With many thanks to our team of Attorneys: John Low-Beer, Chuck Weinstock and Zoning Expert George Janes, and YOU, our UWS Neighbors, the Department of Buildings has issued an Intent to Revoke Approval against their prior approval to amend the development at 36 West 66th Street aka 50 West 66th Street from 25-stories to 775′, and 39-stories.
This is a HUGE victory, but what does this mean?
- In the short term, it means that the developer no longer has zoning approval to build a building equivalent to a 77-story office building, but may proceed with their existing approved plans for a 25-story structure which is in keeping with the context of the block, and the Special Zoning District it lies within.
- The developer can come back within 15 days with additional information to convince the DOB to again reverse course.
- It also puts our pending Board of Standards and Appeals filing (BSA) on hold. Should the developer submit a revision with similarly unsavory features, LW! and neighbors would again challenge that at the Department of Buildings.
In just three short weeks: our legal team filed to challenge the void, the DOB Commissioner Rick Chandler announced his resignation culminating a 35-year career, AND the DOB reversed its findings (which they already revisited during our Challenge which they denied…) So many coincidences that we are buying a lottery ticket!