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Land Use, Housing & Zoning
7-13 West 21st Street, application for a second three-year renewal of a special permit in connection with the development of a 363-space public parking garage
WHEREAS, the Applicant, Richard Chapman and Associates, was granted a Special Permit by the City Planning Commission in August 2004 to develop a 363-space public parking garage on the property located at 7-13 West 21st Street at which it currently operates a parking lot with 256 spaces; and
WHEREAS, the Applicant intends to construct an approximately 288,000 square foot residential building as-of-right on the site but the building is not yet designed; and
WHEREAS, the parking garage would be located in two cellar levels below this building with a ground floor entry accessed from both West 21st and West 22nd Streets, with egress from West 22nd Street, and will contain 363 vehicle spaces with 128 stackers and 18 reservoir spaces, be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and be fully attended; and
WHEREAS, in June 2008 the Applicant applied for and was granted a three-year renewal of the Special Permit but due to economic conditions has not yet commenced development; and
WHEREAS, the basis for renewal of a Special Permit is whether or not the facts upon which it was granted have substantially changed; and
WHEREAS, when CB5 reviewed the initial application for the Special Permit in 2004 it stressed the need for adding off-street parking to the area which has continued to undergo new residential and commercial development and since then seven parking lots, representing 811 spaces, have been eliminated, making the need for off-street parking even more compelling; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that Community Board Five recommends approval of the application for a second three-year renewal of a special permit for the development of a 363-space public parking garage at 7-13 West 21st Street.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment on this matter.
The above resolution passed by a vote of 33 in favor, 0 opposed, 2 abstaining.