTA and all of Gateway, I want to express our sincere gratitude to Congressman Nadler, City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, and Council Member Margaret Chin for joining us at the rally and standing with us in solidarity (and in the rain).

I would also like to acknowledge the GPTA Board.  We all we are all so fortunate to have an Executive Committee with vast knowledge and expertise working for us…

Without the help of the Battery Park City Authority, BJ Jones, Eric Munson, Nick Sbordone, Nidia Reeder, and the wonderful staff at BPCParks, this rally would not have been possible. Thank you.

If you want to stay up-to-date on what is happening, please take a moment and email the words, “I’M IN” to stabilization@gpta.org.  We will keep you informed of any updates and let you know what you can do to help.

Thank you all… let’s keep up the fight!!!

To the Editor:

The article, “Pupil Protection,” published April 1, 2019, notes the unfortunate shortage of School Crossing Guards (SCGs) in our area, especially at and around PS89 in Battery Park City.  It’s been two months since the article appeared, and there seem to still be no “permanent” crossing guards for PS89.

As a parent, every day I see the dangers to our kids posed by irresponsible drivers creeping into crosswalks at red lights, blocking crosswalks with their vehicles, out-of-state cars illegally turning right-on-red, and others speeding to make green or yellow lights; that’s in addition to equally irresponsible bicycle riders heading the wrong way on streets, careening through red lights, riding on sidewalks, and speeding recklessly along the West Street bikeway.  I would love to see multiple SCGs posted at the intersections around PS89 (and other schools).  It would especially be nice to have local residents as crossing guards since they would have a familiarity with the neighborhood, and also have a more heightened and direct interest in its safety.

For anyone interested, our NYPD Neighborhood Coordination Officers can be contacted with questions at 212-334-6462, or dinah.bodden@nypd.org (Officer Bodden) and arif.tasoren@nypd.org (Officer Tasoren).  A

lso, there is an online registration at:  https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/careers/civilians/school-crossing-guard.page.

Rise and shine to begin your morning with an outdoor yoga class that will help align your chakras and invigorate your day. Instructors focus on movements meant to enhance posture alignment and increase flexibility and balance. All levels welcome. Bringing your own mat is encouraged, as provided accessories are first come, first served. Wagner Park. FREE

Learn about Battery Park’s rich history, many important landmarks and monuments, the Seaglass Carousel,beautiful perennial gardens and much more. Meet at 12:50 p.m. at the Netherland Memorial Flagpole located at the entrance to the park near the intersection of Broadway, Battery Place, and State street. It is across State Street from Bowling Green. FREE

A Stele for Survivors Honors Those Who Came Back, and Those Who Chose to Settle Downtown After the Dust Settled

On Thursday morning, the World Trade Center complex unveiled a new monument: the Memorial Glade, which honors people whose health (or whose lives) were taken from them not on September 11, 2001, but in the years that followed, because they were exposed to toxins in the aftermath of the Twin Towers’ collapse.

Chin Pushes to Renew Victim Compensation Fund

City Council member Margaret Chin is mobilizing local support for an effort at the federal level to restore funding and make permanent the Victim Compensation Fund, which offers financial awards to responders and survivors of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

This proposed federal measure would renew and make permanent the Victim Compensation Fund that was created by a 2011 law, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which was renewed in 2015.

To the Editor:

I watched the transfer of the bridge spans in person on Wednesday, but seeing your video was AWESOME!

Thanks for sharing that!

Many ships pass Lower Manhattan on their way to and from the Midtown Passenger Ship Terminal.  Others may be seen on their way to or from piers in Brooklyn and Bayonne.  Stated times, when appropriate, are for passing the Colgate clock in Jersey City, NJ, and are based on sighting histories, published schedules and intuition. They are also subject to tides, fog, winds, freak waves, hurricanes and the whims of upper management.

May 28 – June 9, 2019

While writing my recent column about bright stars in the south at nightfall, I was reminded of patterns those stars shape in addition to the position each has in an official constellation.

Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation Bootes the Herdsman and Spica is brightest in Virgo the Virgin. Denebola marks the tail of Leo the Lion and Regulus the Lion’s heart. Draw imaginary lines to connect Arcturus to Spica and Denebola and we have a Spring Triangle, an asterism. Replace Denebola with Regulus for a larger Spring Triangle.

Governors Island Trust Considers a Plan to Activate the Island’s Perimeter

Local Elected Officials Say ‘Avast’ to Water-Borne Ads, But Company Claims City Is Out of Its Depth

The advertising barges operated by Ballyhoo Media have become the focus of stepped-up enforcement efforts by City officials in recent weeks.

The advertising barges that have become a pet bête noire for Lower Manhattan residents were the focus of a discussion at the April 23 meeting of Community Board 1 , where Paul Goldstein, who chairs that panel’s Waterfront, Parks, & Cultural Committee, offered an update, saying, “those floating billboards that you’ve seen on both the east and west sides — the  good news is that the City is cracking down on them. Both the Mayor and the Council say they find it unacceptable. So they are imposing fines and enacting laws to restrict it.”  To read more…

City Plans Temporary Flood Protection Measures for Downtown

An illustration of the short-term solutions during storm conditions that include  ‘tiger dams’ deployed to supplement Hesco barriers.

The administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio is formulating short-term strategies to protect the South Street Seaport and the Financial District from sea-level rise and future extreme-weather events.

Although Not Yet a Shore Thing, Proposal for Brooklyn Bridge Beach Takes a Step Forward

	A rendering of the proposed  Brooklyn Bridge Beach

After multiple rounds of funding since 2013, the proposed Brooklyn Bridge Beach — a project supported by elected officials, community leaders, and the public — may be inching closer to reality.

The plan, backed by all of these constituencies, aims to create a crescent-shaped wedge of sand along the East River waterfront, just north of the South Street Seaport, where park-goers could wade knee deep in tide. If built, it would become the sole access point at which Lower Manhattan residents could step into the water that surrounds them, rather than merely looking at it.

Journey with us across the Brooklyn Bridge, from Manhattan to Brooklyn, to celebrate Poets House and the poetry of New York City with readings by poets  Robert Pinsky, Rosamond King, Gregory Pardlo, Jenny Xie, and Anne Waldman, whom we will present with our Elizabeth Kray Award for service to poetry. This year marks Poets House’s 10th anniversary at 10 River Terrace-as well as Walt Whitman’s bicentennial. 

Recognition of Whitman’s 200th birthday will lend special significance to the evening as we gather to hear a reading of Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.”

Afterward, we’ll continue with more readings, accompanied by wine, dinner, and dessert, inside a beautiful historic foundry in DUMBO. All proceeds benefit Poets House’s library, public programs, and class trips for children and teens.

Monday June 10

6:00pm: Walk begins in Manhattan, near One Centre Street

8:00pm: Seated dinner at 26 Bridge Street in DUMBO

For more information: poetshouse.org/poetrywalk2019

Questions? please contact Phoebe at 212-431-7920 ext. 2819or phoebe@poetshouse.org.

Hudson River Park Trust Seeks Development on Pier 40

	The 14-acre former cruise ship terminal situated along the Hudson River waterfront, near West Houston Street.

The Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT), in collaboration with local elected officials, is seeking to revise its enabling legislation to allow for commercial development at Pier 40.

“The major issue is that there need to be changes to the legislation that created the Hudson River Park, because Pier 40 is sinking,” explained Anthony Notaro, chair of Community Board 1 (CB1) at an April 26 meeting.

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