Open Thread Wednesday

You are a sound sleeper!

Lol! I was awake, too!

Forget things to come. It’s already here. Following up on Claude’s musical take:
“How does it feel to be on your own” or “Take a look around it’s bound to scare you boy” The real estate interests and their political toadies have rolled over our once quiet neighborhood.

The plan is to demolish the building by hand.
“11. Job Description. FILING FULL DEMOLITION OF 1 STORY BUILDING WITH HAND HELD MEANS.”

See http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByNumberServlet?requestid=15&passjobnumber=321276784&passdocnumber=01

While I’m not an engineer I suspect you’re looking at a “heavy duty sidewalk shed”
“11. Job Description. INSTALLATION OF A HEAVY DUTY SIDEWALK SHED AS PER PLANS IN CONJUNCTION WITH NB CONSTRUCTION. NO CHANGE IN USE, EGRESS OR OCCUPANCY. SIDEWALK SHED TO COMPLY WITH CHAPTER 33 OF NYC BUILDING CODE OF 2014.”

See http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByNumberServlet?passdocnumber=1&passjobnumber=321314822&requestid=8

You can follow all DOB developments at the new building site by starting here:
http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/JobsQueryByNumberServlet?requestid=12&passjobnumber=321102766&passdocnumber=01

Note there always seems to be a lot of back-and-forth between the DOB and the developers. Among the original plans I’ve followed not a single one has been accepted outright.

Screwdriver is a neo-Nazi rock band. And I think we all know who the local conspiracy theorist / anti-Semite / violent racist is. He’s know posting as “You Know Who This Is.”

Jeffrey Smith of Monroe Street was kicked off once. And it’ll happen again.

I think we all know who the local conspiracy theorist / anti-Semite / violent racist is. He’s know posting as “Well, You Know Who.”

Jeffrey Smith of Monroe Street was kicked off once. And it’ll happen again

40k/year can’t buy class.

i hate that you and your neighbors were accused of anti-semitism as much as i hate that expressing any concerns about park related disruption instantly gets one branded racist. we need to stop defaulting to these simplistic rationalizations.

Montague Street has some stores but it is also a residential street.

Also, religious people, ceremonies and institutions should respect their neighbors. Not long ago the Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite church, sponsor of the Lebanese Food Festival, used to make an unconscionable amount of noise at a decibel that could wake the dead for 3 days. After enough complaining, they finally mended their ways and changed the noise level of their venue.

The lobby has masonite boards down on the floor for protection. The ceiling is a mass of exposed steel joists. The drywall is unpainted and has exposed joints.

The event was also in direct violation of the agreement the hotel entered into with the BHA. Among other things it states “there are no event spaces in the hotel available for rental by non-hotel guests”. Seeing as how there’s not even a hotel room to rent yet I don’t know how these people were able to hold an event there.

Honestly, I can see the BHA preventing them from getting their Certificate of Occupanct without a major mea culpa. For those curious, some of the pertinent aspects of the agreement are listed below. (There’s a lot more in relation to the roof. I encourage everyone to get a copy of the agreement from the BHA. And I encourage everyone to let the BHA know how this event was unacceptable.)

WHEREAS, as to other event and restaurant space, the applicant states that (1) the meeting rooms on the ground floor and in the basement will be restricted to use by registered hotel guests, and may not be rented to or used by non-guests; (2) there are no event spaces in the hotel available for rental by non-hotel guests; (3) the applicant will not apply for a DCA Cabaret license or enter into any special events contracts with third-party booking agents advertising events to the public for any of the
spaces in the hotel; (4) sound-absorbing interior finishes will be used for the meeting rooms and the ground-floor restaurant; (5) total capacity of ground-floor restaurant spaces will be 240 persons, which may be distributed between the Montague Street (C1-3) restaurant and the rear restaurant/lounge; (6) no rope lines, checkpoints, or check-in tents will be established at any time outside of the hotel; (7) the applicant agrees to use all reasonable measures to ensure that all people waiting to use the hotel facilities will be accommodated within the hotel building; and (8) the applicant will post a sign outside the hotel, near the Montague Street entrance, stating: “This is a residential neighborhood. Please respect our neighbors.” and will instruct hotel staff to take all reasonable measures to reduce noise by patrons outside of the hotel and restaurants;

Finally a sane voice…..

Since you seem interested, here are the restrictions for the rooftop space. I think the BHA did a really good job here getting these in writing. (Now they just have to see that they’re enforced):

THAT no music, amplified or unamplified, and no sound amplification system of any kind will be permitted on the outdoor terrace;

THAT the 14th floor restaurant and terrace will contain sound attenuation measures as shown on the approved plans and indoor music will be limited to 69 dbA at all times;

THAT the maximum occupancy at any given time both in the 14th floor restaurant and on the terrace will comply with Building Code occupancy regulations and not exceed 120 persons in total, of which not more than 40 patrons at any given time may occupy the terrace;

THAT the 14th floor restaurant will close by 11:00 p.m. on weekdays, and by 12:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays (i.e., no patrons will be allowed in the restaurant after these times);

THAT the 14th floor terrace will close at 10:00 p.m. on all nights (i.e., no patrons will be allowed on the terrace after this time), except that the 14th floor terrace may remain open beyond 10:00 p.m. on New Year’s Eve;

So, who got the new cat? Someone in the block bounded by Pierrepont Street, Pierrepont Place, Montague Street and Hicks Street has taken possession of a new cat that they put out in the backyard, presumably to experience nature or something. And the thing meows LOUDLY. For prolonged periods of time. Whining to be let back in, presumably. Aside from the cat’s complaints, I don’t like the noise. Surely there is a better way to treat both the cat and your neighbors, new cat-owner.

I like it better this way: