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December 14, 2006
Help Us Save Brownstone Brooklyn, NY
The National Trust for Historic Preservation sent out this email message to their New York membership today:
Take Action by Tuesday, December 19! Read below.
Dear New Yorker,
Some of America's most historic, beautiful neighborhoods are in Brooklyn, New York. Neighborhoods like Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Park Slope are some of the largest contiguous historic districts in the world, with value that transcends the bounds of the borough, the city, or the state. These neighborhoods are emblems of America's rich 19th century culture, and they remain stunningly beautiful places to live and visit today.
THE THREAT: Unfortunately, a radically out-of-scale development known as Atlantic Yards could soon rise in the middle of brownstone Brooklyn. While we agree that the site itself could be ideal for development, the scale and design of this project shows almost no awareness or respect for the historic urban fabric that surrounds it. If it is built as proposed, sixteen major buildings and a sports arena would overwhelm the surrounding brownstone neighborhoods. The largest building would be fifteen times the size of the average brownstone house, and one hundred feet taller than the tallest building in Brooklyn.
The National Trust believes that the current vision for Atlantic Yards gravely threatens the historic and visual character of one of America's premiere historic urban areas. The project will be decided soon by state officials, and we are calling on New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer to delay approving the project until it has been scaled back and redesigned.
HOW YOU CAN HELP: We urge you to join us in this cause. The National Trust is a member of a coalition of groups called "Brooklyn Speaks," pressing for a plan that shows respect to Brooklyn's historic neighborhoods. At this critical time, every voice matters, so please consider taking a moment to sign onto the letter opposing the project, available at http://www.brooklynspeaks.net. You can also view a slideshow about the project on the site. The vote on this matter could happen as soon as Wednesday, December 20, so please take action by Tuesday, December 19th.
Thank you for supporting our efforts to protect America's historic treasures.
Posted by lumi at December 14, 2006 6:41 PM