City Agrees that Hotel Gansevoort Billboard are in Violation of Zoning Regulations
After months of effort by GVSHP, local merchants, community groups, and elected officials, the City notified GVSHP that they agreed with our contention that the Hotel Gansevoort's billboards were in violation of zoning regulations by virtue of facing Hudson Street at less than the required 90 degree angle. Hotel Gansevoort owner Michael Achenbaum now has the choice of attempting to alter the signs to meet the requirements, or removing them. GVSHP has reached out to Mr. Achenbaum to urge him to use this as an opportunity to remove the signs, particularly given his prior statements that he recognized that erecting these billboards was a mistake, and if given the opportunity to go back and remove them, he would. Now he has a chance to do so.
While the City has ruled in favor of GVSHP's contention that the signs violate the zoning requirement that they face Hudson Street at a greater than 90 degree angle, they still have not yet made a final determination regarding GVSHP's other two contentions regarding the signs violating zoning rules. If the City were to agree with GVSHP's other two contentions, it would be virtually impossible for at least one of the signs to remain at this location, at least in its current form.
GVSHP was joined by scores of protestors on Wednesday night outside the Hotel Gansevoort calling for the billboards to be taken down; this was the third protest GVSHP has held outside the Hotel. More than a dozen area restaurants, including Pastis, Balthazar, Morandi, 5 Ninth, Cafe Cluny, the Inn at Little West 12th Street, Spice Market, the Waverly Inn, the Spotted Pig, Lotus, and Restaurant Florent have maintained a boycott of the Hotel over their decision to keep the signs up.
The City also notified us that they have begun to serve violations against several other illegal billboards in the vicinity which GVSHP reported to them; one has already been removed.
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