BY EILEEN STUKANE | The sweeping view of sunset over the Hudson River brought an unusual grandness to the July 22 Community Board 4 (CB4) full board meeting. In the Great Hall of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum conflicts over parking spaces in Chelsea, community issues centering on the proposed bar Tipsy Girl and the existing restaurant El Cid, reports from elected officials, somehow seemed more elegantly presented. Four groups of community residents had enjoyed free hour-long tours of the Intrepid’s hangar deck, flight deck and Space Shuttle Pavilion. The remarkable experience of walking beneath the space shuttle Enterprise still lingered in the air as the meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m.
CHELSEA IS NOT A CAR PARK
During the public hearing session at the start of the meeting, CB4 chair Christine Berthet introduced Nick Hawkins, land use attorney for Centaur Properties. Hawkins was making a presentation for Centaur’s application to the NYC’s City Planning Commission (CPC) for a special permit to increase the number of parking spaces to 39 in what would be an automated underground garage at the proposed development of an 11-story building at 530 W. 28th St. CB4’s letter regarding this application was an item on the evening’s agenda.
The site is currently permitted 10 parking spaces. Centaur is creating 36 residential units and wants to include 39 parking spaces to provide one space for each unit. Hawkins explained that the CPC sets out a residential parking ratio calculated according to the net change of residential parking spaces within a one-third mile area over the past 10 years, divided by the net change in the number of residential units over the same time period in the same area. According to Hawkins, Centaur has done a study following the CPC guidelines and found that the additional spaces would bring a 5.5 percent ratio increase in residential parking spaces to the area, whereas the CPC would allow a 20 percent target ratio.
The CB4 Chelsea Land Use Committee, however, believes that the CPC’s calculation of a parking ratio is “flawed” according to its letter to Carl Weisbrod, CPC’s chair, and that a proposed 1:1 ratio of parking spaces to residential units goes against city living where there is easy access to public transportation. CB4 is also concerned about increased traffic overall, since tourists buses to the High Line, art galleries and the new Whitney Museum are adding to congestion.
Although the vote on the letter to the CPC ultimately went for denial of the special permit, not all CB4 members were in agreement. Delores Rubin noted that there is a CPC methodology in place, the developers had complied with that methodology and she questioned whether it was appropriate to deny if qualifications were met. Betty Mackintosh, co-chair of the CB4 Chelsea Land Use Committee said, “We’re sending a message to City Planning that for this neighborhood, this is not the way to figure out additional parking spaces.” Discussion went back and forth with others in favor or against Rubin’s point, and concluded with Walter Mankoff stating, “We have a large number of policies and standards set by the board over the years that differ from the city standards, and we routinely deny or object to the city using its standard when we feel our standard is more appropriate for our community.”
TIPSY GIRL AND EL CID SPARK PUBLIC COMMENTS
As it often does, the subject of restaurants and their effects on a neighborhood brought forth a number of public speakers. Two establishments — Tipsy Girl and El Cid — got a lot of attention for obfuscating.
Tipsy Girl, 714 Ninth Ave. (btw. W. 48th & 49th Sts.) is seeking a liquor license from the State Liquor Authority (SLA) in order to open as a new establishment. After meeting with the CB4 Business Licenses and Permits Committee (BLP) the owners had agreed to close at midnight Sun.–Wed. and at 2 a.m. Thurs.–Sat. Speakers from the W. 50th/51st St. Block Association declared that they had been bamboozled into thinking that this would be another fine-dining restaurant by the owners, Peter Guimaraes and Piermario Del Rosso — who were known for their elegant former Midtown restaurant, Bice.
Bob Miner and Steve Belinda individually told the board that as representatives of the block association they were told Tipsy Girl would be similarly upscale and that “Tipsy” did not mean drunk but “love.” However, a recent news article announced an all-day happy hour for the bar, and quoted the owners as saying that Tipsy Girl is supposed to convey “a feeling of euphoria.” The article also stated that the bar would be open until 2am every day of the week in spite of the agreed-upon stipulations. Miner noted that there is a law that prohibits the holder of a license for an establishment that sells alcoholic beverages from having ownership of or marketing wines and spirits, which the Tipsy Girl owners said they wanted to do.
Later on when it came time for CB4 to vote on its recommendation to the SLA, Frank Holozubiec, co-chair of the BLP, reported that Tipsy Girl’s owners had backed out of the stipulations earlier in the day, saying they had to remain open until 4 a.m. daily. That led to a motion for a letter to the SLA of complete denial of a liquor license. The motion was approved.
El Cid, at 174 Eighth Ave. (btw. W. 18th & 19th Sts.) has been in the neighborhood for four years, so it is not a new establishment. This Spanish cuisine restaurant is on the first floor of a small two-story building and patrons have been encouraged to take drinks to the roof. El Cid’s owner Francisco Bermeo is now seeking permission to extend its on-premise liquor license to the rooftop even though he has been conducting illegal alcohol service there already. The rooftop noise and activity has galvanized the neighbors.
Dan Jennings, a resident of W. 19th St. on the 200 block, said that his name was used by El Cid as a reference for its application to the SLA without his permission. He also pointed out that El Cid had agreed to stop using the roof after the BLP meeting this month — but the night after the meeting, people were on the roof and music was playing. Other neighbors spoke about the lack of El Cid to abide by promises made, and that music is blasting until 1 a.m. even though patrons may not be present.
On the other hand, El Cid had its supporters. Two patrons of the restaurant spoke about the quietness of the downstairs area, the good food, and the comfortable environment that allows them to unwind after a long week’s work. Miguel Acevedo, with Bermeo by his side, supported the restaurant, saying that the rooftop had been closed since the BLP meeting and that Bermeo wanted to apologize for any inconvenience he may have caused the community. Acevedo also disputed Jennings claim, saying that Jennings had personally met with Bermeo and was in agreement that events could be held on the rooftop.
CB4 voted to send a letter to the SLA asking for a denial of its application to expand its liquor license to the rooftop deck. A CB4 member checked the El Cid site online and found that the restaurant was seeking immediate reservations for rooftop events. CB4 noted El Cid’s refusal to adhere to its recent agreement to stop using the roof and stated that it had no confidence that El Cid would adhere to any parameters for the roof’s use. Also the board felt that the use of the roof demonstrated that there is a disruption to the community, supported by many emails and individuals who came forward to speak.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS
City Councilmember Corey Johnson reported good news for the community as a result of the passing of the City Council’s budget on June 26. There is more money for local schools, crossing guards, school breakfasts, expanded library service — but of special interest to CB4 is $1 million for what Johnson hopes “will eventually be the community park on West 20th Street which all of us have worked for, for a long time.”
There is also $700,000 allocated to renovate Hudson Guild Senior Center and $550,000 for an HVAC expansion and electrical upgrades at Fountain House, a non-profit dedicated to the recovery of men and women with mental illness. The Council additionally included $3.9 million in community-based prevention and supportive services to advance New York’s Campaign to End AIDS.
Johnson also praised CB4 for its work with the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to make the former slaughterhouse site at 493 11th Ave. 100 percent affordable housing. The EDC will release a Request For Proposal from developers this summer.
New York State Senator Brad Hoylman reminded everyone that he, Johnson and New York State Assemblymember Richard Gottfried had all been arrested in Albany trying to bring attention to the need to review vacancy decontrol. The deregulation threshold was moved to $2,700 with the tenant in place, meaning that a landlord cannot bring the rent up to $2,700 to deregulate after a tenant has left, unless $2,700 has already been the rent. He also reported that, along with the help of other elected officials, he was able to receive a commitment from the Port Authority Bus Terminal that security cameras would be installed in external areas. Recently, someone was assaulted outside the terminal and no security footage was available.
Hoylman is also hoping to hold General Electric’s (GE) feet to the fire and keep the company involved in cleaning up the Hudson River of toxic PCBs that the company discharged into the river decades ago. GE’s federally mandated cleanup is coming to an end with only 65 percent of the job done, and Hoylman does not want the dredging operation dismantled.
Assemblymember Gottfried emphasized his fight for strengthening the rent laws, particularly those related to vacancy decontrol and rent stabilization. He also cited the work of CB4 and the Chelsea Residents Protection Working Group (CRP) in exposing landlords who lie on their NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) applications for construction, stating that occupied buildings are unoccupied, thereby alleviating themselves of the need for Tenant Protection Plans. His office has requested a meeting with DOB Commissioner Rick Chandler to discuss a coordinated response between city and state agencies to address this growing problem.
New York State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal reminded everyone that Albany increased the minimum wage for fast food workers to $10.50 in December and $15 by 2018. She also spoke of the new vacancy decontrol threshold. However, a stronger focus of hers was on illegal hotels. Rosenthal conducted her own sting two months ago when she rented rooms at four different locations and was able to shut down several illegal rentals.
Most troubling in Rosenthal’s report was the intensity of lobbying against her bill to label Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in food. “Even people who were signed onto the bill got lobbied, every day, by agribusiness, grocery manufacturers, DuPont, Monsanto, to cut up the bill, to vote ‘no.’ ” Her bill did not make it to the floor. “What’s happening now,” Rosenthal noted, “is that US Congressmembers are sponsoring what is called The DARK [Deny Americans the Right to Know] Act, a bill that says states cannot do anything in regard to GMOs. Labeling GMOs will be considered illegal.” The day after she said this, The DARK Act passed in Congress and must now be voted on by the Senate. Rosenthal’s last comment: “Ninety percent of Americans want their foods labeled, but the lobbies are the ones who are writing policy.”
DISTRICT NEEDS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN ONLINE
Christine Berthet announced that CB4 had organized the “Statement for District Needs” to be submitted to the city’s administration for budgetary considerations. The Statement, which includes 99 specific requests, among them affordable housing, increased transportation safety, parkland, must be pared down to 65. See the Statement on the CB4 website:
CB4’s year-in-the making 99-page Affordable Housing Plan, another enormous undertaking, will be available on the CB4 website at the end of this week. Visit nyc.gov/mcb4.
