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 Rendering of latest East River coastal resiliency scheme. Before we head off for the Fourth of July holiday, here’s a look at what’s happening at Community Board 3 in July. There’s a full slate of meetings planned before the board takes a summer break in August.
–In the past month, CB3 approved with conditions the land use (ULURP) application for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Plan, which is meant to protect Lower East Side communities from the impacts of climate change. On Thursday, July 11, the city’s Department of Design and Construction will be back at the parks/waterfront committee with a preliminary design presentation. You can read CB3’s lengthy ULURP resolution here (item #6) here. And here’s a link to the June presentation from the city. Community groups, under the auspices of the East River Alliance, continue to voice strong opposition to the plan.
–At the same meeting, the city’s Economic Development Corp. will present its latest plans for a park at Pier 42.
–On Tuesday, July 16 the Community Healthcare Network will appear before the land use committee to discuss its future on the Lower East Side. The organization must relocate its clinic at 150 Essex St., a building that will be demolished to make way for the final phase of the Essex Crossing mega-project. Community Healthcare Network is looking for a rent abatement from the city (its landlord) in order to lease and build out a new space.
–Also at that land use committee meeting, city agencies will lay out proposed zoning changes on the Lower East Side. They’re seeking a minor modification of the Seward Park Extension Large Scale Residential Development Plan (LSRD). The modification would allow for the separation of “a portion of the Seward Park Extension LSRD” that overlaps with Essex Crossing, creating two distinct LSRDs.
–On Tuesday, July 9 the transportation committee will hear a proposal from the city’s Department of Transportation on the Gateways to Chinatown Project.
–And on Monday, July 15, the State Liquor Authority Committee will review various applications for new or modified liquor permits.
For full meeting agendas, including times and locations, visit CB3’s website.
 Pier 42. Here’s a look at some of the issues Community Board 3 will be taking up in May.
–On Thursday, May 16 at a meeting of the parks committee, officials from the city’s Economic Development Corp. will update progress at Pier 42, which is very slowly becoming a new recreational area. They’ll also detail the latest plans for the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project, which covers the area along the East River below Montgomery Street. And the EDC will present a conceptual design for the Brooklyn Bridge Esplanade. Finally, the East River Alliance, a group opposed to the mayor’s plan to “bury” East River Park, will present some of its top concerns.
–On Wednesday 8, the Lower East Side Partnership will go before the economic development committee to discuss its latest proposal to expand the LES Business Improvement District. There will also be an update on plans to create a special zoning district in the East Village to protect independent businesses.
–On Thursday, May 9, there will be an update from the State Attorney General’s Office on the Rivington House Settlement agreement. As you probably recall, the Allure Group is required to hand over $1.25 millions to several local nonprofit organizations.
–On Monday, May 13, the liquor licensing committee will hear several proposals, including one to extend the hours of the resurrected Epstein’s Bar on Stanton Street. The committee will also meet on May 20, taking up the issue of a full liquor license for Hwa Yuan on East Broadway, among other applications.
–On Tuesday, May 14, the city’s Department of Transportation will update ongoing efforts to address the traffic bottleneck in the area around Clinton and Grand streets. At the monthly meeting of CB3’s transportation committee, DOT will also discuss its unpopular plan to institute SBS service, eliminating numerous stops on the 14 A and D bus lines. Also the city’s Office of Nightlife and the LES Partnership will update their plans to change traffic regulations to improve “quality of life” in the Lower East Side’s nightlife cesspool.
For full agendas, meeting locations and times, visit CB3’s website.
 Rivington House, 2/5/2019. Photo courtesy of Neighbors to Save Rivington House. Here was the scene at the former Rivington House nursing home the other day: water pouring out of the building. As you might recall, Mount Sinai Health System signed a letter of intent to take over the scandal-plagued property. While locals wait for the huge healthcare conglomerate to convert the building at 45 Rivington Street into a behavioral health center, a related Rivington House discussion will occur during a meeting of Community Board 3’s health, seniors and human services committee.
That tops our look at CB3’s February meeting agendas.
At the meeting, six nonprofit organizations will explain how they intend to use $1.25 million allocated for “healthcare services,” as part of the state attorney general’s settlement with former Rivington House owner the Allure Group. There’s a memo on CB3’s website detailing the programs envisioned by the nonprofit groups.
Other topics of note this month:
On Tuesday, Feb. 12, the transportation committee will hear details from New York Road Runners about the upcoming NYC Half, which will flow through the Lower East Side Sunday, March 17.
On Wednesday, Feb. 13, the owners of the Rivington Street bar, The Magician, will go over plans to expand into an adjacent space.
On Thursday, Feb. 14, the parks committee will continue discussions about the revised plans for flood protection along the East River. The city’s new proposal has met with strong opposition from the Lower East Side community.
And on Tuesday, Feb. 19, the land use committee will continue talks about the mayor’s controversial plan to build a new jail in Chinatown. There will also be an update on plans to rezone the Two Bridges neighborhood.
To see full agendas, including meeting locations and times, click here.
 Community Board 3’s January 2018 meeting. If you’re interested in joining your local community board, now is the time. The Manhattan Borough President just opened applications.
The all-volunteer advisory boards consist of 50 members who serve two year terms. The borough president selects community board representatives, who must live, work or go to school in the community. Local City Council members help choose half of the appointees.
Community Board 3 covers the Lower East Side, East Village and Chinatown. If you’re thinking about applying, it’s highly advisable to attend at least one board meeting. CB3 meets tonight at 6:30 p.m. at P.S. 20, 166 Essex St. Board members serve on at least one committee. You can have a look at CB3’s committees here.
Applications are due by Feb. 8, 2019. Here’s the application. And here’s some general information about Manhattan community boards.
 Rendering from recent presentation on revised plan for the East River waterfront. It’s a new year, but some very familiar issues dominate Community Board 3’s January 2019 meeting agendas. Here’s a look at some of the highlights.
–On Thursday, Jan. 10 there will be an update on the revised plans for the East Side Coastal Resiliency project. If you missed one of the public meetings held last month, this is your chance to learn about the new vision for the long-delayed revamp of East River Park. You can have a look at the presentation used at the December meetings here. At the same meeting, city officials will talk about plans to complete the Pier 35 eco-park (the recreational area was partially opened last month).
–On Tuesday, Jan. 8, CB3’s transportation committee will resume discussions about the L Train shutdown, which is scheduled to take place April 27. Reps from the Department of Transportation will also review plans to create new bike lanes on Catherine Street and Market Street.
UPDATE: The focus of this meeting will change dramatically after the Governor’s decision to cancel the full l Train shutdown.
–On Tuesday, Jan. 15, the land use committee will hear an update from the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice on its revised plans to build a new city jail in Chinatown. The city backed off of a scheme to construct the facility at 80 Centre St., but a new proposal to put up a 50-story tower at 125 White St. isn’t going over any better. The committee will also hear a presentation from community groups hoping to rezone the Two Bridges neighborhood, and it will consider an inclusionary housing proposal for a 16-story tower at 167-171 Chrystie St.
For more meeting details, check out CB3’s full agendas here.
Here’s what’s coming up at Community Board 3 in the month ahead.
–At CB3’s transportation committee meeting Nov. 13, the city’s Department of Transportation will outline plans for expansion of the Citi Bike network. Several months ago, the mayor’s office announced that about 1200 bikes would be added as part of the L Train shutdown plan. There’s expected to be a concentration of bikes near the Williamsburg Bridge.
–On Nov. 1, the human services committee will hear a plea to stop the displacement of the Community Healthcare Network’s Catherine Abate Center at 150 Essex St. The center has a lease until 2021, but the site is slated to become the last piece of the big Essex Crossing project (luxury condos are planned here).
–On Nov. 8, community groups pushing for a rezoning of the Two Bridges area (under siege from developers with grandiose plans) will update their progress before the land use committee.
–On Nov. 15, the parks/waterfront committee will discuss the community impacts from the city’s decision to take over more of Pier 36 for garbage truck parking.
You can check out full agendas, including meeting locations and times, here.
 Delancey Street at Essex Street. File photo. There’s a lot going on at Community Board 3 this week. Here’s a look ahead:
–This evening (Tuesday) the State Liquor Authority Committee will be reviewing an application from the team behind Nine Orchard, the hotel opening in the historic Jarmulowsky Bank Building next year. Neighborhood activists have been mobilizing against the hotel, which has filed for multiple liquor permits. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. and will be held at Perseverance House Community Room, 535 East 5th St.
–Also tonight, the transportation committee will be discussing the 3-year closure of Suffolk Street at Delancey Street to accommodate construction at Essex Crossing. There will also be more discussion about the looming L Train shutdown, the city’s decision to turn portions of Pier 36 and East 10th Street into a parking facility for garbage trucks and an update on efforts to alleviate Grand/Clinton Street traffic gridlock. This meeting takes place at 6:30 p.m., Seward Park Extension, 56 Essex St.
–Tomorrow night (Wednesday), there’s a meeting of the Baruch Bath House Task Force. The city is seeking proposals from developers to reactivate (and probably tear down the historic building). The task force meets at the Baruch, 605 Baruch Drive, 6:30 p.m.
–On Thursday at 6:30 p.m. the Parks Committee meets to go over plans from the city for more reconstruction at East River Park and to discuss a plan from GOLES/Rebuild by Design for a park stewardship proposal along the East River. The committee meets at BRC Senior Center, 30 Delancey St.
See the full agendas here.
 Rendering of Pier 42 park. Here’s a look at some of the topics Community Board 3 will be discussing in July. CB3 just posted the agendas for this month’s committee meetings.
On Thursday, July 12, the city’s Economic Development Corp. will present the latest plans for a new recreational area in-the-works at Pier 42. At a meeting of the parks committee, they’ll show off the schematic designs for a playground that will be part of the large park near Montgomery Street.
On Tuesday, July 17 the land use committee will review a revised application from the developers of the hotel at the Jarmulowsky Bank Building. According to the agenda, they’re “request(ing) a special permit to modify height and setback requirements to construct a roof deck, chair lift, and stairs on the roof of a 13-story Landmarks Preservation Commission-designated building.”
On Tuesday, July 10, the transportation committee will continue its deliberations regarding next year’s L Train shutdown.
On Wednesday, July 9, the Economic Development Committee will resume its discussion about whether to support the Small Business Jobs Survival Act, which is finally supposed to get a hearing at the City Council.
The State Liquor Authority Committee will meet on July 9 and July 16 to review liquor license applications (more on this later).
You can see the full agendas, including meeting times and locations here.
 Soho House rendering. We may be heading into the summer season, but June still looks to be a busy month for Community Board 3. Here’s a look ahead.
On Monday, June 11, the State Liquor Authority (SLA) Committee will consider a proposal for multiple restaurants/bars within The Allen, a hotel at 140 Allen St. You know the spot. For years, it was a stalled construction site until Morris Moinain picked up the distressed property at auction in 2016. According to documents filed with CB3, the 17-story hotel is slated to open in early 2019. There will be 98 guest rooms and eating/drinking establishments on the ground floor, second floor and rooftop. Click here if you’d like to look at the full application.
On Monday, June 18 the SLA Committee will meet again to review several interesting proposals. Ludlow House/Soho House will be outlining its plan to demolish the neighboring club, Libation on Ludlow Street, replacing it with an outdoor garden/restaurant with a retractable roof. Here’s the full application from the Soho House team.
On Thursday, June 28 there will be a long-awaited appearance at the transportation committee by DOT traffic engineers. They are expected to finally detail their plans for fixing the Grand/Clinton Street gridlock dilemma. Local residents, elected officials and CB3 leaders have been clamoring for a solution.
You can see all of Community Board 3’s June meeting agendas here.
 Church of the Nativity. Photo by Beyond My Ken – Wikimedia Commons. It’s a busy week for Community Board 3. Here are some of the upcoming meetings worth checking out.
–Tonight the land use committee will hear a proposal from the Cooper Square Committee Land Trust to acquire the former Church of the Nativity site at 44 Second Avenue. The Archdiocese of New York is selling the property. The Cooper Square Committee wants to redevelop the site with 116 units of housing for seniors, families and the disabled. There would also be a community center named for Dorothy Day. EV Grieve has more background on the proposal here. The land use panel meets this evening at 6:30, at University Settlement, 184 Eldridge St.
–Also tonight, CB3’s State Liquor Authority Committee will meet to go over liquor license applications. Club Cumming on East Sixth Street is in hot water for allowing live music without the proper permit. Alan Cumming & friends will go before the panel to try to rectify the situation. Cumming has been rallying his fans to show their support tonight. Also the team behind Le French Diner will pitch a new small plates concept at 43 Clinton St. (that’s currently the home of the Brazilian spot Galeria).
–Tomorrow night (Tuesday), CB3’s transportation & public safety committee will take up a couple of noteworthy items. There will be a discussion about the proposed expansion of the Manhattan Detention Complex in Chinatown (read about that issue here). Committee members will also be discussing a Nike 5K run happening on Earth Day. For the second time this spring, the city failed to provide the community board with any notice about a large race coming through the neighborhood. Some board members aren’t very happy about that.
For meeting details and agendas, click here.
 Renderings: New East River waterfront with proposed towers. It’s a busy month ahead at Community Board 3. Here’s a look at some of the meetings you might want to check out in March:
–On March 14 (Wednesday), the land use committee will revisit efforts to curtail three mega-towers in the Two Bridges area. There will be an update on a zoning text amendment that, if enacted, would force a full land use review of the projects. The application was submitted by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Councilmember Margaret Chin in January. Separately, there will be an update on a community-led effort for a rezoning in the Two Bridges area.
–On March 15 (Thursday), the parks committee will hear from the Parks Department about a, “Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the reuse of the Baruch Bathhouse site.” The community has been pleading for years for the rehabilitation of this building, so we’ll be watching this one carefully. Also the Economic Development Corp. will update plans for the Corlears Hook ferry landing. Community members have expressed concern about crowd control in the area. And the Parks Department will present designs for the new Corlears Hook dog run.
–On March 13 (Tuesday), the transportation committee will continue a discussion about contingency plans for the L Train shutdown. There will also be a presentation from organizers of the March 18th NYC Half Marathon (community members aren’t very happy about the lack of communication about the event, which is expected to bring more than 22,000 runners through the neighborhood). There will also be a discussion about traffic gridlock around the Essex Crossing development sites.
–On March 12 (Monday) the State Liquor Authority committee will examine applications from the CitizenM Hotel on the Bowery and the Holiday Inn on Delancey Street.
You can see the full agendas here.
Community Board 3’s January 2018 meeting. Here’s a reminder. You can now watch Community Board 3’s monthly meetings from the comfort of your living room. No, it’s not the Winter Olympics, but there’s occasionally a dramatic outburst!
The meeting takes place tomorrow evening (2/27) at 6:30. If you’re interested in checking out the live feed or watching later, here’s the YouTube link.
We’re expecting a lively discussion regarding the Union Square Tech Hub. The land use and small committees conditionally approved a ULURP for the proposal earlier this month, but preservation activists are calling for stronger linkage between the proposed workforce training center/incubator and a rezoning in the immediate area (read more about the issue here).
The board is also expected to approve a resolution regarding the state attorney general’s recent settlement agreement with Rivington House’s former owners.
If you would like to attend the meeting in person, it will be held at P.S. 20, 166 Essex St.
 200 Allen St./Google Image. The State Liquor Authority rejected an application today for a big new venue that had been in-the-works at 200 Allen St. In an unusual move, two elected officials — State Sen. Brian Kavanagh and City Council member Margaret Chin — both appeared in person to testify against the applicant.
The project, Dos Cientos, was the latest venture by real estate developer/nightlife operator Michael Shah (he’s behind Sons of Essex and Rochelle’s). It was meant to be a bi-level Mexican restaurant/bar for 200 patrons. The space, located near East Houston St., has been vacant since the demise of Preserve 24 in 2014.
Community Board 3 opposed the application in a May 2017 resolution. Kavanagh, Chin, U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and State Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou backed it up with a letter to the liquor authority. Here’s part of the letter:
As detailed in the Community Board resolution, the applicants have a long history as bad actors in the communities where they operate. Community Board 3 has voiced their concern about Victor Jung. who the Board believes will have a lead role in the operations of this venue and who, in 2008, was convicted of a felony associated with his business operations, as outline in the May 2017 resolution. In addition, the resolution recalls that in 2014 the SLA found the applicants in violation for “improper conduct” and use of an “unauthorized trade name” in relation to another LLC known as 133 Essex Restaurant. In 2015, Manhattan Community Board 2 strongly called for the renewal of the applicants’ full on-premises liquor license to be denied for operating outside the Board’s stipulations.
Kavanagh and Chin, along with a representative from Niou’s office, communicated their concerns in person at a hearing in Manhattan today. It apparently helped sway the SLA, which voted against the application.
SLA.200 Allen Street 1-9-18 by The Lo-Down on Scribd
 Workers continue to dismantle unstable portions of Beth Hamedrash Hagadol on Norfolk Street. Community Board 3 is out with its January 2018 meeting agendas. Here’s a look at some of the issues that various committees will be discussing in the new year.
On Wednesday, Jan. 10, the land use committee will be briefed on the continuing demolition of Beth Hamedrash Hagadol, the Norfolk Street synagogue that was devastated by an arson fire this past May. One of the towers has already been toppled. Work crews are now going to work on the second tower. We’ll presumably be hearing more next months about plans for a new development project on a parcel behind the synagogue wreckage. The Landmarks Preservation Commission has instructed the property owner to save as much of the historic shul as possible.
On Thursday, Jan. 4, the human services/education committee will discuss ongoing efforts to build a school at Essex Crossing. As we reported in November, State Assembly member Yuh-Line Niou is trying to revive a campaign to fund construction of the school, which would be located on Suffolk Street.
On Tuesday, January 9 the State Liquor Authority Committee will review an application for two large restaurants with the new Ace Hotel at 223-225 Bowery. High profile chef Nick Morgenstern is set to run the ground floor and rooftop establishments.
You can see full meeting details here.
 Coming up next week: an update on the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project. For your planning calendars, it’s a heavy week ahead for Community Board 3. Here are some of the committee meetings scheduled Dec. 11-15:
Monday, Dec. 11, 6:30 p.m. – Arts & Cultural Affairs Subcommittee meets to discuss, among other topics, a town hall meeting happening in January.
Monday, Dec. 11, 6:30 p.m. – State Liquor Authority Committee meets to review liquor license applications. Brigitte on Canal Street is hoping to add an additional basement bar; Pinks Cantina wants a wine and beer permit at 203 Chrystie St.; Essex Street bar, Old Man Hustle, is going for a full liquor license; a cafe called Bricia is requesting beer & wine at 79 Clinton St.; Eureka Gem has applied for a wine & beer permit at 114 Forsyth St,; and 95 Fusion Tearoom & Kitchen Bar wants wine & beer at 95 Chrystie St.
Tuesday, Dec. 12, 6:45 p.m. – Transportation & Public Safety Committee to discuss noise complaints regarding the U.S. Post Office on East Broadway.
Wednesday, Dec. 13, 6:30 p.m. – Land Use Committee meets to review “Settlement Housing Fund’s proposal to acquire Tanya Towers at 620 E 13th St. from FEGS bankruptcy and conduct affordable housing preservation/rehabilitation with sale of inclusionary zoning rights.” Settlement Housing Fund is, by the way, one of two non-profits which sold a parcel in the Two Bridges area to JDS Development Group for one of those residential mega towers. There will also be an update from the Essex Crossing developers.
Thursday, Dec. 14, 6:30 p.m. – Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Committee will receive an update from city officials on the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project (that’s the flood protection initiative below Montgomery Street). The panel will also hear about a public art project in Sara D. Roosevelt Park, which includes a “freestanding native plant garden sculpture designed to support urban birds and engage community.”
Thursday, Dec. 14, 6:30 p.m. – Public Housing Subcommittee meets to discuss NYCHA’s Section 3/FEMA program.
Visit the community board’s website for more details and meeting locations.
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