Cover-Up At The Washington Condos?
The Washington Condominium at 35 Underhill Avenue in Prospect Heights has been a long time coming. As blogger Set Speed first mentioned on Friday, the building finally got its Temporary C of O last week after countless delays. His announcement stirred up a rather contentious debate in the comments section over some of the quick-fixes…
The Washington Condominium at 35 Underhill Avenue in Prospect Heights has been a long time coming. As blogger Set Speed first mentioned on Friday, the building finally got its Temporary C of O last week after countless delays. His announcement stirred up a rather contentious debate in the comments section over some of the quick-fixes that the developer has performed to get around the FAR calculation problems of Mezzaninegate, photos of which mysteriously arrived in our mailbox yesterday. The most bizarre? He reportedly has reduced the ceiling height in the mezzanines from seven feet to five feet (the point at which the space is considered storage rather than living space) by building up plywood platforms (see photos). One commenter on the Set Speed thread said that DOB was okay with this approach and that it had happened at a number of the other Scarano projects with similar violations. Can this be true? Does anyone know if using plywood like this is up to code? Seems like the Fire Department might have something to say about it. If all is not on the up-and-up, what does this mean for the building and those who already handed over their down payments last year?
The Washington Gets Temporary C of O? [Set Speed]
Checking In on the Washington Condos [Brownstoner] GMAP
WTF is going on in this building!
Is there a website or something else that gives a good intro to this kind of building regulation in NYC stuff, like FAR, and the below-grade bedroom whatever. I find it all confusing and fail to see the motivation behind it. I’m starting to consider buying and feel like I need to get on top of all this stuff somehow.
what do you do with a 7 foot ceiling anyway? is this for hobbits?
Hey, all you fucking jerks leave me alone! I’m just trying to make a dollar!
i’m sure that’s scarano. he’s really lost a bit of his vim and vigor ever since the DOB emasculated him by taking away his self-certification.
so he still speaks a big game, but i think he tempers his words a bit these days.
nice try, 12:24. but not egomaniacal enough to be the real robert scarano.
Gottalovebob 4:41 pm. Please do not talk about what you know nothing about including the construction at one of my jobs. What we do is always according to Zoning and Code as it exists at the time we are doing it. As policy changes at both agencies things have to change. Change unfortunately takes time and comes in stages, no pun intended. Do not critize work that is not completed or in progress because you fall into the trap of the rest of the mob who also no not what they speak of. Have a good day and in the future ask me if you want the straight story.
Once again, slap on the wrist and cashing that check at the bank for Mr. S. Now it’s not “hide the mezzanines” in your self cert plans (busted) now it’s hide the mezzanines under plywood boxes.
Sickening our City’s DOB allows the unscrupulous development to continue…but I am beginning to get a bit jaded 😉
are you sure it should be sprinklered underneath?Are you an architect? Do you mean from the celing below or within the plywood flooring? thanks