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December 4, 2006
No redevelopment without AY? ESDC keeps a straight face
Atlantic Yards Report
It was one of the least credible statements in the Atlantic Yards Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) issued in July by the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC):
The project site is not anticipated to experience substantial change in the future without the proposed project by 2016 due to the existence of the open rail yard and the low-density industrial zoning regulations.
The Park Slope Civic Council and Park Slope Neighbors challenged that, commenting:
There is no reason to assume that New York City would not or could not rezone these parcels to encourage such redevelopment. Such rezoning would involve professional planners whose job is to advance the public interest, rather than a reliance on private interests to establish de facto zoning. Such rezoning should be inclusionary.
Check out AYR to read the ESDC's response, in which the agency basically blames the city for not rezoning the neighborhood and perpetuates the myth that City Planning ("professional planners?") was involved with the design guidelines.
NoLandGrab: New York City has been pathetically remiss in tackling rezoning issues. Now the City's transgression has turned into another excuse for NY State to cut through red tape for Ratner.
Posted by lumi at December 4, 2006 8:17 AM