Appellate Court Affirms Decision Against Proposed Riverside Garage

By on January 30, 2013 10:00 pm in Brooklyn Heights, Landmark Preservation, News

In the latest development in a story that’s been unfolding for over five years, the Appellate Division, New York Supreme Court has upheld the decision of the New York State Division of Homes and Community Renewal to deny the application of landlord Pinnacle Group to build an underground parking garage in the courtyard (photo) between the Alfred T. White Riverside Apartments and the BQE, off Joralemon Street. The proposal was opposed by the Riverside Tenants’ Association.

Pinnacle’s only recourse now would be an appeal to New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals in Albany.

Update: City Council Member Steve Levin says, “Many congratulations to Bill [Ringler, President of the Riverside Tenants’ Association] and Steve [Dobkin, the Tenants’ Association’s counsel] and everyone at Riverside Apartments for fighting to save your treasure and winning.”

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  • mlcraryville

    Uhmmmm, I think the BHA was first to rise against this land steal. They should get some of the credit.

  • moni

    Congrats to Riverside Tenants. I lived there for 8 yrs –before it got co-oped & gentrified. My first apt was $50 a month; the second & larger one rented for $70. Ah, those were the days!

  • ab_bklyn

    This is great news! I lived there in 2004 and 2005 and loved it there. I can’t imagine looking out the windows and seeing a parking garage instead of a beautiful courtyard out there.

  • Gerry

    Moni, i had not known that this became a co/op?

  • Bette

    But forgive me if I’m not understanding: wouldn’t an underground garage be hidden? (I guess I have a fantasy of it being like the Batcave). Underground parking would reduce some of the insane parking issues in Brooklyn Heights – but yet, only if it’s not an eyesore.

  • Claude Scales

    Bette: the reasons for the opposition to building the underground garage are, first, it would entail destruction of the mature trees presently in the courtyard in order to dig out the space in which the garage would be located, and second, that the process of construction would be extremely disruptive and unpleasant for the residents of the Riverside Apartments.

  • stuart

    This is so odd. most people would be delighted to hear that their landlord is going to add a garage in their building. It is so convenient. And the Landmarks Commission said OK!

    I think this must be a rent-control tenant versus landlord dispute.

    Why the wealthy brownstone owners of the BHA think they have a stake in this, only God knows. Unless there is some personal feud, which has to be the reason.

  • stuart

    land steal? you mean on the parts of the renters? The land is owned by the entity who proposes to build a car garage.

  • mlcraryville

    There is no God given right to develop your property to maximize the return and without regard to its effect on residents and neighbors. Except in a Banana Republic.

  • Knight

    In 2013, I’m sure the engineers know how to preserve the trees and restore them to their original sites once the garage is finished. As far as the residents being disrupted: when was that ever a consideration in any previous construction project? These people are renters, so we’re not even talking about an “eminent domain” situation.

  • The Truth

    What a nice photoshop job in that picture. Especially that island of greenery in the middle of this courtyard (read: private parking lot for the building’s maintenance team, [read; extended family]).

    This ruling effective rules out any hope for the actual residents of this complex of having anything but a really massive, yet totally inaccessible parking lot, plus an island of perpetual mulch production constantly being fed the rotted dying limbs of said precious trees. Oh, it also doubles as private playground for certain residents children whose sleep patterns are more akin to nocturnal feline predators.

    Congrats RTA. Progress. To save four trees. And a dilapidated and and a locked up pathetic broken fountain. You’ve done a great service to all of the residents of this historic building. Especially the 4 or 5 or so people who use the courtyard exclusively.

  • stuart

    LOL, Sounds like you went to grade school in East Germany. I don’t wish to get into a discussion on the pros and cons of Marxism.

  • mlcraryville

    Stupid, lame comment. Out of my life, pls.

  • The Truth

    More echoes of East Germany on this blog…Comments disappear mere hours after they are posted. Or maybe only some of them do.

    I’m not going to accuse the moderators of removing my comment, that would be way too spineless, a paranoid attempt at silencing dissent. It didn’t work in East Germany, but it might work here. Perhaps some readers just flagged it as spam. Which would also be kinda sad that folks would need to resort such chicanery to silence those they don’t agree with.

    You can never silence the truth.