Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises meeting
March 18, 2026, 11:00 AM
The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises held hearings on three land use applications: two related items for the 37-59 Hamilton Avenue rezoning in Staten Island (LU 0045, LU 0046) and a sidewalk cafe consent for Le Dive in Manhattan (LU 0047). No votes were taken.
What was discussed
- Subcommittee gavels in for the Zoning and Franchises hearing Chairperson Farah Louis opened the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises hearing, joined by Chair Marte, Majority Whip Hanks, and Council Member Felder, to take testimony on the Le Dive sidewalk café consent and the 37-59 Hamilton Avenue rezoning. No votes were scheduled.
- Council Member Marte explains why he called up the Le Dive sidewalk café application Council Member Christopher Marte said he had called up the Le Dive application about a year earlier because the same application kept returning, and framed the local concerns the applicant needed to address.
- Le Dive applicant team presents its sidewalk café application Max Bookman, an attorney with Pesetsky & Bookman, and Jon Neidich, principal and CEO of Golden Age Hospitality, presented the Le Dive sidewalk café consent and said they had heard and tried to address the concerns raised the prior year.
- Public testimony on the Le Dive sidewalk café Neighbors split on the café: Ron Ryer, a 25-year Lower East Side resident and direct neighbor, urged the Council to deny the permit, Michael Levario raised noise and quality-of-life concerns from his nearby apartment, and Rachel Wilkerson testified in full support, saying satisfied neighbors rarely
- Majority Whip Hanks introduces the 37-59 Hamilton Avenue rezoning Council Member Kamillah Hanks introduced the 37-59 Hamilton Avenue rezoning in Staten Island, describing it as a proposed 18-story mixed-use project and thanking the applicant for engaging the community.
- Applicant team presents the 37-59 Hamilton Avenue rezoning Deirdre Carson, an attorney with Greenberg Traurig, with architect Armand Quadrini and Emanuel Kokinakis of Mega Group, presented the rezoning for a roughly 369-unit residential project, describing the bulk and architectural strategy and a sustainability approach exploring geothermal, full-electric
- How was the R7-3 rezoning district chosen, and does it allow a taller building? Chairperson Farah Louis asked how the proposed R7-3 district was selected; Deirdre Carson said it extends an adjacent existing district, that part of the site was already zoned R7-3/C2-4, and that the existing zoning was very limiting on parking and floor area, while 18 stories is the maximum
- What will the affordable homeownership component look like? Council Members Kamillah Hanks and Shanel Thomas-Henry pressed on homeownership; Emanuel Kokinakis of Mega Group said the plan envisions a standalone roughly 100-unit, 100% affordable middle-income building, likely structured as co-ops, with preliminary pricing around $300,000-$400,000 per unit and
- How would parking capacity be expanded if demand grows? Minority Leader David Carr asked how parking could scale; Emanuel Kokinakis of Mega Group said the plan starts with 146 self-park spaces and that, if demand fills the lot, capacity could be nearly doubled through attended (stacked) parking.
- Public testimony on the 37-59 Hamilton Avenue rezoning Theo Perez of SEIU Local 32BJ and Jack Connors of Open New York testified, along with online witnesses Michael DeVito of the New York Center for Interpersonal Development and Mary Sobiechowski, who supported the 369-unit development.
- Hearing closed with no votes taken Chairperson Farah Louis made a final call for public testimony and, with no further witnesses, closed the hearing on LU 0045, 0046, and 0047 without a vote.
Agenda
3 items
- LU 0045-2026 Application number C 250318 ZMR (37-59 Hamilton Avenue Rezoning) submitted by Hamilton Property Holdings LLC, pursuant to Sections 197-c and 201 of the New York City Charter for an amendment of the Zoning Map, Section No. 21c: eliminating a Special Hillsides Preservation District (HS); changing from Hearing Held by Committee
- LU 0046-2026 Application number N 250320 ZRR (37-59 Hamilton Avenue) submitted by Hamilton Property Holdings LLC, pursuant to Section 201 of the New York City Charter, for an amendment of the Zoning Resolution of the City of New York, amending the Appendix to Article XII, Chapter 8 (Special St. George District) Hearing Held by Committee
- LU 0047-2026 Application number D 2650119000 SWM (Le Dive) pursuant to Section 19-160.2 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York, for a revocable consent to establish, maintain, and operate a sidewalk café located at 37 Canal Street, New York, NY 10002, Borough of Manhattan, Community District 3 Hearing Held by Committee