Who is www.protectwest70.org?

We are a group who wish to maintain the historic and smaller scale character of West 70th Street in NYC. The site is operated and maintained by West 70th Street resident Alan D. Sugarman, an attorney with a background in real estate, finance, litigation, engineering, and computers. Sugarman once served as General Counsel of the Roosevelt Island Development Corporation and Associate General Counsel of the Merrill Lynch Real Estate Group. He has successfully won public interest related litigation. In a water zoning board issue on the Chesapeake Bay, he persuaded the Corps of Engineers and a local zoning board to order the dismantling of an illegally constructed million dollar marina pier.

In collaboration with Landmark West!, Sugarman has lead the effort to thwart the Shearith Israel proposal, and has made the primary strategic, analytic, graphic, and informational contributions to an effort that relies upon the support of many, many residents of the area. He is representing two 70th Street Residents in the Article 78 Appeal now pending in the New York State Supreme Court.

ProtectWest70.org made the first filings to the BSA in this matter even before the case began, in September, 2006. The first substantive filing to the BSA was made by ProtectWest70.org on September 1, 2006. Sugarman filed the first substantive letters in opposition on May 1, 2007 followed by another substantive letter on June 12, 2007. On June 21, 2007 a 10 page list of community objections was filed with the BSA. Except for certain graphic exhibits concerning the windows at 18 West 70th Street, all graphical exhibits submitted to the BSA or the Community Board were prepared by or under the auspices of Sugarman and ProtectWest70.org.

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