New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-17
Keeping 5th Auenue as Folks
See 1T q Constant Battle
Fifth Avenue Association Watches Carefully fo
Evaders of Zoning Regulation; Means
Much to Character of Thoroughfare

financial loss would be suffered if she
were forced to move out immedlat ly.
In this case also we represented the
majority Of property owners, and after
argument the board denied the appeal,
but granted stay until October l.,
1921, on condition that no sign show
ing the nature of the business be
displayed.
"At SO East Fifty-third Street it
was found that a rug dealer opened
business in the basement in violation
of the coming regulations. Upon being
served with an order of violation at
our request by the fire prevention
bureau be moved. 1t was also found
in the same building that dressmaker
was using two floors for business. An
by the fire prevention bureau, and
an appeal was taken from this order
asking to be permitted to continue
business until April /, 1925. The as
ISOLATION has fled afidavits opposing
this petition from residents and own
ers of neighboring buildings.
"Some interests conceived the idea
of creating a so-called light industry
district which would permit light in
dustries to use 100 per cent of the
floor space for manufacturing. The
coming committee of the association,
of which J. Howes Burton is chairman,
found that the creation of such new
district would be rather dangerous.
ton in its very beginning and it was
dropped.
Oppose to Lifting Ban From 55th Street
"A petition has been presented to the
Board of Estimate to change the use of
Fifty-ffth Street, between Fifth and
Sixth avenues from residence to bust
ness. The matter was referred by the
board to the committee on city plan
and public provements, and a hear
ing was held before the Borough Pres
ident on May 81. at which both the
petitioners and those that opposed it, as
we'll as the association, appeared. The
Borough President, after hearing the
arguments on both sides and after in
vestigations made by him, recommended
to the committee on city plan denial
of the application. This matter will
come before the committee on city
plan on September 27, at which time
the association will fully present the
case against the petition on the part
of the ajority of the property owners
interested
Henry Mandel, who bought the old
Grand Union Hotel site from the city
has appeared twice before the Board
of Estimate, petitioning that he be
permitted to erect a building to q
greater height than that permitted by
law without setbacks. The first time
Mr.. Mandel presented the petition he
withdrew it at hearing before the
Borough President. Thee week late.
he filed a similar petition with the
Board of Estimate and after an ex-
tended hearing held before the Com
mittee on City Plan, the committee
reported against the petition. When
the report came up before the Board
of Estimate Mr. Mandel again with
drew his petition and fled new one
to the same effect with the Board of
Appeals.
"This petition came up on June and
the Board of Appeals granted permits
sion to erect the building without
any setbacks, upon the ground that
the City of New York intended, in the
contractor the sale OF the property to
Mr.. Mandel, to convey to him the right
which they had to build twenty FIVE
story building, pointing out the fact
that the city had already put in foun-
dations for a twenty-five story build
ing prior to 1916, when the zoning law
went into effect
MANY cases come up from time to
time where applications are filed to
alter buildings so that more than %
per cent of the floor space may be used
for manufacturing All such plans
are carefully scanned by the associ-
alton, and so far the Superintendent
Of Buildings has uniformly rejected
them"