That yard is straight out of Mill Basin. I love it. :P

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at August 19, 2009 1:33 PM in response to House of the Day: 180 Washington Park

Oops. The minimum lot width is 18' for new lots being created. It's ZR 23-32. Look it up in the zoning resolution.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at August 19, 2009 10:16 AM in response to Separating Lots

...and the minimum lot width allowable in a partition is 17 feet. What size lot were you hoping to make?

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at August 19, 2009 9:48 AM in response to Separating Lots

You shouldn't be asking what a Bjork is DIBS. You should be asking what the "Cremaster Cycle" is.

Answer = Emperor's New Clothes.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at August 19, 2009 9:45 AM in response to Open Thread

You're talking about BC 27-733 Natural light sources and
location[s]. This particular rule of the building code only applies to dwelling units in occupancy group J-1 or J-2 of the old building code (now R-1 or R-2 in the 2008 code) that are located in a basement or cellar.

If the basement is not finished, then you couldn't possibly have legal dwelling units in it, and this rule of the building code would not apply to you. It is a rule only for light and air of dwelling units in a basement or cellar.

The rest is all preference.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at August 17, 2009 8:56 AM in response to Minimum Sill Height

I'm sure either Robert Scarano, Arthur Wood, or Shahn Andersen are somehow responsible for the collapse of this building. :P

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at June 22, 2009 9:13 AM in response to Four-Story Building on Myrtle Collapses

I've never eaten here, but every time I walk by with my daughter she sees the giant lobbster painted on the wall and jumps up and down yelling, "Daddy! Langosta! Langosta!". Glad to see they're reopening. Maybe now we can eat there sometime.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at April 24, 2009 3:07 PM in response to Streetlevel: Trout Re-opening Today

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that it's going to save the Navy Yard $600k in the first year, but cost the rest of us $600k. I'm sure those first year savings are incentives that are funded by NYSERDA with the Systems Benefits Charge (SBC) that gets charged to everyone, but benefits only a few.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at April 13, 2009 12:09 PM in response to Green Lamp Posts Coming to the Navy Yard

Last night was fun. It's interesting to match faces to some of the people who make comments on this site.

I wish the What would have shown up. I wonder if in person he'd talk in the disjointed way that he posts, and just flat out ignore evidence that refutes a point he thinks he's made.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at March 20, 2009 11:58 AM in response to Open Thread

Biff, "a score of rooms" means 20 rooms.

The term "score" was a commonly-used Middle English word, from the Old English "scoru," which meant "twenty." More than likely this, in turn, came from the Norse skor.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at March 5, 2009 9:38 AM in response to This Is Not the First Bear Market in Brooklyn Real Estate

That building was pretty ugly to begin with. Did it have a cornice that was removed?

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at March 4, 2009 10:40 AM in response to New Signage at Teen Challenge Center a Real Bummer

There were never deadly debris falling from Broken Angel when it wasn't on fire FSRQ. Don't most buildings drop deadly debris when they are in flames?

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at March 3, 2009 12:07 PM in response to Latest Chapter in Broken Angel Saga

I'm going to go against my better judgement and respond to Return of the What as if they were a real person with a real opinion and not just an anonymous person on a blog making statements that would be libelous elsewhere.

You were not there. No expediter that is following the law can just "push the paperwork through the system". A number of different architects and expediters worked on this project. Arthur is not homeless. He has an apartment. I should print this out for him and let him sue you too. LOL.

Arthur could have walked away from his home with a lot of money in his pocket. Instead, he chose to try to stop the DOB from trying to tear the building down. That was his choice, and I chose to try to help him with it.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at March 3, 2009 12:00 PM in response to Latest Chapter in Broken Angel Saga

A Queen Anne with a Dutch Gambrel. I'd guess that it's not a true Dutch Colonial, and it was built circa 1895 - 1905 and not any earlier.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at February 19, 2009 11:12 AM in response to Kingston Notebook

On a super jumbo loan, you won't do any better than 6.25% right now and are probably better off staying with your current loan if it has some time left on it.

The fact that you paid 10% down when you bought the house doesn't matter for refinancing if you've owned the house for 3.5 years. What matters is what the value is now and what the loan-to-value the new loan you are looking for will be.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at February 5, 2009 3:05 PM in response to Refinancing a 3 Family?

The initial ask was outrageous, thus the price cut. I think they'll find a buyer near this price. It's a nice place and has parking. It does need some renovation though. That kitchen is really weird, and I generally like weird kitchens. The main drawback so far to their pricing has been location, location, location.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at February 5, 2009 2:45 PM in response to House of the Day: 204 Clermont Avenue

A 10% decrease for 2008 on properties that went up 100% in the last five years doesn't sound like doom and gloom to me. It sounds like a sensible correction.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at February 3, 2009 10:10 AM in response to S#!t Outta Luck: Values Down, Taxes Up

If the third, fourth and fifth floors are a triplex, then you do not need an elevator because your fire egress is technically from the third floor or fourth floor. You also have easier rules to comply by because you are only a two family dwelling, and the rules are less stringent than if you were three families or above and a multiple dwelling.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at January 28, 2009 3:45 PM in response to Necessity of an elevator?

Thanks 1842. Apples to oranges. I was sure it had to be something like that.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at January 8, 2009 1:22 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

I'm just surprised about the price for 147 St. James Place because right across the street at the corner of Gates Avenue there was a five story brownstone that was asking $1.95m. It was detached on one side, and had parking in the back. Did that ever sell? Was the renovation of 147 St. James place so much more spectacular than that building?

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at January 8, 2009 12:04 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

Maybe a sellers concession on St. James?

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at January 8, 2009 11:45 AM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

I'm pleasantly surprised by the sales price on the St. James Place building. I didn't think it would sell for that much.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at January 8, 2009 11:26 AM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

What you are talking about is called "First Rent" by DHCR. It's what you charge a tenant after an apartment has been vacant or owner occupied for more than four years. You need to go to DHCR in Queens and get a copy of "DHCR Opinion Letter November 15, 1996" that describes the correct way to collect a vacancy increase that destabilizes it.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at January 7, 2009 3:34 PM in response to Need Rent Stabilization Expert

I'm not particularly concerned about the people that always wanted the project to fail calling it a failure. If we do end up selling the building, I intend to build Broken Angel somewhere else. To me, Broken Angel is a concept that Arthur dreamed up, and while he chose to build that concept on this building, I don't think that only this building can embody it.

Basically, our bank called our loan before its due date, and I have to do what I can to protect Arthur. I've been working on obtaining new financing for a while, but as you may have heard, there is a bit of instability in the financial markets right now, and banks aren't lending to projects like this. It is possible we'll be able to find another partner, and it's possible we'll be able to find new financing and complete the project. With all of the interest we've gotten from potential buyers, it looks likely that the building will be sold.

I've gone to great lengths to keep this project moving along, and while we face some daunting odds, I'm willing to do what I have to do to make it succeed. To that end, I've offered to cross collateralize my house with the building to secure financing or to sell the house outright. No bullshit. It's listed online here:

www.56cambridge.com

At the end of the day, this project isn't about me or what I've been trying to do, but about Arthur and his vision. Working with him has changed the way I look at art and design.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at January 7, 2009 2:03 PM in response to Broken Angel Up For Sale

HPD has this building listed as 1 "A" Unit and 9 "B" Units. The I-Card shows this as being divided up with an owners apartment on the garden floor, and 9 SRO rooms spread through the other floors. This is the only way to legally occupy this building until going through a hellish C of O change.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at December 31, 2008 7:45 AM in response to House of the Day: 189 6th Avenue

I used to listen to The Sisters of Mercy when I was in Highschool. They were partially responsible for the person I am today. More so The Cure, though...

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at December 17, 2008 11:10 AM in response to Willoughby Avenue Convent Closing, Future Uncertain

FSRQ, you said there was no "quiet period" to prevent me from discussing the project in detail. I showed you the rules about variance applications and hoped it would suffice. If you can't put two and two together, I won't spell it out for you.

It is not infinitely complicated, it is complicated. If it were infinitely complicated no projects would get built at all. I don't think most developers are particularly concerned about keeping prices low, only with keeping them fair and at the same level as the market. A good design is no more or less expensive than a plain vanilla one, but many developers are afraid to build anything that doesn't look like every building out there.

I stand by my opinion that many developers have tried to squeeze every penny out of every project at the expense of aesthetics, when they could have made more money if they had made bolder design choices. I think there are a number of buildings in Brooklyn that would have sold better had they been more architecturally significant. I'm not sure that this opinion make me arrogant, but you're entitled to feel that way.

The DOB went far above what was necessary to make Broken Angel safe, and after years of dealing with them on other projects where they were more fair and balanced, it has been hard to not feel there has been some vendetta in their actions.

I'd love to show you a pro-forma for the project, but I can't. Even at this point with 20 months of involvement in this project, I believe strongly it will be a success.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at November 6, 2008 11:47 AM in response to Thursday Links

I'm not surprised at all that you have no idea what constitutes failure Real What Person, particularly when it relates to real estate.

Again, you might want to check that binary syntax error. Something about your postings do not compute.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at November 6, 2008 11:05 AM in response to Thursday Links

If you'd like to understand why I can't go into specific detail about our variance request with the Board of Standards and appeals, you can feel free to read about their rules at the following location:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/bsa/downloads/pdf/zoning_resolution/72_21.pdf

I'll admit failure only when there is one. The Broken Angel was never contextual and never intended to be, so I'm not sure what you are talking about FSRQ. I've experienced nothing that would change my mind that most of the developments in our area could have been architecturally significant with no impact to the bottom line, and perhaps even greater profit to the developer.

Real What Person, I think you may have a binary syntax error on your postings.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at November 6, 2008 10:43 AM in response to Thursday Links

Is that even the real What? Whoever you are, you obviously have no idea how things work with the Board of Standards and Appeals. But it's ok, if you are The What, we expect you to blather about things you have no real understanding of.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at November 6, 2008 10:15 AM in response to Thursday Links

The only funky thing I've noticed is some guy named The What who keeps saying that we're all going to be living in caves in a few months. Weird.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at November 6, 2008 9:27 AM in response to We're Back

We still can't talk about it because of our BSA application. More information as soon as we are allowed.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at November 6, 2008 9:26 AM in response to Thursday Links

I was on my way back from Philadelphia where a group of friends and I spent the day yesterday volunteering for the Obama campaign to help get out the vote. I'm surprised that people were surprised at all by his win. Exit polls have been showing a strong lead for a while.

It was a nice speech and not overly congratulatory.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at November 5, 2008 10:30 AM in response to If There Is Anyone Out There...

I'd love to fix this place up, but I think a $1,000,000 cost for a complete gut is conservative. Are you just estimating hard costs IronBalls? Anyone who is going to buy this place and renovate it is basically going to have to do it all cash.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at November 3, 2008 1:58 PM in response to Clinton Avenue Haunted Mansion Now 25% Cheaper

The backyard of the apartment building to the right looks a bit dreary and takes the curb appeal down a notch or two. Why didn't they put lot-line windows on that side of the house? It would sure add some light to the extra-deep presumably dark townhouse.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at October 27, 2008 2:32 PM in response to House of the Day: 567 1st Street

Go to the Department of Buildings BIS system and enter the address of the property you are wondering about:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dob/html/home/home.shtml

If there isn't a permit for the work that looks like this:

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/WorkPermitDataServlet?requestid=4&allisn=0001684133&allisn2=0001027976&allbin=3056164&passjobnumber=302289299

...then call 311 and complain. They'll investigate and post the outcome online.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at October 24, 2008 11:13 AM in response to illegal driveway?

Sorry, someone came and took them all already. Thanks.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at October 17, 2008 6:34 PM in response to Pile O' Blue Stone

Where was it found on Washington Park? I jogged right into the park from Willoughby Tuesday morning and didn't notice anything off. Bizarre.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at October 15, 2008 4:07 PM in response to Human Remains on Fort Greene Park

I'll be there. I'm betting that there will be at least one person there claiming to be "The What", although I'm sure they will be an imposter.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at October 15, 2008 10:35 AM in response to End of the World (Or Maybe Not) Party

I just want to make sure my name tag will conceal my secret identity. :P

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at October 15, 2008 9:55 AM in response to Mission Accomplished

FSQR, I'm sure you are one of those people that thought Broken Angel should have been torn down by the city years ago. You are entitled to your opinion, and I'm entitled to ignore you while I continue to work towards completion on the project.

You can attack me and my projects as much as you like, but the more you focus on me on a thread about the Atlantic Yards debacle, the less you will seem to be defending a viewpoint and simply attacking anyone who opposes your opinion.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at September 29, 2008 1:55 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Suffers a Setback

FSRQ, Ratner doesn't own the site (all of it), has never owned the site, and will never own the site.

The thing that was always missing from his plan was the input of the representatives of those millions of people in the Boro, City, and Region that were going to subsidize his profits while getting no input into the supposed public good that they were going to theoretically be benefitting from.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at September 29, 2008 1:17 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Suffers a Setback

FSRQ, I'll remember to send you an invite when the community is asked for input on the Vanderbilt Yards after all of this Atlantic Yards mess is done and gone.

The Vanderbilt Yards are in my backyard, and happen to want something built there, so while it is fun to call people NIMBY's, the prevailing rhetoric against people that oppose the Atlantic Yards plan is not one size fits all. Most of us appose what is proposed for the site, and the closed door dealings of FCR, not the development of the site.

Furthermore, the Broken Angel project is alive and well, thank you, and I'll be sure to invite you to the completion party when it's done.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at September 29, 2008 1:11 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Suffers a Setback

Wait for it. It's the last of many formalities with this project. The state zoning override is a done deal, in contrast to the rest of the project.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at September 29, 2008 12:21 PM in response to Atlantic Yards Suffers a Setback

I see Robert Scarano walking around Brooklyn DOB a couple of times a week, and every time I see him I can't help but smirk. He used to come on Brownstoner to defend himself and sent a number of people threatening emails for posting their opinions of him. Even after all of the newspaper articles and actions by the city, he's still trying to attribute blame on other people for the tarnish that has befallen his reputation.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at September 29, 2008 12:04 PM in response to Scarano Faces Two Lawsuits

I look forward to being part of the community input into what will be built on the Vanderbilt Yards when they are taken back from Ratner after this project fails to get off of the ground.

I think the Nets will definitely stay in Jersey, and Ratner will sell the various sites that owns in the footprint now that they are conveniently zoned for residential development.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at September 29, 2008 11:49 AM in response to Atlantic Yards Suffers a Setback

In an R6 residential zone, you'd need to have 11 units before you would be required to have parking. Basically, you are required to have 50% of your units have a parking space (rounded up), but the requirement is waived if you are required to have five or less.

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at September 26, 2008 6:09 PM in response to mandated off steet parking?

Is it really a blog if you can't leave comments? Wouldn't that make it just a website?

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at September 19, 2008 3:48 PM in response to New Blog, Brought to You by Council Member Tish James

I propose that we have a "Doom and Gloom" party on October 16th and invite The What to speak. Maybe we could have it at Outpost on Fulton?

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at September 16, 2008 4:09 PM in response to Tuesday Links

I think we should get that co-housing group to buy this place and fix it up so they can co-house in it. :P

Posted by: Shahn Andersen at September 16, 2008 3:59 PM in response to House of the Day: 405 Clinton Avenue