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WRITE TO MAYOR BLOOMBERG expressing your outrage at the City's approval of this project and at the decision to spend taxpayer dollars to defend it in court, and calling upon the City to rezone Hudson Square as soon as possible to prevent further overdevelopment - - go to www.gvshp.org/trumplet.htm for a sample letter you can use.
(Above Left) New York City Council Zoning Subcommittee Chair Tony Avella (D - District 19) and (Above Right) Andrew Berman, Executive Director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation speak to a crowd of demonstrators in front of the site of the Trump SoHo "Condo-Hotel" at 246 Spring Street in Manhattan.
Please contact gvshp [at] gvshp.org for higher-resolution copies of all photos on this page.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release September 18, 2007
Contact: Andrew Berman, Executive Director, Greenwich Village Society
For Historic Preservation 917-533-1767 or
Sean Sweeney, Director, SoHo Alliance 212-460-8844
COMMUNITY GROUPS, ELECTED OFFICIALS CALL TRUMP SOHO ‘CONDO-HOTEL’ AN ILLEGAL SHAM THAT VIOLATES LOCAL & FEDERAL LAWS,
SLAM CITY FOR VOWING TO DEFEND PROJECT IN COURT;
LAWSUIT CHALLENGING CITY APPROVAL ANNOUNCED
Manhattan -- The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation (GVSHP), the SoHo Alliance, Community Board #2, dozens of downtown community groups, and City Council Zoning Chair Tony Avella gathered today to denounce the Trump SoHo Condo-Hotel under construction at 246 Spring Street as an illegal sham which violates city zoning regulations and federal securities exchange requirements, and announced a lawsuit intended to overturn the city’s approval of the project. Those gathered also condemned the City for its steadfast support for the project, which will now include using taxpayer dollars to go to court to defend Trump (click here and here for correspondences from the City rejecting neighbors’ attempts to resolve the legal questions without litigation). Dozens of community and business groups and elected officials from across the City (see list below) have called upon the Mayor and city agencies not to approve plans for the Trump project because it violates zoning regulations by – for the first-time ever – allowing ‘condo-hotels’ in districts where residences are prohibited.
“First the City bends the rules to let Trump build. Now they’re going to spend taxpayer dollars to defend his project in court. The City’s double-standard in this case is mind-boggling and unconscionable,” stated GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman. "I wonder how the taxpayers will feel when they learn that the City is footing Trump's legal bill?," said SoHo Alliance Director Sean Sweeney
By an agreement between the City and the developer, individuals will be allowed to buy units at the Trump SoHo ‘Condo-Hotel’ and legally live in them for up to 120 days a year, which opponents argue already violates the prohibition on residential uses. But opponents also argue that even the 120-day limit is virtually unenforceable and meaningless, and some owners will live in units year-round as they do in condo-hotels throughout the country (click here for copy of 'restrictive declaration'). In light of the City’s refusal to resolve these issues, the SoHo Alliance announced its intention to sue the City to overturn the approval of the project.
By the City’s own admission, the agreement signed with the Trump developers limiting owners to stays of 120 days per year is “strictly voluntary,” while the City claims the Department of Buildings will have the resources and the ability to monitor all units at the Trump condo-hotel to ensure that owners do not stay more than the legally allowable time.
“The Department of Buildings has enough trouble keeping buildings from falling down – we’re expected to believe that they will monitor all 400-plus units at Trump’s condo to guarantee that its jet-set residents don’t stay more than the legally allowable number of days? The agreement they have with the City supposedly ensuring the legality of this project has more holes in it than swiss cheese,” said GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman.
Community groups also slammed the project as woefully out of scale and character with the neighborhood, and likely to exacerbate the stifling gridlock at the nearby Holland Tunnel entrance. Had the project been forced to go through a zoning change approval process, as advocates claim the law requires, concerns about the size, scale, and impact of the project could have been addressed. "Trump's Colossus will tower over Lower Manhattan as a monument to one man's ego, and the scandal is that the City permitting this to happen," said Sweeney.
Protestors also criticized the city for its failure to follow up on promises to rezone the area to prohibit such out-of-scale development, as well as to close the supposed “loophole” in the zoning which the City claimed forced them to allow the Trump project. “The City wants to have it both ways – they claim their hands are tied with the Trump project under current zoning, and yet they have not moved an inch to change it. The City Planning Commission and the City Council need to move forward as soon as possible on promises to rezone this area to address out of control development,” stated GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman.
“A condo hotel in an M-zone is luxury housing camouflaged as a transient hotel. By allowing the condo hotel to proceed at 246 Spring Street, the city is complicit in allowing developers to exploit a zoning loophole--at the expense of a fuller public review of a change in use, and ultimately, potentially, at the expense of well-paying manufacturing jobs,” said Eve Baron of the Municipal Art Society, one of dozens of groups citywide which opposed the Trump project.
For further information on the Trump SoHo Condo-Hotel and community efforts to stop it, see www.gvshp.org/trump.htm.
-end-
Elected Officials, Community Groups, Business Groups, Planning Organizations, and Community Boards Opposing Approval of the Trump SoHo Condo-Hotel
(list in formation, as of September 19, 2007)
City Council Zoning Subcommittee Chair Tony Avella
State Senator Martin Connor
State Senator Liz Kruger
State Senator Velmanette Montgomery
City Councilmember Gale Brewer
City Councilmember Miguel Martinez
Assemblymember Deborah Glick
Assemblymember Richard Gottfried
Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnell
Municipal Art Society
Pratt Center for Community Development
Zoning for Jobs Coalition
New York Industrial Retention Network
Pratt Center for Community Development
Garment Industry Development Corporation
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
Housing Conservation Coordinators
Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation
Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation
Harlem Community Development Corporation
Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center
Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood Association
Community Board #1, Brooklyn (Williamsburg/Greenpoint)
Community Board 1, Manhattan (Tribeca, Seaport, Financial District)
Community Board 2, Manhattan (Greenwich Village, SoHo, Little Italy, NoHo)
Community Board 4, Manhattan (Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen)
Community Board 5, Manhattan (Midtown, Garment Center, Flatiron)
SoHo Alliance
SoHo Arts Council
Friends of Hudson Square
Tribeca Community Association
Sullivan-Thompson Coalition
Williamsburg-Greenpoint Waterfront Alliance
Charlton Street Block Association
Greenwich Village Block Associations
VanDam Street Block Association
Carmine Street Block Association
Chelsea Council of Block Associations
PRESERVATION ALERT
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
September 12 , 2007
www.gvshp.org
DEMONSTRATE AGAINST THE TRUMP SOHO 'CONDO-HOTEL'
at its "LAUNCH PARTY"
WED., SEPT. 19th at 10:15 am
246 Spring Street, btw. Varick & 6th Ave.
*Impending legal challenge greatly strengthened by recent inconsistencies in City 's statements on project
Anti-Trump SoHo 'Condo-Hotel' Demonstration next Wed., Sept. 19 at 10:15 am: Please join the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, the SoHo Alliance, and neighborhood, business, and civic groups as we demonstrate against the planned Trump SoHo 'Condo-Hotel.' Our demonstration will take place outside the project's "launch party," to be held at the site, 246 Spring Street, btw. Varick and 6th Avenue.
While the City has approved the gigantic 45-story tower, a potential legal challenge is gathering steam. Recent inconsistencies by the City, which now says the "restrictive declaration" signed by Trump to prevent illegal residential uses in the building is purely "voluntary," makes the City's case look pretty shaky. Sadly, the City continues to stubbornly insist upon defending its decision to approve this project. A court challenge will mean the City will use taxpayer dollars to defend Trump and his development partners, while average citizens and community groups will have to dig deep to cover considerable legal fees to get the City to treat Trump and Co. the same way under the law as everyone else.
HOW TO HELP:
-
COME TO THE DEMONSTRATION WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th at 10:15 am at 246 Spring Street, btw. Varick and 6th Avenue.
-
BRING SIGNS AND POSTERS TO THE DEMONSTRATION SHOWING YOUR OUTRAGE OVER THE PROJECT!
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For more information on the effort to fight the Trump SoHo 'Condo-Hotel,' see below.
PRESERVATION UPDATE
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
August 27, 2007
www.gvshp.org
END-of-SUMMER PROGRESS REPORT ON:
TRUMP 'CONDO-HOTEL'
Papers have been filed with the New York City Department of Buildings challenging the legality of the permits granted by the City for construction of the 45-story Trump 'Condo-Hotel' at Spring and Varick Streets. GVSHP is working closely with the SoHo Alliance and other community groups as the challenge to this outrageous and illegal development moves into the legal arena. For more background, see below; for more information on the papers, see www.thevillager.com/villager_225/tryingtotrumptrump.html.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, CLICK HERE.
PRESERVATION ALERT
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
June 21, 2007
www.gvshp.org
PUSHING FOR REZONING OF HUDSON SQUARE TO PREVENT MORE 'TRUMP'-STYLE DEVELOPMENT
PUSHING FOR REZONING HUDSON SQUARE: GVSHP and other neighborhood groups have long been pushing to change the zoning for Hudson Square, the area west of Sixth Avenue from roughly Houston to Spring Streets, where Donald Trump plans to build his 45-story 'condo-hotel.' The City's recent decision to allow condo-hotel development in manufacturing zones like these makes the need for a rezoning all the more urgent, and GVSHP had been told that the City was willing to consider a rezoning of the area to prohibit further out-of-scale development. GVSHP and scores of our members have written to the City urging that a rezoning take place as soon as possible, and other community groups have also been pushing for the same.
That is why a recent letter from City Planning Chair Amanda Burden stating that she believes that the current zoning for the area allowing 45-story towers "reflects the consensus of the community board, local civic groups, and elected officials," and indicating that the City has no interest in changing the zoning, was so disturbing and perplexing. GVSHP immediately responded by telling Planning Chair Burden that zoning which allows this type of development does not reflect the consensus of the community, and certainly not of GVSHP, and that we want the zoning changed as soon as possible. We have also urged our elected officials to do the same.
The Department of City Planning needs to hear loud and clear that more 'Trump'-style development in this area is totally unacceptable, and the zoning must be changed right away.
HOW TO HELP:
WRITE TO CITY PLANNING CHAIR AMANDA BURDEN AND URGE HER TO CHANGE THE ZONING WHICH ALLOWS 45-STORY TOWERS IN HUDSON SQUARE RIGHT AWAY -- CLICK HERE for a sample letter you can use.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, CLICK HERE.
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PRESERVATION ALERT
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
May 9, 2007
www.gvshp.org
CITY APPROVES 45-STORY TRUMP SOHO 'CONDO-HOTEL' GVSHP and Community Groups Vow to Continue Fight, Call for Long Overdue Zoning Changes to Prevent More Such Developments
City Approves 45-story Trump SoHo Condo-Hotel: GVSHP uncovered and revealed yesterday that the City approved plans for construction of the planned 45-story Trump SoHo 'Condo-Hotel,' finalizing their decision, which GVSHP first reported in November, to allow this project to be built. GVSHP and a broad coalition of community, planning, and business groups and elected officials and literally thousands of New Yorkers argued that the planned development would violate the zoning for the area and therefore cannot be permitted by the City. Zoning restrictions for the area do not allow residential or residential hotel development, which is in essence what a 'condo-hotel' is; GVSHP and elected officials such as Borough President Stringer caught the developers advertising the planned development as a "residence" with "living spaces" on numerous occasions, and yet the City approved plans for the development regardless.
See coverage of the city's approval in Metro NY, AM NY, New York magazine, the Daily News, and Crains NY.
GVSHP also uncovered a copy of the voluntary "restrictive declaration" the developer has filed with the City to supposedly ensure compliance with the law; however, our reading of the document is that it will provide no meaningful protections against abuse of the law, and is no substitute for the City enforcing the law as written and preventing this development from moving ahead.
With this decision by the City, among the few recourses left to stop the project is to file a lawsuit based upon the City not enforcing its own laws. GVSHP is working with a coalition of neighbors and other concerned citizens to explore just such an option. If you are interested in financially supporting such an effort, please reply to this e-mail. GVSHP also continues to pursue other issues regarding the propriety of the development's 'condo-hotel' plan.
Beyond allowing this totally inappropriate 45-story development, the City's decision swings open the doors to similar types of previously prohibited development in any area with similar zoning, such as the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea, northern Tribeca, NoHo, SoHo, western Hell's Kitchen, the Flatiron, the Garment Center, etc. (CLICK HERE for map). Additionally, the Hudson Square neighborhood in which the Trump development will be located continues to allow 45-story buildings. GVSHP has consistently urged city officials to close this supposed "loophole" in the zoning against Trump-Condo-Hotel-type developments, and to change the zoning for Hudson Square to prevent 45-story buildings of any sort (CLICK HERE and HERE). GVSHP is continuing to push hard for zoning changes to protect our neighborhoods from further similar developments.
CLICK HERE for a press release on the City's decision.
HOW TO HELP:
- WRITE TO THE CITY TO LET THEM KNOW HOW OUTRAGED YOU ARE BY THE DECISION TO ALLOW THE TRUMP SOHO 'CONDO-HOTEL' TO MOVE FORWARD, and to urge them to move ahead with long-overdue zoning changes we have been calling for to prevent similar developments -- CLICK HERE for sample letters you can use.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, CLICK HERE.
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Protest Against Trump SoHo Condo-Hotel, 4/4/07
GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman leading Sunday's protest.
Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Councilmember Tony Avella, and GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman speak to the crowd protesting the proposed Trump condo-hotel.
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release March 4, 2007
Contact: Andrew Berman, Exec. Dir., G.V.S.H.P. 917-533-1767
HUNDREDS RALLY TO CALL UPON CITY TO BLOCK
CONSTRUCTION OF TRUMP SOHO CONDO-HOTEL
Developers’ Ads Show Project Would Violate Zoning By Including Illegal Residential Uses; Huge Project Would Overwhelm Neighborhood; Approval By City Would
Undermine Public Approval Process
Manhattan – Hundreds of residents, Assemblymember Deborah Glick, and City Council Zoning Subcommittee Chair Tony Avella joined the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, the SoHo Alliance, and more than a dozen community groups (complete list below) for a press conference and demonstration at the site of the planned SoHo Condo-Hotel at Spring and Varick Streets. Those gathered called upon the City to refuse construction permits for the planned development based upon zoning violations and inclusion of illegal residential uses. Demonstration organizer Andrew Berman of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation showed the long history and recent examples of Trump and his development partners advertising the project as a “residence,” even though the zoning clearly prohibits residential use and the City has claimed that the project would not be residential (CLICK HERE for images.)
If approved, the Trump SoHo Condo Hotel would be the city’s very first condo-hotel in a manufacturing zone, where residential development is prohibited, and opponents claim it will result in all manufacturing zones citywide being opened to residential development for the first time ever (see attached map of affected areas). It would also be the tallest building between Midtown and the Financial District and directly adjacent to the Holland Tunnel entrance, a concern which several speakers also addressed.
The City has refused to rule that a condo-hotel would violate the manufacturing zone’s prohibitions on residential and residential hotel development. Instead, they have been negotiating the terms of a voluntary “restrictive declaration” with Trump and partners Bayrock/Saypir, which would allow owners of the units in the development to live in them 3-5 months per year. However, demonstration organizers claim that is still a clear violation of the manufacturing zoning regulations, which only allow “transient hotels,’ defined as having rooms that are “rented on a daily basis” and are used “primarily for transient occupancy.” In a 2004 case against another condo-hotel in a manufacturing district which GVSHP fought against, the City ruled that in transient hotels in manufacturing zones “units must not be subject to sale, lease, or other arrangements under which they would not be available for transient occupancy. This interpretation is final.” Furthermore, in light of the difficulty in enforcing such a ‘voluntary’ agreement, and the developers’ consistent advertisement of the condo-hotel as a place of permanent “residence,”demonstrators say that owners will end up living there for well over the permitted 3-5 months per year, and possibly year-round.
“The City has got to come to grips with reality – Trump’s condo-hotel will have illegal residential uses, and it will violate the zoning,” said GVSHP Executive Director Andrew Berman. “If it walks like a duck and it talks like a duck, it’s probably a duck. Thousands of people across the country live in condo-hotels part-time or full-time. Trump and partners from the beginning have said this is a place where people will leave part of the year or year round. And every time you turn around, their ads or their websites are touting this as a ‘residence.’ How much more evidence does the City need?” added Berman.
Berman and others also questioned why the City seemed intent on finding a way to make this enormous development legal when it is so clearly wrong for this location. “A 45-story condo-hotel is the last thing Spring and Varick Streets need. This is a mostly low-rise, largely historic neighborhood; we don’t need 45 stories of Trump pseudo-glitz,” said Berman. “As it is, traffic is regularly snarled to a standstill at the Holland Tunnel entrance next to this site. Imagine what will happen when the Trump Condo-Hotel opens – traffic will come to a permanent halt,” he added.
Instead of trying to disguise the Trump Condo-Hotel as a legal transient hotel, demonstrators said the City is required by law not to issue the building permits necessary for construction. If the developers wanted to build the project they would then have to apply for a zoning change, a public approval process which requires an environmental review and allows the public a say in whether the approvals are granted or modified, which could address community concerns about size or height, for instance. By contrast, if the City were to rule the project in compliance with the zoning, as they have indicated they would, the City would entirely eliminate the public review process for this or any other condo-hotel in a manufacturing zone, in effect allowing as-of-right high-rise luxury residential development for the first time ever in manufacturing zones – a prospect developers have long salivated over and community groups have long fought against.
“I hope the Bloomberg Administration will see what is so obvious to everyone else in this case – this is a residence which would violate the zoning, and therefore should not be allowed. The City must not eliminate the public’s right to have a say in major land use decisions by greenlighting this project with a closed-door decision,” stated Berman.
Several dozen elected officials, community and business groups from across the city have urged the Mayor not to issue permits for the Trump project because it would violate zoning rules (see below for complete list).
Today’s demonstration was sponsored by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, SoHo Alliance, Friends of Hudson Square, Tribeca Community Association, Housing Conservation Coordinators, Pratt Center for Community Development, Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation, the Sullivan Thompson Coalition, the Charlton Street Block Association, the VanDam Street Block Association, the Carmine Street Block Association, and the South Village Landmarking Alliance.
For more information and further background, see www.gvshp.org/trump.htm.
-end-
Elected Officials, Community Groups, Business Groups, Planning Organizations, and Community Boards Which Oppose the City Issuing Permits for the Trump Project
(list in formation, as of March 4, 2007)
State Senator Martin Connor
State Senator Tom Duane
State Senator Liz Kruger
State Senator Velmanette Montgomery
City Council Zoning Subcommittee Chair Tony Avella
City Councilmember Gale Brewer
City Councilmember Miguel Martinez
Assemblymember Deborah Glick
Assemblymember Richard Gottfried
Assemblymember Daniel O’Donnel
Municipal Art Society
Pratt Center for Community Development
Zoning for Jobs Coalition
New York Industrial Retention Network
Pratt Center for Community Development
Garment Industry Development Corporation
Housing Conservation Coordinators
Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation
Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation
Harlem Community Development Corporation
GMDC
Hell’s Kitchen Neighborhood Association
Community Board #1, Brooklyn (Williamsburg/Greenpoint)
Community Board 1, Manhattan (Tribeca, Seaport, Financial District)
Community Board 2, Manhattan (Greenwich Village, SoHo, Little Italy, NoHo)
Community Board 4, Manhattan (Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen)
Community Board 5, Manhattan (Midtown, Garment Center, Flatiron)
SoHo Alliance
SoHo Arts Council
Friends of Hudson Square
Tribeca Community Association
Sullivan-Thompson Coalition
Williamsburg-Greenpoint Waterfront Alliance
Charlton Street Block Association
Greenwich Village Block Associations
VanDam Street Block Association
Carmine Street Block Association
________________________________________________________________________________________________
PRESERVATION UPDATE
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
February 27, 2007
www.gvshp.org
TRUMP CAUGHT YET AGAIN!
*Latest Ads Refer to 'Residences,' in Spite of Zoning Restrictions and Assurances by City Officials to the Contrary
JOIN US: DEMONSTRATION THIS SUNDAY, MARCH 4, at 1 pm
*Call Upon the City to Finally Stop the Trump Plan
*Spread the Word!
Trump Caught Yet Again!: GVSHP has found the developers of the planned Trump SoHo Condo-Hotel yet again advertising their development as a 'residence' with 'living spaces,' in spite of explicit zoning restrictions prohibiting such a use, and repeated assurances from the City that this development would not violate the zoning for the area. GVSHP and a slew of community groups have contended from the beginning that this development violates the zoning and therefore should not be given building permits; city officials have thus far disagreed, saying condo-hotels such as this are legal in this area. Trump and partners have been caught more than a half dozen times advertising their project as a residence (see below), and each time city officials have offered assurances that the problem has been solved and the offending ads have been removed. See GVSHP's letter to Mayor Bloomberg on the matter as well as our letter to local elected officials. To see the advertisement referring to the development's "residences," CLICK HERE www.gvshp.org/documents/NYMag022607.pdf, and CLICK HERE to see the description of the development's "living spaces" on the developer's website.
Were the City to agree with our contention that the Trump Condo-Hotel violates the zoning for this area, Trump and partners would be forced to seek a zoning change in order to move ahead with their project as planned. Through this public approval process, the development could be blocked, or could be changed to fit the neighborhood context and address the community's concerns about its size and scale. However, if the City allows this project to move ahead, not only would this totally inappropriate tower go up as planned, but similar high-rise luxury residential development would be allowed for the first time ever in every light manufacturing zone in New York City, including parts of the West Village, SoHo, the Meatpacking District, SoHo, NoHo, West Chelsea, the Flatiron, western Hell's Kitchen, the Garment Center, and Brooklyn and Queens (see map HERE).
Demonstrate Against the Trump Condo-Hotel this Sunday, March 4, at 1 pm: In light of the terrible threat this development poses, GVSHP and several other community organizations will be holding a demonstration this Sunday, March 4, at 1 pm, in front of the development site at Varick and Spring Streets. CLICK HERE for a flyer for the demonstration.
HOW TO HELP:
- WRITE TO THE CITY TELLING THEM TO ENFORCE OUR ZONING PROTECTIONS AND NOT TO ALLOW THE TRUMP DEVELOPMENT TO MOVE AHEAD -- CLICK HERE for sample letters.
- COME TO THE DEMONSTRATION ON SUNDAY at 1 pm, and SPREAD THE WORD! Forward this e-mail, and print out and share the flyer with friends, family, and neighbors. Bring signs!
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, CLICK HERE.
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PRESERVATION UPDATE
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
December 22, 2006
www.gvshp.org
TRUMP CAUGHT YET AGAIN!
GVSHP Receives E-Mail Solicitation for Trump SoHo Condo-Hotel ‘Residences’
CITY PARTIALLY LIFTS STOP-WORK ORDER ON TRUMP SITE
Trump Allowed to Get Around Requirements for Assessing Archaeological Significance of Historic Graveyard Found on Site
Trump Caught Again: On Wednesday, GVSHP received an e-mail solicitation from a realtor seeking to sell units in the planned 45-story Trump SoHo ‘Condo-Hotel’ at 246 Spring Street; the solicitation, in response to GVSHP signing up for buyer information about the project several weeks ago, said that “residents” will be able to enjoy “fully serviced luxurious five star living.” Of course it is illegal to develop residential or residential hotel uses at this site, and GVSHP and a citywide coalition of community groups, business groups, and elected officials have been arguing that the City should not issue permits for this development because it would violate the zoning. This is the fourth time in two weeks that advertisements for “residences” at the planned Trump project have been found. After prior instances uncovered by GVSHP and Borough President Scott Stringer, Trump and his development partners claimed these were “mistakes” that had been “corrected.” Apparently not. See coverage of this in the December 22 Metro NY.
GVSHP immediately sent the damning solicitation to City officials and again urged that no permits be issued for the project because it violates the zoning (CLICK HERE for letter). Trump has excavation but not building permits, though the City has thus far said that they do not see any zoning conflicts between a ‘condo-hotel’ – where people own units and stay in them for extended periods of time – and the prohibitions against residences and residential hotels in this or any other zoning district.
Regardless of whether or not these ads are “corrected” or removed, GVSHP continues to urge the City not to allow any condo-hotel in districts where the development of residences and residential hotels are not allowed. To do so would suddenly allow a very lucrative and previously prohibited type of high-rise development in any neighborhood zoned for ‘light manufacturing,’ which includes parts of the Far West Village, Hudson Square, the Meatpacking District, Tribeca, SoHo, NoHo, West Chelsea, the Flatiron, the Garment Center, western Hell’s Kitchen, and other areas (see map HERE). GVSHP continues to contend that the ONLY way such uses can be legal is if the developer seeks and gets approval for a zoning change. A zoning change requires public hearings, assessment of environmental impacts, and an opportunity for the public to shape and tailor development to fit what is appropriate for a neighborhood, or to reject it altogether. The current plan completely sidesteps this legally required public process.
Trump Stop-Work Order Partially Lifted: GVSHP praised the City last week for issuing a stop-work order at the Trump site following the discovery of more than 100 year old human remains which were disturbed and unearthed during excavation for the development. However, we also urged that in evaluating the archaeological discovery, the City require that State and City environmental protocols be followed, the same ones which would have been mandated if this project had been required to seek a zoning change, as GVSHP and many others have said it should. Following these environmental protocols would have likely prevented the excavation work which disturbed and unearthed the burial ground. However, once the remains were found, the protocols would have also required a full evaluation of the origins and significance of the site and, if warranted, formulating an appropriate plan for either preserving the burial ground on-site or for relocating it off-site.
Unfortunately the City refused to do this, again claiming that this was an “as-of-right” project and therefore did not need to abide by these regulations, and partially lifted the stop-work order, allowing excavation to again resume (CLICK HERE for letter). According to information attained by GVSHP and shared with the City, the graveyard on the site appears to either be attached to a 19th century abolitionist Presbyterian church, noteworthy at the time for its work with African-American anti-slavery groups (CLICK HERE for history), or might pre-date the church as far back as the era of freed slave or Native American settlement of the area. Without any information about a full evaluation of the site’s significance, the City appeared satisfied that the developers would simply contact the Presbyterian Church to ask if them to take the remains, identify who they originally belonged to, and track down their ancestors to see if they wished to take possession of them. GVSHP sent a letter of protest condemning this decision (CLICK HERE for letter).
Click HERE and HERE for articles in the The New York Sun, The Villager, and downtown express.
HOW TO HELP:
-
WRITE TO THE CITY urging them not to issue building permits for this project, in light of the unending evidence that it will violate the zoning! CLICK HERE for a sample letter you can use. PLEASE WRITE EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALREADY.
- SPREAD THE WORD! Please pass this e-mail along to friends and neighbors and ask them to write too.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, CLICK HERE.
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PRESERVATION UPDATE
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
December 13, 2006
www.gvshp.org
WORK HALTED AT TRUMP SITE FOLLOWING DISCOVERY OF HUMAN REMAINS
GVSHP Asks For Independent Investigation of Possible Burial Ground and Its Significance
Information Sent to City About Abolitionist Church Formerly on Site
MORE SMOKING GUNS ON TRUMP PLAN TO VIOLATE ZONING
City’s Tourism Bureau, Trump Realtors Tout Project as ‘Residences,’
in Spite of Zoning Restrictions
GVSHP Raises Possible Violations of Condo Regs With State AG Office
Human Remains Found: Human remains, possibly from 15-20 bodies, were uncovered early this week during excavation at the Trump condo-hotel site at 246 Spring Street. The remains reportedly appear to be over 100 years old. The Department of Buildings has halted the excavation work on the site (Trump currently has permits to excavate, but not build, on the site). For further details, see an article in the New York Post and the New York Sun.
GVSHP immediately asked City agencies not to allow any further work “until the source and origin of the remains have been independently identified and their significance fully evaluated by proper authorities” (CLICK HERE for full letter). Given the age of the remains, they are likely part of a burial ground for the Spring Street Presbyterian Church, a staunchly abolitionist church built in 1811 on the site and almost burned to the ground in 1834 by an angry mob opposed to their abolitionist work. The church was demolished in 1963, and appears to have been one of the city’s few early churches to serve both an African-American and European-American constituency. If the remains pre-date that time period, they may have been associated with one of several prominent families or institutions which owned land in the area in the 18th century, or with the freed black slave settlement which occupied much of the area during the Dutch and early English colonial period. GVSHP is seeking to ensure that a full and independent evaluation is done and the remains are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. We have provided the City with historic information about the abolitionist church which stood on this site and the work it performed to help argue for the possible significance of this discovery (CLICK HERE for documents sent to the City).
More Smoking Guns on Trump Plans to Violate Zoning: Following last week’s discovery by Borough President Scott Stringer that Trump was advertising his new development on his website as a residence (which would violate the law), it has now come to light that the City’s own official Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, NYC and Co., has been promoting Trump’s planned 45-story condo-hotel development at 246 Spring Street as a place for buyers to live ‘year-round’ (CLICK HERE). Trump and NYC and Co. both removed the materials from their websites only after they were brought to light. But GVSHP has also found several on-line advertisements for sales of condo units at the Trump development which continue to refer to them as “residences,” even though residential use and residential development are prohibited by the zoning at this location. The City has said they will allow this development to move ahead because it is not “a residence” (CLICK HERE). GVSHP wrote to Mayor Bloomberg and city officials calling to their attention the “growing incontrovertible evidence that the planned Trump ‘condo-hotel’ at 246 Spring Street in Manhattan will in fact be used as a residence, in violation of zoning restrictions,” and urging them “not to allow this project to move ahead” (CLICK HERE for letter). For further details, seee article in the New York Metro.
Additionally, GVSHP has written to the NY State Attorney General’s Office, regarding their review of Trump’s condominium plan for his hotel, which they must approve (CLICK HERE for letter). According to an article in the Journal of the Urban Land Institute, if residential uses are restricted at a condo-hotel, it may not be able to qualify under federal law as a condominium. This would support our argument that Trump’s plan by its very nature violates zoning regulations and contradict the City’s argument that they can “ensure” that Trump’s condo-units are not used as residences. At the very least, it may lead to some difficulty in Trump getting his condo-plan approved at the State level.
HOW TO HELP:
- WRITE TO THE CITY urging they not allow this project to move ahead in light of the growing and overwhelming evidence that IT WILL VIOLATE THE ZONING! CLICK HERE for a sample letter you can use. THESE ARE NEW LETTERS, SO PLEASE WRITE AGAIN EVEN IF YOU HAVE ALREADY.
- SPREAD THE WORD! Please pass this e-mail along to friends and neighbors and ask them to write too.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, CLICK HERE.
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PRESERVATION UPDATE
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
December 6, 2006
www.gvshp.org
Trump Caught Advertising His ‘Condo-Hotel’ to Prospective Buyers as a “Primary Residence” or “Secondary Residence;”
Web Posting Shows What GVSHP and Other Opponents Have Contended All Along – Trump’s Condo-Hotel Would Violate Zoning and Should Not Be Allowed
Trump Lies and Violates Zoning: GVSHP became aware today that the website for Donald Trump’s planned 45-story condo-hotel at Spring and Varick Streets has been soliciting prospective buyers by asking if they plan to use their condo unit as a “primary residence,” a “secondary residence,” or an ‘investment property.” Problem is, residences are explicitly prohibited under the zoning for this site, and as GVSHP and countless opponents of this project have stated to the City, this condo-hotel would violate the zoning and therefore should not be permitted. GVSHP sent a letter to the City today regarding this “smoking gun” showing Trump’s true intentions with this development, and again calling upon the City NOT to allow this project to move forward (CLICK HERE for letter). GVSHP first became aware of this webpage through Borough President Stringer, Congressman Nadler, State Senator Duane, and Assemblymember Glick, who also wrote to the city, and the developer, expressing their concerns and objections (CLICK HERE); we thank them for their vigilance.
Trump’s web advertisement clearly shows what we and so many others have been contending all along – that a condo-hotel inherently violates the zoning for this district. This neighborhood’s manufacturing zoning, like the zoning for many areas of New York (CLICK HERE for zoning map), prohibits development of “residences” and “residential hotels,” though it does allow “transient hotels.” Transient hotels are defined as, and are generally understood to be, hotels where units are “rented on a daily basis” and used “primarily for transient occupancy.”
The City has been negotiating a “restrictive declaration” with Trump in order to “ensure” that his condo-hotel would conform to these zoning restrictions. But the agreement the City has been discussing with Trump would allow owners to live in their units for as much as 100-150 days per year, which we have always contended was a ‘secondary residence,’ not a transient hotel. Trump’s webpage would seem to indicate that he thinks so too.
For more information on Trump’s “smoking gun” webpage, CLICK HERE and HERE. CLICK HERE for a December 7th article in the New York Sun.
For sample letters to let the City know your opposition to Trump’s project, and to allowing condo-hotels which violate the law, CLICK HERE.
To join GVSHP or support our preservation efforts, CLICK HERE.
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PRESERVATION UPDATE
from the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation
November 27, 2006
www.gvshp.org
NEXT STEPS AFTER CITY’S OUTRAGEOUS DECISION ON TRUMP CONDO-HOTEL
*GVSHP to confer with neighbors and concerned community organizations downtown and across the city which are affected by decision
*City proposes ‘Restrictive Declaration’ for development
City Says ‘Yes’ to Trump Condo-Hotel: Before Thanksgiving GVSHP received confirmation from the Department of Buildings and local elected officials that the City had decided to approve a 45-story condo-hotel at a site at 246 Spring Street at Varick Street being developed by Donald Trump and partners. While the permits have not yet been issued, the City has made clear that they believe Trump is right and literally thousands of New Yorkers and scores of business, community, and planning groups from across the City are wrong, and they will allow this and other condo-hotels to be built, for the first-time ever, in manufacturing zones across New York City (CLICK HERE for map). This decision will not only allow this mega-development to be built in violation of zoning restrictions, but will allow other similar developments to be built in areas where such developments have never gone before. The only thing the City appears to be waiting on is Trump signing a voluntary “restrictive declaration” for the site (see below).
The response from the public to news of this decision by the City has been overwhelming, and as outraged as ours. Many have asked “what can we do?”
HOW TO HELP:
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WRITE TO THE CITY NOW letting them know how appalled you are by this decision to allow this development, and to undo zoning protections for our neighborhoods. CLICK HERE for a sample letter you can use.
- SPREAD THE WORD! Please pass this e-mail along to friends and neighbors and ask them to write too.
Although the City has indicated that they are 100% committed to this decision, you can let them know just how wrong, harmful, and outrageous you think it is.
GVSHP will be conferring with neighbors of the planned Trump development, and local and citywide community and business groups elected officials who have joined us in opposing this decision about next steps; all options are being reviewed, including legal ones.
Restrictive Declaration Proposed: The City is currently seeking to get Trump and partners to enter a voluntary “restrictive declaration” to supposedly limit how the condo-hotel could operate and “ensure” that it follows zoning restrictions for a transient hotel (transient hotels are allowed by the zoning at this location, while residences and residential hotels are not; we contend that condo-hotels are not transient hotels, but are residential hotels or residences). GVSHP is very concerned that such an agreement will be difficult to enforce and compliance will be difficult to monitor; that it will be used by the City to try to shield their decision from legal challenge; that it will not apply to any of the future condo-hotel developments which this decision will also allow; and that it cannot substitute for appropriate enforcement of the zoning code, as this agreement would allow clear violations of the zoning. For example, the restrictive declaration currently being contemplated will allow condo owners to occupy their units for 100-150 days per year; that is a second home, not a transient hotel. We are concerned that the restrictive declaration is being used by the City as a fig leaf to try cover up this terrible decision, without providing the real protections the zoning is supposed to.
If the City cannot be convinced or compelled to enforce the current zoning code to prevent these kinds of developments in neighborhoods where they are supposed to be prohibited, GVSHP is urging that the zoning be changed right away to clearly and explicitly do so. GVSHP has asked for both explicit prohibitions against this type of development in manufacturing zones where they are supposed to be prohibited, and for zoning changes to reduce the size and height of any kind of development (whether or not it is a condo-hotel) in the zoning districts around the planned Trump development.
See the letter to Council Speaker Christine Quinn outlining our concerns
