Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
January 22, 2010
www.gvshp.org
Far West Village Rezoning Promised But Delayed
Months later, the Department has still not taken the required next step in moving towards implementation of the promised rezoning, which is to make a public presentation of the rezoning plan. Though we have been told they are “working on it,” almost two years after the original request was made the danger of more inappropriate developments moving ahead under the existing outdated zoning grows every day. A survey by GVSHP showed at least a dozen potential development sites in this six block area, two of which already have active development plans.
Read GVSHP’s and allied community groups’ letter to City Planning Director Amanda Burden urging her to end delays and publicly present the Department’s C6-1 rezoning plan for the Far West Village 01/15/10
Answers to important questions about the Far West Village rezoning decision
Preservation Update
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
November 18, 2009
www.gvshp.org
City finally agrees to change outdated Far West Village zoning district!
Read GVSHP’s letter to Mayor Bloomberg about the need for rezoning
I am pleased to let you know that the City has now finally agreed to rezone this area of the Far West Village to the zoning district suggested by GVSHP and community groups. This will do a much better job of protecting the character of the neighborhood and preventing out-of-scale commercial development.
Public hearings will be scheduled on the proposed zoning change in the coming weeks, and we will be sure to let you know when those are. Thank you to everyone who helped push for these much-needed changes.
Preservation Update
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
October 13, 2009
www.gvshp.org
Rezonings Still Needed in the Far West Village and Hudson Square
Read GVSHP’s letter to Mayor Bloomberg about the need for rezoning
GVSHP and community groups have been pushing for zoning changes in the Far West Village and Hudson Square to help preserve community character and prevent out-of-scale development in the area. In both cases the city has given indications that they are willing to consider such changes, but there has been no tangible progress on their implementing or even proposing such changes. In the meantime, several out-of-scale developments have moved ahead in these areas, and the city has approved or allowed progress on nearby developer-requested zoning changes, even as these community-requested zoning changes have languished.
Preservation Update
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
April 7, 2009
www.gvshp.org
Far West Village C6-1 Zoning
Last night, more than 150 people tuned out for the community meeting co-sponsored by GVSHP on a much-needed rezoning in the Far West Village. At the meeting, GVSHP and community leaders presented the case that:
To see the complete summary of the presentation, CLICK HERE.
There was also progress to report. After a year of non-responsiveness from City Planning (which must approve or initiate any rezoning), the city agency is now finally reviewing and considering this rezoning request. Community Board #2 agreed to consider a resolution in support of the proposed changes in its Zoning Committee on April 16th. And all local elected officials sent representatives to listen to the concerns and opinions presented at the meeting, as they follow up on a recent meeting with City Planning on this issue.
GVSHP and community groups also mapped out a plan of action to keep the pressure on to help secure this needed zoning change, including possible future public demonstrations, if the City does not agree to move a rezoning forward.
HOW TO HELP:
- Sign the on-line petition in support of the much-needed rezoning of the C6-1 zone in the Far West Village, and forward it to your friends, family, and neighbors and ask them to do the same.
- If you were not able to attend last night's community meeting and fill out a letter to City Planning in support of rezoning, do so on-line; CLICK HERE.
For more information on the effort to rezone the Far West Village, CLICK HERE.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, go to www.gvshp.org/membership
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
April 3, 2009
www.gvshp.org
Far West Village Overdevelopment Meeting April 6
GVSHP is co-sponsoring a community meeting this Monday, April 6 at 6:30 P.M. regarding the need to
rezone a section of the Far West Village facing the threat of totally inappropriate overdevelopment. That meeting will be held at the State Office Building at 75 Morton Street (at Greenwich Street).
It’s critical that you attend this meeting, to show the strong community support for a rezoning. GVSHP and community groups have been pushing for a zoning change in this area for over a year, since plans first emerged for a nearly 100 ft. tall hotel at Perry and Washington Streets. After months of stonewalling we are finally beginning to see movement, but we need you to turn out so we can let the City, the Community Board, and our elected officials now how much we need this rezoning. The current zoning for a section of the Far West Village not only allows oversized development, it actually offers a very large bonus for hotel, dorm, or office development, which is inappropriate for this neighborhood. See the flyer.
How To Help:
Come to the Community Meeting on Far West Village Overdevelopment on Monday, April 6 at 6:30 P.M. at 75 Morton Street (at Greenwich Street) and tell your friends and neighbors!
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, go to www.gvshp.org/membership
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
March 26, 2009
www.gvshp.org
Dear Friend,
GVSHP is co-sponsoring a critically important community meeting on the need to rezone part of the Far West Village that encourages oversized commercial development on Monday, April 6 at 6:30 pm at 75 Morton Street (at Greenwich Street). I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO ATTEND THIS MEETING.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? The C6-1 zone (above) is an outdated zoning district enacted in 1961 which encourages very out-of-scale hotel, dorm, and office development. This issue came to the fore early last year when a developer proposed a nearly 100 ft. tall hotel at Washington and Perry Streets (that plan has since been dropped, but would have been allowed under the zoning). At the time, GVSHP urged the City to change the C6-1 zoning to prevent this kind of development from overwhelming this neighborhood (read HERE and HERE). The City has thus far refused to act.
This issue is more than theoretical—GVSHP has surveyed the area and identified a dozen sites within this zoning district where development could take place under these lax and outdated zoning regulations. While the economy has slowed the pace of development, now is the time to push for changes so that when development starts up again, we are adequately protected (in fact, one proposed development at Charles and Washington Streets is now in limbo, and could be affected—and reduced—by a zoning change).
The meeting will be an important opportunity to find out more and to help us push for the zoning change we need. CLICK HERE for a flyer and HERE for a list of co-sponsors of the meeting and further information.
I hope to see you on the 6th.
Sincerely,
Andrew Berman
Executive Director
Recent out-of-scale hotel development plans in the Far West Village, South
Village, and Hudson Square highlight the need for rezonings GVSHP has
been pushing for (click map to enlarge)
Preservation Alert
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
October 29, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Urgent Need for Rezoning in the Far West Village, South Village, and Hudson Square: Over the last three years, GVSHP has called upon the City to rezone several areas in the Far West Village, South Village and Hudson Square to prevent out-of-scale development. We were spurred by the Trump SoHo 'Condo-Hotel,' oversized proposed new buildings at Washington and Perry Streets and Washington and Charles Streets, and a desire to preserve the scale of the South Village. Thus far however the City has resisted changing the zoning of these areas to protect neighborhood character, although this summer they approved a developer-requested rezoning of a nearby area.
The call for rezoning has now become more urgent with the recent announcement of plans for a 36-story hotel at 68-74 Charlton Street, and with GVSHP's recent discovery of plans for an 18-story hotel at 76 Sullivan Street/160 Sixth Avenue. In the two years since GVSHP first called for a rezoning of the area around the Trump SoHo, more than a half-dozen out-of-scale buildings have gone up or are underway. For a map of some of the planned new developments and the areas GVSHP has urged be rezoned, CLICK HERE.
GVSHP has written to the City Planning Commission reiterating the urgent call to rezone these areas, citing these new threats to neighborhood character.
HOW TO HELP:
-
Send a letter to City Planning Chair Amanda Burden urging her to move ahead with these requested rezonings -- go to
www.gvshp.org/RezoningLtr.htm for a sample letter you can use.
PRESERVATION UPDATE
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
April 17, 2008
www.gvshp.org
On Wednesday the 23rd at 10 am, the City Planning Commission will hold a hearing on a request by a developer to
rezone five blocks between Barrow and Clarkson Street west of Husdson Street to allow additional kinds of development prohibited under the current zoning.
GVSHP urges you to join us in opposing this developer-driven rezoning by testifying against it at the hearing and/or writing to the Commission in opposition. The rezoning must be approved by the City Planning Commission and the City Council to be enacted.
Background: The City tried to pass this rezoning in 2002, but a coalition of neighborhood groups including GVSHP opposed it and it was defeated at the City Council. Now a developer has resurrected the rezoning, which would allow new residential development of up to 125 feet in height without any special permits or approvals, although it is currently prohibited by the existing zoning. GVSHP opposes the rezoning proposal because there is no apparent benefit to the community and definite potential drawbacks in terms of inappropriate development and displacement of existing businesses. Even worse, directly south of the proposed rezoning is a zoning district which includes the Trump SoHo Condo-Hotel and which allows 45-story buildings; GVSHP has urged the City to undertake a desperately-needed rezoning of this area, and
they have thus far refused. To allow a developer-driven rezoning which is not wanted by the community while refusing to move on
a community-requested rezoning in an adjacent area is especially problematic.
HOW TO HELP:
- Come to the hearing to testify AGAINST the proposed "Hudson Square North" rezoning on Wednesday, April 23rd at the City Planning Commission, 22 Reade Street (btw. Broadway and Lafayette, 1 block north of Chambers Street). Arrive at 10 am (the actual hearing of this item may not start until later). Click here for sample testimony.
- Write to the City Planning Commission to let them know that you oppose the developer-driven "Hudson Square North" rezoning and that you instead urge the Commission to move on rezoning the area to the south which actually needs it -- click here for a sample letter (same as the sample testimony).
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, visit www.gvshp.org/membership.htm.
PRESERVATION UPDATE
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
February 8, 2008
www.gvshp.org
Community Board #2's Zoning Committee will hold a hearing and vote next Thursday the 14th at 6:30 pm on a developer-initiated proposal to rezone six blocks in the Far West Village between Barrow and Clarkson Street (see map at www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/zone/prop_sketchmaps/070575zmm_prop.pdf). The new zoning would allow residential development of as much as 125 feet high, in an area where residential development is currently prohibited. GVSHP opposes the proposal.
The rezoning was rejected once before in 2003, and is also opposed by several other neighborhood groups. There are critical unanswered questions about the impact the proposed rezoning and the development it might spur would have. At the same time that the City has released this developer-initiated rezoning proposal, they have refused to act upon long-standing community requests to rezone the Hudson Square area directly south of the proposed rezoning, to cap the allowable size and height of new development there. This is where Trump's SoHo 'Condo-Hotel' is located, and where the zoning allows 45-story buildings (unlike in the proposed rezoning area, which actually only allows much more modestly-scaled development).
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, visit www.gvshp.org/membership.htm.
Last fall, after more than a year and a half effort by GVSHP and allied community groups, the Department of City Planning agreed to implement our requested rezoning of an outdated C6-1 zoning district in the Far West Village which encourages out-of-scale commercial overdevelopment.