Board denies synagogue an extension
Community Board 7 last week voted to deny a time extension and several plan changes to Congregation Shearith Israel, saying there were still too many unanswered questions for them to be able to approve it.
By the time item number three on the agenda came up at Community Board 7’s meeting last week, most of the roughly 100 people in attendance had trickled out. Though the meeting had lasted more than three hours at that point, however, some community members were still around to share their thoughts on the synagogue’s requested construction extension.
The synagogue at W. 70th Street and Central Park West first received approval from the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) in 2008 to build a nine-story community house and condominium, but this summer the board put a hold on the project after changes were made to the original plans. On Aug. 12 the board sent a list of 40 items and questions for Shearith Israel to resolve. But as of last week’s meeting, the synagogue had not submitted any answers. The list addressed aspects of the project ranging from the number of stories the building will have to explaining why it has been delayed so long to elaborating on the details of the plan changes.
Despite the questions being outstanding, the synagogue requested that CB 7 vote yes or no on the requested expansion anyway.
“In a nutshell, we had some questions about the application at our July Land Use meeting,” said Richard Asche, co-chair of CB 7’s land use committee.
“We received answers to those questions, but in the meantime the BSA sent out a list of 40 questions that they had about the project and instructed CSI to give us their answers to those questions,” Asche said. “We haven’t received those answers. They’re probably pretty involved and we’re not blaming the congregation for that, but we feel that we can’t approve it, certainly, without answers to those questions.” He told the remaining attendees that the committee had decided to defer a decision until they had more information, and would discuss it yet again at their next committee meeting.
Despite the latest delay, community members still took the opportunity to air their views. Cindy Antonucci, president of the board at 18 W. 70th Street, was adamant that the synagogue, which is adjacent to her building, not be allowed to continue.
“The information is invalid and doesn’t give us enough to make a decision at this time,” Antonucci said.
Kate Wood, president of Landmark West!, agreed. “The project did not meet the criteria for some variances back in 2007 when this board voted to deny it from the outset,” she said. “It does not merit special treatment today.”
But Ira Rohde, CSI’s cantor, explained that the extension and alterations to the plans are crucial for the project’s success.
“I wanted to say that the modification to make the exhaust system better for the kitchens will make the kitchens much more safe, as well as environmentally friendly,” he said. “The system that we’ve decided to put in is one of the best. It will minimize smells, it will minimize all sorts of other kinds of environmental dangers.”
Zach Bernstein, the attorney representing Shearith Israel, argued that it was fairly common to be granted multiple extensions and emphasized that the changes to the plans were minor.
Ultimately, the board denied CSI’s request by a vote of 31 to two, with eight abstaining, but left the door open for resubmission of the application at future meetings.
The September land use committee will be held next Wednesday at 7 p.m.