By Gary Buiso
If a city panel gives its blessing, a new synagogue could soon rise on a residential block. Congregation Tiferes Torna Eliezer is hoping to convert an existing home—into a house of worship—at 1912 New York Avenue. Plans filed with the Department of Buildings (DOB) last August call for the enlargement of the building at the rear and an addition of a third floor, making the new building’s height scale to 36 feet. The synagogue would also include rabbi’s quarters. The plans—which are in violation of what the block’s zoning allows without special permission—were rejected by the DOB in September, according to city records. The application will be reviewed by Community Board 18 at its Feb. 20 meeting, which was held as this newspaper went to press. The notification to the community board is required, as the applicants are seeking permission from the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals in order to construct the building in an area zoned for residential use. The community board’s vote on the matter is strictly advisory. The BSA has official say on whether the project is to proceed. Contacted before the presentation, Dorothy Turano, the district manager of Community Board 18, said it is too early to tell whether the conversion will be problematic. But past experience has shown that it might be, she said. “There are many problems inherent with these applications,” she said. “It creates much more traffic and parking problems—but I don’t know if this application will have the same problems.” “They are looking to build something big and beautiful—they’ll have to define what they will be doing,” Turano added. At press time, Simon Ganz, the president of Congregation Tiferes Torna Eliezer, did not return a call for comment. The congregation will be moving roughly one block from their current home to the new location, if it is approved. Robert Nadel, the president of the Fraser Civic Association, who said he has seen plans for the project, said climbing to roughly 36 feet “is not contextual, or keeping with the character of the neighborhood.” “They show a profile of the existing building and how the new builidng will be at least a full story over its neighbors,” he continued, referring to the plans. But a block resident who did not wish to be identified said that she was “very happy” with the prospect of having a new synagogue on her block. The resident noted that she was friends with the Ganz family. “Why not? A synagogue is always a good thing,” the she said. “They are moving one block over—they are just growing out of where they are now.” Asked about the aesthetics of an oversized builidng on the low-rise block, the resident had this to say: “We’re not so picky.”
