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February 3, 2006
On a "backwards" design process, "blocking the clock," and a zoning bypass
TimesRatnerReport's latest dispatch from the Borough Board Meetings — this week's meeting focused on Urban Design, Visual Resources & Neighborhood Character — highlights the "backward" nature of the urban planning process.
Community Board 6 Chairperson Jerry Armer stated it best: "We're doing an [Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)], with design guidelines to follow. It seems to me it's backwards. The design guidelines should be established so the EIS could evaluate what's really going to be there."
Have you been wondering how city officials can keep a straight face as Atlantic Yards completely bypasses local zoning? Winston Von Engel from the City Planning Department explained, "We are an agency that listens to the mayor, and supports the mayor, who has expressed his support for the project."
But negative impacts of the project be damned, it's all going to be worth it, since whatever Ratner wants to build in Prospect Heights will look better than the view from the Sixth Avenue bridge:
Greg Atkins, chief of staff for Borough President Marty Markowitz, asked whether the EIS would analyze the effect of "negative views," like the view of the railyard from the Sixth Avenue bridge. "Are views not as beautiful analyzed in the EIS?"
[Architect Mark] Ginsburg said yes, that the state guidelines say that creating new visual resources "can be a mitigation" of a project's effects.
Check out the rest of Norman Oder's report for more on how de-mapping streets isn't so bad after all if you put up a few plaques, "blocking the clock," and light pollution vs. illumination enhancement.
Posted by lumi at February 3, 2006 9:40 AM