News Archive October 2010

Ex-wife Of KISS Drummer Peter Criss Opposes Turning UWS Townhouse Into Crashpad For Rich & Famous
From: NYDailyNews.com
by James Fanelli
Posted: October 8, 2010

The former wife of KISS drummer Peter Criss used to party like a rock star, but now she wants to keep them out of her neighborhood.

Lydia Criss and other upper West Side residents voiced a chorus of concerns at a public meeting Tuesday night about turning a landmarked West 68th St. townhouse into a high-end temporary crashpad for the rich and famous.

Criss, who lives directly across from the swanky building, said the partying and the limousines parked in front would create more noise than a KISS concert.

"I'm concerned about the high-end part. It can mean Jay-Z and his crowd," said Criss. "I'm from a rock-and-roll background. I know how crazy people can get with alcohol."

Real estate firm Fine Times applied to Community Board 7 for approval to convert the 11-bedroom townhouse into short-stay accommodations that wealthy clientele could rent out for a week to a month at a time.

Board members voted on Tuesday to nix their application. The vote was first reported by dnainfo.com.

The project can still go forward if it wins approval from the Manhattan Borough President's office, the City Planning Department and the City Council. Fine Times managing director Joe Lopez said his firm is debating whether to continue the process.

Criss, who was married to the KISS drummer for 10 years in the 1970s, worries that the hotel could hold up to 50 people.

"There will be food and there will be odors and there will be noise," she said.