Tom Cayler sent the West 55th Street Block Association an email about the illegal hotel on our block. He gave us permission to reprint it on our blog:
"I work with the West Side Neighborhood Alliance Illegal Hotel Committee. Our mission is to close the rash of ill-hotels, as we call them, that have been cropping up all over town.
You have one at 335-337 West 55, we call it the Swiss Miss. I have been there several times. The Ill-Hotel Committee has placed several complaints through 311 on this location. It was given a violation for ill-hotel use back in 2007, but ECB, the adjudicating body has not heard the case yet. This is typical. I know the name of the person at ECB that you have to contact to stop these endless adjournments. A letter would be a good idea.
If you have the time, actually going to the hearing is a good idea, I have
been more times than I care to remember.
We have met with the Department of Finance (DOF) and are trying to get them involved in this location which is operating as a commercial venture with a residential Certificate of Occupancy. And I just asked Bob Benafatto at CB4 to please forward a complaint to the Department of Buildings from his office.
Our next meeting is on Oct. 1, Thursday, at HCC, 777 Tenth Ave.
It is a difficult problem, but we have now closed ill-hotels at:
460 West 46
461 West 43
354 West 39
526 Ninth Ave.
517 West 45
we have gotten violations placed at :
311 West 48
320 West 49
572 Ninth Ave., 336 west 46, and the Swiss Miss have resisted our efforts.
We are hopeful that DoF will be helpful as that will hit them where they
live, their pocket book."
The Best,
Tom Cayler
I'm perplexed. I called 311 about this place two or three years ago, was eventually connected to someone else in another city department (buildings?) and assured the hotel was operating legally and had obtained all necessary permissions.
ReplyDeleteWhat changed? And who owns it, anyway?
Thanks for the great site and blog about our neighborhood.
We are working to find out more information about the legality of the site at 337 and will post what we learn on the blog.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the Block Association has been able to determine, the building at 335-337 is legally zoned for single room occupancy. Apparently, it is grandfathered in as an SRO. And in fact, they recently changed their sign outside from advertising a B and B to calling themselves an SRO.
ReplyDelete