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October 4, 2011
Is Dan Goldstein Really As Bad As Bruce Ratner Just Because He Wants a Renovation?
NY Observer
by Matt Chaban
Most people probably don't go straight to the Daily News when their new neighbor plans to renovate and build a modest as-of-right extension that conforms to zoning and would increase the building's Floor Area Ratio by just enough to avoid being considered blighted for underutilization by the ESDC.
But most people (quite thankfully) don't see the PR value of attacking new next-door neighbors through the tabloids.
Welcome to the neighborhood, Daniel Goldstein!
Like so many other homeowners in the city, Mr. Goldstein is planning a rooftop and rear-yard addition to his new home. In what might be construed as an ironic twist–the Daily News certainly sees it that way—Mr. Goldstein’s new neighbors do not appreciate his home-improvement project.
...Next-door neighbor Kathryn Roake, 59, says Goldstein’s 18-foot, three-story addition to the back of his building will block the light to her beloved fruit and vegetable garden.
“I was so horrified,” said Roake, who has lived in her 15th St. home for 21 years. “It’s going to block all the sunlight to my garden and the back of my house.
If that's the case, imagine how "horrified" Roake would have been if Bruce Ratner was planning to seize her home to build an arena. And one might wonder how a to-code extension built to the northeast of her yard would manage to "block all the sunlight" to her garden.
The News was unable to get a comment from Mr. Goldstein, but we were, and the story The Observer was told was quite different. (Granted, we were unable to reach Ms. Roake.)
He told us that he reached out to the neighbors first, but they did not respond and instead, apparently, went to the tab. Mr. Goldstein has plenty of experience with adjudicating matters in the press, and while he would rather deal with these issues directly, they are out there, so what choice does he have. He also wondered at how the dimensions of his expansion could be known when they are not even complete, and whatever they are, they will be code compliant:
Our plans aren’t finalized, but when they are they’ll be submitted to DOB as required when doing a renovation and extension. Once our plans are approved our construction will be safe, well within zoning and within the law, and we’ll be certain to protect our neighbors’ property and our own.
...Indeed, these sorts of additions happen all the time, from Uptown to the Village to Brownstone Brooklyn.
Posted by eric at October 4, 2011 11:28 AM