DOB (Finally) Pays Attention to The Washington
With the embarrassing photos of the make-shift plywood mezzanines at The Washington Condo posted on this blog and later picked up on by the mainstream media, the DOB kinda had to talk a little tough when Brooklyn Papers phoned them up to ask press them on their stance. The mezzanines do not comply with the…
With the embarrassing photos of the make-shift plywood mezzanines at The Washington Condo posted on this blog and later picked up on by the mainstream media, the DOB kinda had to talk a little tough when Brooklyn Papers phoned them up to ask press them on their stance. The mezzanines do not comply with the department’s requirements, said Jennifer Givner, a Buildings spokeswoman. Thanks for doing a crackerjack job, there, Jen! It turns out that while reducing the ceiling height of the mezzanines from seven to five feet did (unbelievably!) cure the FAR issue, the use of plywood instead of steel and concrete could hold up the issuance of a final C of O. Scarano claims that the plan was to use concrete all along which, to be fair, may be theoretically possible. According to the article, only one of the mezzanine apartments has a buyer. We thought the building was sold out. What gives?
Scarano Told to Get Up to Code [Brooklyn Papers]
Yeah, it would be awfully strange to render the first floor stores with brown paper in the windows.
That said, the people walking down the street look awfully cartoonish- but it is Prospect Heights. 🙂
Honestly, the building looks to be an appropriate scale for the neighborhood. It’s a shame that Scarano has to try these tricks just to get the building to an appropriate scale.
To me the real crimes are those new midblock buildings that tower over their 3 story wood frame neighbors.
But a six floor building on Washington? What’s the big deal?
Yes. Very rephrehensible behavior by the DoB. The nerve of them to enforce their regulations. When people who could have waited until the building got its CofO bought ahead of time. Well, now that someone somewhere has put some money into it, the DoB no longer has any jurisdiction. They should just rubber stamp it. Because who are they to get in the way of some profiteering? If they stop this, all that will happen is people will start thinking about building buildings to code. Oh, wait.
11:53, you’re a certified idiot.
Where was the link to the original posting on this? I never saw the plywood pictures…
the buyers have to go to a good lawyer who will threaten to go or go to the Attorney General to get out of the deal. The DOB ruling will only help their case but will not get the buyers deposit back.
where was the rendering from? it looks very sharp. from a website?
And what became of the previously reported mezzanine level bathrooms that are in this building that had also been boarded over with plywood? are they to be encased in steel and concrete as well?
Was that also part of “the plan” all along?
Mezz bathrooms not withstanding, non-mezz buyers ARE getting shafted by the DOB – I find it reprehensible that a government agency will not punish the sponsor but instead will put the screws to buyers, who must now follow through with their closings or lose their deposits.
To me, the issuance of a C of O seems to be an even bigger crime than the zoning violations created by the mezzanines.
it’s not a picture it’s an architectual rendering
who took the picture? the building actually looks very decent from this vantage point..