City OKs zoning for Methodist Hospital project

The city’s Board of Standards and Appeals gave unanimous approval yesterday to the New York Methodist Hospital’s zoning variance for a proposed expansion.

The consent from the board paves the way for more than a dozen townhouse-style buildings between Fifth and Sixth streets and Seventh and Eighth avenues to be demolished. Brooklyn’s Community Board 6 approved the variances earlier this year, as previously reported.

“We were most gratified by the unanimous decision of the (BSA) to grant the variances needed for (the facility),” Lyn Hill, hospital spokesperson, said in a statement provided to the New York Daily News. “For nearly a year, the hospital has worked with our community to advance this project, which will enhance outpatient healthcare for Brooklyn residents, and we have incorporated numerous suggestions and revisions as a result of community input.”

Opponents of the 50,000-square-foot expansion project in Park Slope said they will continue their protest. They have argued that the new structure will blocks views from houses nearby and boost traffic in the area. Officials expect to break ground later this year.

“This is going to have a detrimental effect on the quality of life for people living in Park Slope,” resident Philipa Garson told the Daily News. “We’re not giving up.” [NYDN] — Mark Maurer