Community Board Wants Halt On High-Rises Just South Of Central Park
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Manhattan Community Board 5 on Tuesday officially called for a moratorium on high-rises that have been popping up south of Central Park.
As 1010 WINS' Al Jones reported, members of the board hope to put the brakes on high-rise development in the area, and they want the City Council to review zoning laws.
"It creates this incredible block of shadow over the park that you can't get away from," said David Diamond.
Community Board Wants Halt On High-Rises Just South Of Central Park
Studies showed that buildings exceeding 1,000 feet will create different shadows at different times of the year. In some cases those shadows will be 20 blocks long.
But Diamond said it is not just shadows, but also the impact on infrastructure and services.
City Comptroller Scott Stringer said the neighborhood does need to get a say in what gets built.
"Mega towers without input from local residents and other stakeholders does not make for sound fiscal policy or smart urban planning," Stringer said.
Currently, there are already seven towers being built in a six square-block area around 57th Street. There are another dozen on the way.
City Councilman Mark Levine (D-7th), who chairs the parks committee, has also proposed a bill that could stop future development and keep parks out of the dark.
