Spin Studio Advances

Despite a few reservations, Community Board 8"s Land Use Committee voted to approve SoulCycle, a spin studio that opened in September 2009 on the ground floor of 1470 Third Ave., at East 83rd Street. SoulCycle is considered a â??physical culture establishment, which requires a permit from the city"s Board of Standards and Appeals. At Board 8"s March 10 committee meeting, members deemed the establishment an asset to the neighborhood, although questions were raised regarding signage and opaque windows. â??The signage is ugly and distracting when you walk up the avenue's it just doesn"t fit in with the community"s retail space, said Elaine Walsh, co-chair of the zoning and development committee. Francis Angelino, an attorney representing SoulCycle, said that the law permits non-illuminated signs that each measure up to 150 square feet's far larger than SoulCycle"s two signs, which measure 75 square feet and 20 square feet. Other committee members said that as a commercial space, SoulCycle, whose windows are a solid white, must be visible from the outside. â??I"ve walked by, and you can"t see into it. My understanding is that when you have retail on the ground floor, you have to be able to see into the facility, Walsh said. Other committee members said they weren"t crazy about the spin studio"s appearance. But Angelino said that city law regulates the use, not the appearance or design, of a health facility in a commercial district. The health club, he added, has already proven to be a good neighbor. â??It is very much a part of SoulCycle"s philosophy to give back to the community, Angelino said, pointing out that the business had donated funds and exercise classes to area schools, along with nearly $80,000 toward Haiti relief efforts. The board"s recommendation, which is advisory, was submitted to the city"s Board of Standards and Appeals, which has scheduled an April 13 hearing on the matter. Meanwhile, Board 8 is seeking to answer its own questions about signage and window transparency by inviting a city official to its March 25 zoning and development meeting.