“Live is weird in the big apple” That is what I now realize is my bone-of-contention with this project - it all seems so “weird”.
The ongoing story of the convoluted and never ending zoning disputes on this project irk me: how can this project be fully approved for construction, get built nearly to completion, then suddenly it was all a big mistake, an honest misunderstanding - just weird.
I believe the citizens of this city deserve better from our public sector administrators, our judicial departments: the bureaucratic incompetence in this case seems egregious.
I guess I am trying to be sort of a ‘watch dog’ or ‘whistle blower’ and calling out fiscal incompetence, or weirdness, in our city regulatory departments.
That is why I do not have any real argument, I only want to show people ‘see this’ - ain’t it WEIRD.
You are right. The city deserves better. As I’ve noted before on this thread no one—DOB, mayor’s office, plaintiffs, defendants, or courts made any effort to speed up the review process. The land use issues are real but everyone messed up the process.
Yes, that too. I would like nothing more than to name-and-shame Cuomo/DeBlasio on those failed policies too. However, I have here the rare opportunity to stay on topic with this existing thread loaded with photos and commentary by myself and others; so at least this one ‘weird’ case can be made public knowledge.
This thread has provided an ‘unbiased’ look at this project from the very beginning: the Nimby’s, the Yimby’s, the DOB, and more - all the coverage is here to see as the 200 Amsterdam Ave building nears completion.
The Nimby crowd has some good arguments in all this, and there is naturally a Yimby majority here; but the play-by-play coverage on this thread leave the DOB and various city agencies looking incompetent.
Stay tuned, I suspect they (DOB & Co.) are going to end up looking a lot worse before this boondoggle is over.
As I walk past 200 Amsterdam today, I can not tell “this building is grossly out of scale with the neighborhood”. These are strange times; where the ‘subjective assessments of the few, must become the objective reality to the many’.
If anyone has any news on the zoning regulations final decision, or court settlement on this, or any type of summation of the story, it would be nice to know the status. I think the final conclusion of story will not be made public: the sudden silence on this story is highly suspect.
EXCERPT: newatlas.com
“We hope this decision will be a signal to the development industry that the days of flouting the zoning code in search of greater heights and bigger profits is over,” says Olive Freud, President of the CFESD.
“Any New Yorker walking past 200 Amsterdam today can tell this building is grossly out of scale with the neighborhood. The BSA and Department of Buildings failed to hold this project accountable, leaving us no choice but to go to court.”
Can we send the 3rd photo as a post card to Olive Freud, and other associated NIMBY’s in the area with the following message - “pleas go fly-a-kite while the rest of us live-and-let-live”.
