Weak in the knees over the competition for lucrative Hamptons real-estate ads?

At issue are plans that the Seventh Regiment Armory Conservancy has for the 127-year-old brick fortress between Park and Lexington avenues and 66th and 67th streets. The conservancy, which expects to sign a 99-year lease with the state for a performance-arts center and exhibition space for the building, has been battling the Veterans of the Seventh Regiment and neighborhood groups who are opposed to the change.
At issue last night, at least initially, was whether to demand a thorough environmental-impact statement for the proposed use changes. (An E.I.S. is required for certain large-scale projects; it studies the environmental impact of traffic, noise and pollution, among other things, on the surrounding neighborhood.) The conservancy has already conducted an environmental assessment, which has less public-input mechanisms such as public hearings on both the draft and final findings.
The conservancy responded that it has fulfilled all its legal duties for the project to begin.
But rather than mollifying its critics, it infuriated them: "This is a community issue, not a legal issue," shouted one project opponent.
The veterans group, citing traffic engineer Brian Ketcham, also accused the conservancy of fudging certain traffic-count figures to minimize the traffic's effect on the surrounding community.
"It will be the equivalent of adding the amount of traffic as a Wal-Mart or Costco," said the veterans' attorney. He adding that an E.I.S. is mandated by law if only one adverse condition is projected for a new project.
The lawyer for the conservancy called the veterans' traffic engineer's findings "palpably erroneous." The conservancy's traffic engineer, Philip Habib, stated that the neighborhood would be able to accommodate the projected extra traffic.
The board has found itself in a curious twilight area with the project as of late. Sponsored by the powerful Empire State Development Corporation, a state private-public development entity, the project doesn't need the approval of the board to move forward. But the opposition groups were looking for a ally in demanding the E.I.S., hoping to leverage enough community outcry for the E.S.D.C. to concede and allow the E.I.S. to begin. But the board, stuck between two rival camps, each seemingly unwilling to compromise, itself devolved into indecisiveness and petty infighting.
Groans, jeers and scattered applause followed each testimony, depending on which side of the issue the strictly segregated audience sat. Catcalls and threats--"You will be held accountable"--even comments demeaning speakers' professional capabilities, were bandied about.
In the end, the board made no decision.
See The Real Estate's previous coverage here.

Earlier this year, Michael Calderone wrote:

When Mr. Krakoff purchased his new 30-foot-wide townhouse on East 70th Street, between Park and Lexington avenues--the same tony block that director Woody Allen now calls home--it was reported that the fashion executive would have about $2.5 million in renovations in front of him.

After it took 140 firemen to put out the main blaze, the FDNY said: the fire "appears suspicious."

The Pratt Area Community Council has renovated and sold ten green (and affordable) Brooklyn buildings--thanks to a $2 million loan from the Enterprise Foundation and a $1.3 million subsidy from Housing and Urban Development (more on them soon). The homes have energy efficient ventilation, inuslation, and cooling systems, plus "room by room temperature control allowing for passive solar heating."

In 2002, the NY Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development finally brought in non-sham groups like Pratt: since then, $168 million has been dedicated to fixing the 2003(k) mess. $1.3m is a good start.  read more »

Tomorrow, the Lexington Democratic Club host Jessica Lappin and Scott Stringer at their monthly meeting at Brown Gardens.

Or maybe it was just a concession to the polls. (I'm going with the latter.)

Following the lead of Jonathan Bing, a club member who was the first elected official on the East Side to endorse Cuomo, the Lexington Democrats went for him by a vote 20-13, despite the fact that nearly all of the Club's six District Leaders and two State Committee members recommended supporting Green.

The club's general membership votes on June 1.

Section 74-79 allows developers to transfer air rights from landmarked buildings as long as the upkeep of the landmarked property is guaranteed. RFR, which owns both the Seagram Building and 610 Lexington--it's an old YWCA, for now--has agreed to maintain the property for perpetuity (which means, if it sells the building, its maintenance will be written into the deed).