Wesley Ackley Professor Glose
10/22/14 Community organizing & Development
Assignment #2: Attendance at a community meeting
Chelsea land use committee
On Monday October 20th at 6:30pm, I attended the Manhattan community board four (also known as CB four) meeting at 353 W30th Street in Chelsea. The online agenda confirmed a presentation on a West Chelsea resilient neighborhood update, a presentation by a business owner on asking to be granted a special permit for his gym on West 17th Street, the discussion of old and new business within the community and also two other points that had been crossed out and listed as deferred till November and December meetings.
One man who came to discuss a parking garage on West 21st street had just been notified upon arriving that his topic of interest on the agenda was in fact deferred from the agenda. The first presentation was given by three representatives from NYC Planning on creating more flood resistant structures to protect residential buildings and art galleries from flood damage caused by storms like hurricane Sandy. One of their ideas was to elevate the street entrances and alter the street scape of these galleries considering 50% of ground floor galleries experienced flood damage from hurricane Sandy. With two hundred and eighty six galleries, Chelsea is the largest gallery district in the city. 100% of upper floor galleries experienced business interruptions because of factors like elevator damage. Flood panels were also mentioned as an alternative to raising the height of the buildings (which would have to meet the flood resiliency regulations) entrance for ground floor galleries. Questions from the committee included how would this project be financed and also how they could seal the streets so that subway elevators were still useable and basements wouldn’t become flooded.
The next presentation was by Jay Goldstein, representing his chain of gyms in the city known as “Fly wheel sports”. Although his gym is already operating he is still looking for a permit to continue operating his gym. His business is located in a twelve story commercial building, the gym holds spin classes of about thirty people a time four to eight classes a day. The board members stated that it’s not considered a “real” gym because there are no weights and that this would mean the issue of noise complaints pertaining to weights being dropped was not plausible. Jay stated that his six other gyms are still also operating without permits and that he is still working on acquiring them. This made members of the board decide to write a letter to the city about these special permits and illegal operating. It was stated his gym’s have received zero complaints this far from neighborhoods or commercials spaces and that the business does not promote foot traffic or loitering on the sidewalk. Nine of the twelve community board four members approved the permit.
Lastly the CB four land use committee discussed the Highline hotel that had presented a bar and outdoor seating to be built (with picture documents) which looks different now that it’s completed. Members stated it looks more like a private enclave when it’s actually a public space accessible from the sidewalk. The hotel also does not have a permit to serve customers from the bar. Questions from the committee included what happens to the outdoor area in the wintertime. CB four decided to write a letter to the hotel about cutting its hedges by the sidewalk to make it a more inviting space to the public.
