Please join LANDMARK WEST!, your neighbors, and other concerned citizens <strong>defending the integrity of our historic brownstone-scale blocks</strong> in sending the following messages to the NYC Board of Standards & Appeals (BSA, the agency responsible for interpreting the zoning code):<br /> <ul><br /> <li>BSA should <span style="text-decoration: underline;">not</span> give Congregation Shearith Israel (CSI) a free pass to build precedent-setting $60 million condominium(s). The desire for condos is driving the proposed construction of a new community house that, all told, will be twice the height of brownstones that define the West 70th Street midblock. </li></p><p><li>BSA approved CSI's so-called "hardship" application - over tremendous community opposition - in 2008 based, in significant part, on CSI's alleged need for classrooms for a school that is no longer there. Where is the "programmatic need" now? </li></p><p><li>BSA should consider the fact that CSI spent nearly two years <span style="text-decoration: underline;">after</span> BSA's 2008 approval angling to construct a building that contained <span style="text-decoration: underline;">almost no classrooms. </span></li></p><p><li>BSA should not approve changes to the building's design that CSI claims are "minor" but in fact are <span style="text-decoration: underline;">far from</span> minor, involving changes to the overall height, façade, interior layout, and mechanicals with potentially adverse impacts on adjacent properties. </li></p><p><li>BSA should demand fresh environmental and economic analysis of the project. </li></p><p><li>BSA should <span style="text-decoration: underline;">not</span> bend its rules to excuse CSI's failure to construct the 2008-approved building within reasonable time limits. CSI's time to act has clearly passed.</li>

<p style="<br ></p> font-size: 30px;"><strong><em>For more <span style="font=size: 18px;">information and background on this issue, please click <strong> <a href="http://getodemilly.com/Congregation%20Shearith%20Israel.pdf" target="_blank">HERE.</a></span></em></strong></p>