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Land Use, Housing & Zoning
BSA # 1149-62 BZ - 24-40 West 16th Street, 31-35 West 15th Street, application to reopen and amend the BSA’s 1963 Resolution to permit the College of St. Francis Xavier High School to merge its zoning lot
WHEREAS, In 1963 the Board of Standards and Appeals granted the College of St. Francis Xavier High School a bulk variance with respect to side and rear yard requirements and a special permit to modify height and setback requirements to allow for the demolition of a major portion of a four story school and monastery for the purposes of erecting a six story school and monastery at 24-40 West 16 Street, which was located in a C6-2 zoning district; and
WHEREAS, The College of St. Francis Xavier High School has stood on this site since the mid-1960s, is in a C6-2M district and is largely unchanged since its construction; and
WHEREAS, The applicant currently has a total of 121,822 square feet of undeveloped floor area on the site at 24-40 West 16th Street and requires approval from the Board of Standards and Appeals to transfer it to the adjoining location; and
WHEREAS, The school would demolish a brownstone located on the eastern edge of the 16th Street property and would use the remainder of the development rights to construct a new rectory for the New York Provence of the Society of Jesus; and
WHEREAS, The property at 31-35 West 15th Street would be developed into a middle 20 story hotel and condos and this project would be done as of right; and
WHEREAS,The applicant has stated it plans to use the proceeds from the sale of the development rights to create an endowment for the school; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That Community Board Five recommends approval of BSA # 1149-62 BZ to permit the merging of the zoning lots at 24-40 West 16th Street and 31-35 West 15th Street to permit the transfer of 121,822 square feet of undeveloped floor area.
The above resolution passed by a vote of 21 in favor, 9 opposed, 2 abstentions.