FULL BOARD MINUTES
DATE:
TIME:
PLACE:

October 21, 2010
6:00 P.M.
P.S. 130, 143 Baxter Street, Auditorium

BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Steve Ashkinazy, Keen Berger, Tobi Bergman, Carter Booth, Anita
Brandt, Sigrid Burton, Heather Ann Campbell, Denise Collins, Terri Cude, Maria Passanante Derr, Doris
Diether, Ian Dutton, Elizabeth Gilmore, Alison Greenberg, Sasha Greene, David Gruber, Jo Hamilton,
Chair, Community Board #2, Manhattan (CB#2, Man.), Brad Hoylman, Mary Johnson, Arthur
Kriemelman, Evan Lederman, Jason Mansfield, Jane McCarthy, Alexander Meadows, Florent Morellet,
Judy Paul, David Reck, Robert Riccobono, Erin Roeder, Robin Rothstein, Rocio Sanz, Wendy Schlazer,
Shirley Secunda Chenault Spence, Richard Stewart, Carol Yankay, Antony Wong,
BOARD MEMBERS EXCUSED: Lisa Cannistracci, Sheelah Feinberg, Anne Hearn, Susan Kent,
Raymond Lee, Lois Rakoff, Maury Schott, Arthur Z. Schwartz, James Solomon, Sean Sweeney, Elaine
Young
BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT: Edward Ma
BOARD STAFF PRESENT: Bob Gormley, District Manager, and Florence Arenas, Community
Coordinator
GUESTS: Katie Smith, Congressman Jerrold Nadler’s office; Crystal Gold-Pond, Senator Tom Duane’s
office; Mary Cooley, Sen. Daniel Squadron’s office; Lisa Parson, Assembly Member Deborah Glick's
office; Sandy Myers, Lin Zeng, Man. Borough President Scott Stringer’s office; John Ricker, NYC
Comptroller’s office; Edgar Yu, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance’s office; Noah Isaacs, Council
Speaker Christine Quinn’s office; Matt Viggiano, Jasmin Torres, Council Member Rosie Mendez’s
office; Gabriela Resto, Danya Sherma, Kate Lindquist, Fay E. Roblson, Judith Callet, Luis Ramirez,
Douglas Esposin, Catherine Perebinsoff, Ed Sullivan, Ben Jerris, Dave Poster, Jane Chuang, Davide
Gentile, David Wallace, Barbara Ruether, Cahterine Schaefer, Jane Kovczynsla, Lou Stremger. Eric Li,
Robert Meller, Alex Baskin, Leonid Baskin, Erin Keller, Ben Wolfert, Ivanna Ganushclak, Pamela L.
LaBonne, Ellen I. Synan, Natalie McDonald, Silvia Sanza, Steve Charen, Alex Smorczewski, John Flood,
Leslie Lord, Yetta Kurland, Frank Vriale, Philip Smithback, Elizabeth Adam, Elaine Hudson, Angela
Jones, Chris Gaylord, Timothy Luncford, Evette Stark Katz, Thomas Cahill, Alan Bounville, Susan Kone,
Rene Schooenbeck, Jayne Hertko
MEETING SUMMARY
Meeting Date –October 21, 2010
Board Members Present – 38
Board Members Excused–11
Board Members Absent - 9
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 Therefore be it resolved, CB#2, Man. thereby endorses the Task Force findings and recommendations;
and
Be it further resolved, CB#2, Man. requests that NYU provide us with a point-by-point response to the
Task Force recommendations and questions.
Vote: Unanimous, with 38 Board members in favor.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS
LANDMARKS AND PUBLIC AESTHETICS
1.

Dept. of Sanitation Spring Street Salt Shed - presentation of design

This was the most controversial item on our calendar, with Community Board #1 and over a dozen
speakers opposing the item.
Whereas, the DSNY presented a proposed design for a planned salt shed to be located at 297 West Street
between Canal Street and Spring Street; and
Whereas,, the proposed salt shed is a 64’ tall structure with a driveway between the building and Holland
Tunnel Ventilation Building and with the entry to the structure at the Canal Street end of the driveway;
and,
Whereas,, the proposed design seeks to express “different aspects of crystalline forms – the faceted
nature of all crystals and the extended forms found in many crystals,” by way of a reinforced concrete
building with multiple angled planes; and,
Whereas,, some speakers said this very contemporary design is out of keeping with the area with its
immediate proximity to such landmark structures as the Holland Tunnel Ventilation Building and the
historic Ear Inn building; and
Whereas, the final design calls for 10,000 gallons of Calcium Chloride to be stored in outdoor tanks that
were reported in the FEIS as being located underground; and
Whereas, the intensity of opposition to the scale of the proposed larger project makes it difficult for the
community to focus on the design concept and details of the building; and
Whereas, the proposed building is on the site of an existing DSNY garage serving District 1 and is part of
a larger project that includes a garage on the other side of Spring Street serving Districts 1, 2, and 5; and
Whereas, the larger project was approved by DSNY and the City Council over strong community
opposition based on its unfair overburdening of an area that already suffers from negative impacts of high
car, bus, and truck traffic on Route 9A (West Street) and entering the Holland Tunnel; and
Whereas, the project remains a cause of concern, dismay, and resentment in the neighborhood with more
than a dozen people appearing at a hearing on October 12, 2010, to express opposition to the salt shed;
and
Whereas, concerns have been raised about safe removal of asbestos during demolition and needed
precautions related to construction in the flood plain; and
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 Whereas, concerns were expressed about containment of salt dust both at the driveway and the load-in
door near residential buildings on Spring Street as well as about proposed above ground storage of
calcium chloride; and
Whereas, many people think that changes in the design, such as covering the apron, moving the tanks
underground (as reported in the FEIS), moving the salt load-in door to Canal Street, and long-term graffiti
planning are essential to the success of this structure; and
Whereas, the west end of Spring Street is a neighborhood of increasing commercial and residential
vitality; and
Whereas, the SoHo and Hudson Square neighborhoods have poor access to Hudson River Park because
there are no West Street crossings or park entrances between the south side of Canal Street in Tribeca and
the north side of West Houston Street in the West Village; and
Whereas, improving connections to the waterfront is an important citywide priority; and
Whereas, the lack of a West Street crossing at Spring Street also discourages pedestrians from using the
two Spring Street blocks east of West Street; and
Whereas, The Hudson Square Business Improvement District has identified a Spring Street connection to
the Hudson River Park as an important objective; and
Whereas, the DSNY project at Spring Street will further detriment the connection of these neighborhoods
to the waterfront and will create a pedestrian dead zone unless the project includes street amenities to
encourage pedestrian use, and
Whereas, by seeking to create an iconic building for an unglamorous use, DSNY and the Design
Commission acknowledge the importance of the site, but while we appreciate the efforts made to design a
building of interest and note, architecture alone cannot overcome the isolation and lack of vitality of the
location that will only be made worse by the outsized DSNY facilities on both sides of the street.
Therefore be it resolved that CB#2, Man. while still opposing the project as a whole, urges DSNY and
the Design Commission to work with the City and State Departments of Transportation and the Hudson
River Park Trust to include in this project pedestrian amenities to recreate the urban vitality of this area;
and
Be it further resolved we ask that the DSNY and the City to acknowledge the significant sacrifice this
neighborhood will make because of this salt shed and a three district garage, and to mitigate the
conditions by adding a new crosswalk on West Street at Spring Street and work with the community to
improve the streetscape on Spring between Sixth Avenue and West Streets, and
Be it further resolved that DSNY should ask their design consultants to address concerns about the
containment of salt dust, and also the above-ground siting of unsightly Calcium Chloride storage tank;
and
Be it further resolved that there should be further steps taken to protect the immediate neighbors from
the negative impact of salt dust, such as relocating the load-in door to Canal Street, reducing the size of
the door, and covering the driveway and gates; and

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 Be it further resolved that the concrete finishes/surfaces should be such that it won’t be damaged by
repeated graffiti removal; and
Be it further resolved that CB#2, Man. urges that DSNY review and amend the Department of Building
applications with regard to concerns about asbestos removal and construction in the flood plain; and
Be it finally resolved that unless these concerns are addressed, the current design effort is not useful and
CB#2, Man. cannot support the proposed design.
Vote: Unanimous, with 38 Board members in favor.
2. l53 Prince Street – SoHo Cast Iron Historic District Extension. A Greek Revival style dwelling
with alterations, originally build c. 1844-45. Application is to alter the façade and areaway and install
storefront infill and signage.
Whereas this building is located in the newest Historic District Extension; and
Whereas the building is currently painted with zebra stripes on the lower two floors, on a block with a
number of oddly painted and altered buildings; and
Whereas the proposal is to widen and enlarge the door and windows on the basement level and enlarge
the first floor windows, and remove the current lighting and roll down gates on the basement level; and
Whereas it is also proposed to raise the level of the front yard l4” and change the current steps to 3 steps
in the yard and 2 steps inside the store; and
Whereas the proposal also includes changing the color of the first two floors from the zebra stripes to
purple with a new sign with letters on pins attached to the façade of the building between the first floor
and basement; and
Whereas the current fence would be reduced in size to match the new stair size, and all the fencing would
be painted black; and
Whereas, although some of the changes proposed improved the look of the building, too much of the
original fabric of the building would be removed.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED CB#2, Man. recommends that this application for l53 Prince Street
be denied.
Vote: Unanimous, with 38 Board members in favor.
3. 337-339 West Broadway aka 54-58 Grand St.– SoHo Cast Iron Historic District. A store building
designed by Peter V. Outcault and built in l885-l886. Application to create a new masonry opening.
WHEREAS this is a two story retail building on a corner which formerly had a second means of egress
through the adjoining building, but that egress has now been blocked; and
WHEREAS a second means of egress is required, so the proposal is to remove plywood over a single
side street door and enlarge the area to include two doors for the required fire exits; and

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