1 Prospect Park board bans indoor smoking

1 Grand Army Plaza
1 Grand Army Plaza

The condominium board at the Richard Meier-designed 1 Prospect Park — also 1 Grand Army Plaza — building has voted to ban smoking inside the property, the New York Post reported. Over two-thirds of building residents voted in favor of the rule — making the building one of the first in the borough to ban indoor smoking.

Now, residents who light up inside the building will be fined a yet-to-be-determined amount. Under the new regulation, residents can continue to smoke on their private terraces.

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“I had pregnant mothers emailing me to complain about evidence of secondhand smoke in the lobby, common areas and even seeping into their own apartments,” Dennis Sughrue, the condo board president, told the Post. “[B]ut some people were quite vocal in their opposition. They called it an Orwellian attempt” to exert control.”

As previously reported, both condo and co-op boards are increasingly considering enacting smoking bans in their buildings. With awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke and an ever-decreasing ratio of smokers across the country, having a smoking ban can attract more buyers to a property. [NYP]Zachary Kussin