Developer David Angel wasn’t going to win any popularity contests in the South Slope and Greenwood Heights before last week’s tragic accident at his development site at 639 6th Avenue. Strike 1: After failing to get the foundation of the 6th Avenue building in place in time to be legally grandfathered under the old zoning codes in 2005, Angel went whining to the BSA and was, shockingly, given a free pass under the “hardship” clause. Strike 2: In January of this year, when some tree branches from the adjacent Mayrose Park interfered with his building plans he adopted the “cut now, pay later” approach. Strike 3: After racking up 3 DOB violations, 7 ECB violations and 17 complaints, real disaster struck at 639 6th Avenue last Tuesday. Towards the end of the workday, a young Ecuadorian worker fell from the 6th-floor scaffolding as it was being dismantled. There’s no official word on whether he died but, according to one nearby resident, the other workers on the scene said it did not look like he was going to survive. Has anyone heard about his condition? Update: According to the 72nd Precinct, Rogelio Villanueva, a 25 year old from Port Chester, fell from the collapsed scaffolding and suffered a cut to the head and “severe” back and head injuries; he was taken to Lutheran Medical. The police report says he fell only from the second story—an assertion that conflicts with eyewitness accounts.
Preview of 639 6th Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP P*Shark DOB
Where Does a Tree Stand in Development Hierarchy? [Brownstoner]
BSA Makes a Mockery of Itself in Two Rulings [Brownstoner]