Opposing a Variance for Illegal Rooftop Apartments at 515 East 5 Street

On May 21, I joined Councilmember Rosie Mendez, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Assembly Member Brian Kavanagh in submitting joint testimony before the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) regarding 515 East 5 Street. As you may know, the owner of the building built illegal rooftop apartments and, in the process, greatly decreased the existing tenants’ quality of life. The BSA previously found the 6th floor addition illegal and the owner is now seeking to reverse that finding. In our testimony, we express our collective opposition to the owner’s appeal. Please see our testimony below.