CB2 committee recommends denial of zoning variance for 51 Little West 12th Street, citing incomplete financial showing and neighborhood character concerns

Community Board 2’s Land Use and Housing Committee voted on Sept. 10 to recommend denial of a zoning variance application for 51 Little West Twelfth Street, saying the record did not meet the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) findings required for a variance.

The applicant presented updated architectural renderings, a design narrative referencing the nearby Pier 54 and an artist’s concept for the project. The team — including architect Fatih Ergun and financial analyst Barbara Cohen — described structural constraints at the site, said a pile foundation would be needed because of subsurface conditions and argued that the lot’s size and ground conditions limit economically viable as‑of‑right development. The applicant’s submission compared the proposed build (about 18,128 square feet) with an as‑of‑right alternative (approximately 16,250 square feet under a 6.5 FAR); the team argued the…