Manhattan Community Board 5 calls for Moratorium on Mega-Towers South of Central Park

New York, NY, May 27, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Members of Manhattan Community Board Five’s Central Park Sunshine Task Force convened Midtown stakeholders on the City Hall steps today. They were joined by NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, Councilmember Corey Johnson and representatives from CB 6, the Municipal Art Society and Landmark West. The press conference was to release the findings of Community Board Five’s Task Force report on the development of super towers on what has come to be known as “Billionaires’ Row.” After one year of research, public hearings and meetings with elected officials, developers, stakeholders, advocates and scholars; CB5 released a 33-page report that was approved by their full board on May 14th.  CB5 Chair Vikki Barbero opened up by stating, “We are in front of City Hall today, to emphasize our message and to call on the administration, the Department of City Planning along with the City Council to take immediate action to foster sensible land use development.”  

The most pressing assertion of this report is that out-of-date zoning laws and over-ambitious developers will plunge most of Central Park into darkness if all towers go up as planned, thus action must be taken immediately. The Task Force is calling upon the administration and the City Council to take action to enact a temporary moratorium on megatowers.  Task Force Chair Layla Law-Gisiko stated, “If we want to make provisions for good urban planning, we have to hit the pause button. Moratoria serve just that purpose. It’s not a ban. It’s just a tool for municipalities to evaluate and remedy the impact of something they did not foresee.” She added: “The current administration inherited a City that allows megatowers. The City can and should temporarily halt new development of megatowers and while the pause button is pushed, the City must develop new zoning tools to protect our open space, improve construction safety, protect our historic resources, close tax loopholes. If the City acts swiftly, we can protect our assets while allowing comprehensive and transparent development.”

"New York City needs a response to the construction safety crisis that is strong enough to match the scale of the problem. With seven buildings going up simultaneously in a six blocks radius, the City must act swiftly."

Renee Cafaro, Community Board 5 Task Force Member

“Central Park is Manhattan’s backyard and a priceless asset for all New Yorkers, however, anyone who has walked along the park’s southern border can see that it’s being overwhelmed by new mega-towers and their shadows,” said New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer. “The zoning was meant to protect the light and air in these green spaces, but the zoning is failing us by allowing these towers to rise without public comment or meaningful review. I’m proud to stand with the members of Community Board Five and other advocates in saying that we need more light on the street and in the park – and more light in the planning process.”  

"It feels like the tail is wagging the dog out there, with buildings going up and the city hopelessly sitting on the sidelines," said Council Member Dan Garodnick.  "I am grateful to CB5 for their thoughtful advocacy on this subject, and am hopeful that we can find a solution that makes sense."

“I applaud the Central Park Sunshine Task Force of Community Board 5 for pushing for transparency and public input when high-end luxury real-estate developers seek to build new megatowers in their community. Their study further supports the need for the city to address the looming threat of shadows falling on our parks from the rising number of skyscrapers,” said Council Member Mark Levine.

“Nobody goes to Central Park to sit in the shadow of a building” said Council Member Corey Johnson. “To protect our greatest public space, I support Community Board Five's efforts to call attention to shadow-creating skyscrapers on Central Park South. In New York City, our open space is precious. We cannot allow luxury condos to diminish a park that is enjoyed by millions of people every year.”

State Senator Brad Hoylman said: “Central Park is the crown jewel of New York City’s public open spaces. I’m grateful to the Community Board 5 Sunshine Task Force for their report showing a moratorium is urgently needed on the super-tall-luxury towers that threaten Central Park and are being constructed without any community input.  I urge the Mayor and City Planning to develop a public review process for these developments before it’s too late.”

"When we released Accidental Skyline in December 2013, we never expected that 18 more months would pass without any action from the City on the zoning crisis that gave rise to Billionaire's Row," said Margaret Newman, Executive Director of the Municipal Art Society of New York. "This report by Community Board Five must serve as a call to action: if what it takes to snap the City out of its slumber is a temporary moratorium on supertall building permits, so be it."

Kate Wood, President of Landmark West said: “As private developers race for the sky, they are erasing public assets that make our City great.  If the pace continues – unchecked – Central Park will become “Central Dark.” She added: “Rethinking 50 years of zoning won’t happen overnight.  We need a moratorium, we need planning.”

Terrence O’Neil, Chair of the Land Use Committee for Community Board Six said: “in our resolution, Community Board Six is requesting that City Council seriously looks at this mega tower and other mega towers, including the possibility of a moratorium until we can really understand the impact of these huge towers.’’

Members of the Task Force went on to illustrate how future development would affect Central Park’s shadow line and Manhattan’s skyline. Other members spoke to the various chapters of the report, which delved into concerns over transparency in the tax structure, lack of resident coordination, and the need for a revised zoning law.

CB5 Task Force member and longtime resident of the neighborhood, Renee Cafaro spoke on construction safety impacts on residents. “New York City needs a response to the construction safety crisis that is strong enough to match the scale of the problem.  With seven buildings going up simultaneously in a six blocks radius, the City must act swiftly. We recommend cocoon systems for tall towers, to avoid fallen objects or debris, as well as mandatory drug tests, echoing recommendations by the Building Trades Employers' Association.”  

Former CB5 chair David Diamond summed up the press conference by saying, “While the administration has been quiet so far, we urge the Mayor’s office and the Department of City Planning to incorporate these very important zoning components into its current policies for development.”

The full CB5 Central Park Sunshine Task Force report can be found at www.cb5.org

For more information, please contact:

Community Board Five, [email protected], 212-465-0907

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