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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five MANHATTAN COMMUNITY BOARD FIVE REPORT CENTRAL PARK SUNSHINE TASK FORCE MAY 2015

Central Park Sunshine Report

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Policy brief from Manhattan Community Board Five on how megatowers negatively affect Central Park and cause shadows. Calls for a moratorium on new buildings over 600 feet tall not under current review.

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Page 1: Central Park Sunshine Report

 

Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

         

MANHATTAN COMMUNITY BOARD FIVE    

       

REPORT  CENTRAL  PARK  SUNSHINE    

TASK  FORCE          

MAY  2015  

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This  policy  brief  was  co-­‐authored  by  The  Manhattan  Community  Board  Five  Central  Park  Sunshine  Task  Force.      Authors:  Renee  Cafaro,  David  Diamond,  Joe  Ferrara,  Layla  Law-­‐Gisiko    Special  thanks:  The  Central  Park  Sunshine  Task  Force  would  like  to  thank  Vikki  Barbero,  Chair  of  Community  Board  Five  for  appointing  the  Task  Force,  Eric  Stern,  Chair  of  CB5  Land  Use,  Housing  &  Zoning  Committee  and  Clayton  Smith,  Chair  of  CB5  Parks  Committee  for  their  support  and  feedback.  We  thank  the  staff  of  CB5’s  board  office,  especially  Wally  Rubin  and  Ty  Beatty  for  their  continuous  and  unwavering  support.  We  thank  the  Municipal  Art  Society  for  developing  zoning  tools  that  allow  communities  to  be  better  informed.  Finally,  we  thank  the  hundreds  of  New  Yorkers  who  attended  our  Town  Halls  and  who  engage  with  us  and  with  our  elected  officials  to  advocate  for  better  policies.      GIS  and  maps  were  produced  by  Shawna  Ebanks,  CB5  Land  Use  Fellow.    Cover  photo  credit:  Jim  Windolf      

Community  Board  Five  450  Seventh  Avenue  Suite  2109  New  York,  NY  10123  212.465.0907  Fax:  212.465.1628  [email protected]  

©2015  Manhattan  Community  Board  Five  All  rights  reserved  

   

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Summary    This  policy  brief  considers  the  impact  and  implications  that  the  proliferation  of  megatowers  development  has  along  57th  Street  and  Central  Park  South.    It  calls  for  a  temporary  moratorium  on  new  construction  of  buildings  600  feet  and  higher  that  are  not  under  public  review,  (according  to  principles  spelled  out  in  the  New  York  State  Department  of  State  James  A.  Coon  Local  Government  Technical  Series),  a  change  in  zoning  and  land  use  regulations  to  guide  development  along  the  south  side  of  Central  Park,  from  53th  Street  to  Central  Park  South,  and  from  Fifth  Avenue  to  Eight  Avenue.  New  York  City  needs  a  diverse  economy  that  includes  a  healthy  market  rate  residential  sector;  however,  the  growth  of  land  uses  associated  with  high-­‐end  luxury  real  estate  should  be  balanced  with  other  land  use  needs.  The  modification  of  the  current  zoning  resolution  should  provide  opportunity  to  protect  access  to  air  and  sunlight,  mitigate  the  impact  on  infrastructure,  eliminate  tax  loopholes,  and  bring  much  needed  transparency  in  the  land  development.          

Source:  Municipal  Art  Society  -­‐  2014  

 

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Megatowers near Cenral Park How many buildings will be erected?

 High-­‐end  luxury  residential  development  along  57th  Street  is  booming.  The  tallest  residential  building  in  the  Western  hemisphere  is  currently  being  built  on  57th  street  (432  Park  Avenue).  It  will  soon  be  overshadowed  by  the  Nordstrom  Tower  on  57th  St.  &  Broadway.  Currently,  seven  new  supertall  buildings  are  underway  along  a  57th  Street  corridor.  Five  more  buildings  are  in  the  planning  stage.  A  number  of  additional  lots  are  being  assembled  for  development.  A  number  of  additional  soft  sites  exist.                  

Source:  Wired  March  2015

Source:  Municipal  Art  Society  -­‐  2014  

 

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Projects underway

         

157  West  57th  St.  Extell.  1004  ft.   111  West  57th  St.  JDS.  

1,350  ft.   217  West  57th  St.  Extell.  1,775  ft.   432  Park  Avenue.  

Macklowe.  1,396  ft.  

     

 

220  Central  Park  South.  Vornado.  1,031  ft.    

53  West  53rd  St.  Hines.  1,050  ft.    

43  East  60th  St.  Zeckendorf.  780  ft.    

 

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Potential projects • 36  Central  Park  South  –  Park  Lane  Hotel  (Witkoff  

Group)  • 16-­‐18  West  57th    St.  (Solow  Realty  &  Development)  • 56  West  57th    St.    • 31  W.  57th    St.    Rizzoli  Bldg    (LeFrak  Vornado)  • 123  W  57th      St.  Calvary  Baptist  Church  (Extell  

Development  Company)  

Projects underway along 57th St. corridor - Outside of CB5

• 625  West  57th  Street,  (Durst  Organization)  • 426-­‐432  East  58th  Street  (Cushman  and  

Wakefield)    

Existing development sites Soft sites where developers are massing TDR

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Transparency - How did glass towers become so opaque?  Recent  residential  development  along  Central  Park  South  has  happened  with  minimal  public  input.   As  a  result  of  actions  by  developers,  the  City  is  faced  with  intense  construction  clustered  on  the  blocks  near  Central  Park  South,  leading  to  shadows  in  Central  Park,  which  disturb  community  access  to  sunshine  in  the  park.  Buildings  along  Central  Park  South,  58th  and  57th  Streets  in  particular,  which  are  already  planned,  under  construction  or  completed  cast  long  shadows  in  the  Park,  blocking  playgrounds,  open  fields,  pathways  and  vegetation  from  sunlight.     Although  one  individual  tower  cannot  be  identified  as  sole  culprit,  the  tight  collection  of  buildings  needs  to  be  looked  at  conjointly  to  assess  their  cumulative  impact  .     Community  Board  Five  recommends  greater  transparency  during  the  process  of  planning  and  building  any  new  or  expanded  buildings  in  the  area.       1.  Lot  mergers:  When  lots  are  assembled,  the  affected  Community  Boards,  Council  Members  and  the  Borough  President  must  be  notified.  Block  wide  information  should  be  easily  accessible  through  a  website  for  this  purpose.       2.  Ownership  of  condos  should  be  recorded  under  the  name  of  a  physical  person  or  corporation  whose  principals  are  identified  rather  than  an  LLC,  following  the  principles  of  transparency  in  international  investment  laws.     3.  When  one  or  more  construction  projects  are  planned  for  the  same  or  adjacent  blocks,  the  Community  should  have  ample  warning  and  be  made  aware  of  the  consequences  for  transportation  disruptions,  crowding,  streets  closings,  etc.  Multiple  projects  on  the  same  block  cause  an  undue  hardship  on  the  community.  As  construction  projects  are  planned,  we  request  an  ongoing  Community  involvement  where  Community  concerns  may  be  addressed  and  potential  problems  mitigated  before  construction  begins.     4.  Buildings  of  historical  significance  that  are  slated  for  demolition  should  be  given  time  to  be  reviewed  by  Landmarks  Preservation  Commission  and  the  Community  before  any  action  is  taken  that  destroys  the  historic  character  of  the  buildings.     Overall,  greater  transparency  will  allow  communities  to  have  greater  involvement  in  future  development,  particularly  in  the  area  near  Central  Park,.  Greater  transparency  during  the  planning  and  building  of  large  buildings  would  give  the  Community  vital  information  so  they  can  respond  to  proposals  in  a  timely  fashion  and  stay  involved  in  the  discussion  about  the  future  of  New  York  City’s  skyline.        

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History of NYC Zoning Resolution  In  1901,  urban  density  and  the  challenges  that  accompanied  residential,  commercial,  and  industrial  growth  drove  NYC  to  adopt  the  Tenement  House  Act.    At  the  time,  technological  advances  combined  with  residential  growth  were  driving  development  of  taller  structures  that  shadowed  others.    The  Act  imposed  height  restrictions  on  buildings  to  mitigate  shadowing  and  loss  of  light  for  other  buildings  and  for  public  space.      In  1916  sweeping  and  comprehensive  changes  were  introduced  to  the  zoning  legislation  in  response  to  specific  large-­‐scale  developments.    Many  cite  the  Equitable  Building  erected  in  1915  as  the  catalyst  for  the  1916  landmark  legislation;  it  stood  at  42  stories  and  538  feet  tall  casting  a  shadow  over  seven  acres.    As  with  the  1901  legislation,  shadowing  and  height  restriction  was  centerpiece  for  the  1916  legislation;  the  height,  setback,  and  use  established  under  the  1916  legislation  became  the  model  for  urban  planning  across  the  country.      In  the  following  years,  the  growing  tension  between  residential,  commercial,  and  industrial  uses,  combined  with  the  need  for  parks  and  open  spaces,  drove  sweeping  legislation  enacted  in  1961.      Since  1961,  there  have  been  incremental  changes  to  the  zoning  laws  that  govern  development,  but  

nothing  that  considers  the  proliferation  of  mega  towers  made  possible  by  technology,  the  ability  to  accumulate  a  concentration  of  development  rights  and  a  strong  speculative  market.        The  unintended  consequences  of  transferable  development  rights,  zoning  lot  mergers,  and  new  building  technologies  have  enabled  height  and  shadow  configurations  inconceivable  in  1916  and  again  in  1961.    The  roots  of  New  York  City  zoning  laws  have  always  centered  on  correcting  for  unintended  consequences,  particularly  as  they  relate  to  shadowing  and  imposition  in  the  public  realm.            

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Air, Light, Open Space  Central  Park  was  created  by  Olmstead  and  Vaux  in  1873  to  provide  necessary  access  to  open  space  and  sunlight.  The  park  is  critical  to  provide  residents,  nearby  office  workers  and  others  an  opportunity  access  open  space  in  an  otherwise  densely  built  Manhattan.  The  843  acres  park  is  visited  by  40  million  people  every  year.  It  is  the  home  to  21  playgrounds  (the  largest,  at  3  acres,  is  Heckscher  Playground  named  for  August  Heckscher.),  2  skating  rinks,  and  a  zoo.  Baseball  fields  are  numerous,  and  there  are  also  courts  for  volleyball,  tennis,  croquet  and  lawn  bowling.  It  was  designated  a  National  Historic  Landmark  (listed  by  the  U.S.  Department  of  the  Interior  and  administered  by  the  National  Park  Service)  in  1962.  It  was  designated  a  scenic  landmark  by  the  NYC  Landmarks  Preservation  Commission  in  1974.  Today,  Central  Park  is  the  most  visited  urban  park  in  the  United  States.    Although  the  park  is  vast,  the  lack  of  other  open  space  in  midtown  makes  the  protection  of  its  southern  portion  critical.      According  to  a  shadow  study  by  the  Municipal  Art  Society,  the  new  towers  along  57th  St.  corridor  will  cast  long  shadows  on  Central  Park  south,  affecting  the  Heckscher  Playground,  the  zoo,  as  well  as  a  large  number  of  ball  fields,  reaching  as  far  as  the  Great  Lawn  and  72nd  Street  on  the  East  side.        

 Sept  21st  -­‐  Municipal  Art  Society

   

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Urban  planner  Jane  Jacobs  said  “Sun  is  a  part  of  a  park’s  setting  for  people,  shaded,  to  be  sure,  in  summer.  [  .  .  .]  the  great  building  shadow  across  it  from  a  new  apartment  house  is  a  great  eraser  of  human  beings  within  its  pall.  .  .  .buildings  should  not  cut  sun  from  a  park  -­‐  -­‐  -­‐  if  the  object  is  to  encourage  full  use.”  When  the  shadow  of  a  building  hits  a  park,  temperatures  can  drop  by  as  much  a  20  degrees  Fahrenheit  in  winter.  It  is  the  difference  between  using  or  not  using  a  park,  especially  in  colder  months.  For  children,  the  elderly,  a  dark  park  will  mean  the  inability  to  have  access  to  air  and  open  space.    Other  cities,  such  as  Boston,  Fort  Lauderdale  and  San  Francisco  have  developed  successful  zoning  ordinances  that  afford  protection  to  their  open  space  from  building  shadows.    Currently  the  NYC  Zoning  Resolution  does  not  contain  any  provisions  to  review  shadow  impact  and  to  protect  parks  from  building  shadows,  in  as-­‐of-­‐right  development.    

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Goals of Zoning Changes The Need for updated zoning tools  -­‐  Updating  the  Inclusionary  Housing  Program  for  our  Community  District  to  Stop  Over-­‐subsidization  of  Luxury  Condos  Currently,  developers  can  to  go  from  10  FAR  to  12  FAR  residential  by  generating  3.5  square  feet  of  new  floor  area  for  the  creation  of  just  1  square  foot  of  affordable  floor  area.  This  is  far  too  generous  a  ratio  and  results  in  the  city  subsidizing  the  new  density  casting  long  shadows  on  central  park  (a  major  public  cost)  while  generating  just  a  few  new  units  of  affordable  housing  (a  modest  public  benefit).  We  believe  that  in  our  community  district,  all  of  the  R10  and  R10  equivalent  districts  should  become  Inclusionary  Housing  Program  Designated  Areas.  This  would  slightly  reduce  the  as-­‐of-­‐right  allowable  residential  FAR  in  the  R10  and  R10  equivalent  to  9  FAR  and  then  allow  a  developer  to  earn  additional  floor  area  at  a  ratio  of  1.25  square  feet  of  bonus  for  each  1  square  foot  of  affordable  housing—a  much  fairer  ratio  and  better  deal  for  the  public.      -­‐  Protecting  access  to  air  &  light  Zoning  must  be  changed  so  that  buildings  are  massed  in  a  way  that  protect  the  park  from  being  covered  in  shadows.  This  could  be  done  through  creating  a  maximum  height  for  as-­‐of-­‐right  development  (above  which  a  special  permit  would  be  required)  or  through  a  shadow  budget  mechanism  (described  below).

Source:  NYC  Dpt  of  City  Planning  

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     Absent  a  height  limit,  the  Zoning  Resolution  should  include  mechanisms  to  systematically  review  impact  of  new  buildings  on  Central  Park.  Protected  areas  should  be  established.    One  suggested  mechanism  would  determine  that  each  park  be  allotted  a  “shadow  budget”,  the  maximum  amount  of  shadow  deemed  acceptable  to  protect  use  of  the  public  resource.      All  buildings  would  submit  a  shadow  study.  -­‐  The  shadow  study  should  be  quantitative:  How  much  square  feet  of  incremental  shadow  per  year  is  cast  onto  an  open  space.    -­‐  The  shadow  study  should  also  be  qualitative:  Which  recreational  areas  are  impacted  by  the  shadow?  (Playground,  joggers  path,  light  sensitive  landscape…)  -­‐  Proposed  buildings  in  the  study  area  should  be  allowed  to  cast  incremental  shadow  based  on  a  schedule  to  be  determined.    -­‐  Once  the  shadow  budget  is  maxed  out,  no  further  development  impacting  the  park  would  be  allowed.  New  development  would  have  to  be  massed  in  a  way  to  conform  to  the  existing  shadow  line.        

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Historic Resources  A  large  number  of  unprotected  historic  resources  are  concentrated  along  Central  Park  South  and  57th  Street.  They  include  the  following  very  significant  buildings.  They  are  at  risk  of  demolition  due  to  the  heightened  pressure  of  development.  They  include  the  following  buildings:    -­‐  Crown  Building  -­‐  730  Fifth  Avenue  –  Built  1921  -­‐  New  York  Athletic  Club  –  180  Central  Park  South  -­‐  Built  1929  -­‐  Essex  House  –  160  Central  Park  South  –  Built  1930  -­‐  Hampshire  House  -­‐  150  Central  Park  South  –  Built  1940  -­‐  Tiffany  Building  –  731  Fifth  Avenue  –  Built  1940  -­‐  Louis  Vuitton  Building  –  1  East  57th  Street  –  Designed  1930  -­‐  Bergdorf  Goodman  -­‐  754  Fifth  Avenue    -­‐  Built  1927  (Calendared  since  1970)  -­‐  Calvary  Baptist  Church  -­‐  123  West  57th  Street  –  Built  1930  

 

 

Crown  Building New  York  Athletic  Club Hampshire  House Essex  House

Calvary  Baptist  Church Tiffany  Building Louis  Vuitton  Building Bergdorf  Goodman

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Is the City receiving its fair share?  -­‐  Transfer  tax  and  mansion  tax  avoidance  Owners  of  luxury  condos  are  able  to  avoid  transfer  tax  and  mansion  tax  through  LLC  transference.  Although  not  illegal,  tax  avoidance  must  be  combated.  Real-­‐estate  ownership  through  LLCs  allows  for  tax  avoidance.  It  perpetuates  an  opaque  system  that  is  against  the  principles  of  transparency  in  international  investment  laws.      -­‐  Pied-­‐à-­‐terre  tax   A  pied-­‐à-­‐terre  tax  has  been  proposed.  We  recommend  that  its  impacts  and  practicalities  be  assessed.    We  also  recommend  assessing  impacts  and  practicalities  of  a  tax  on  LLCs  that  own  NYC  real  estate.  This  tax  would  be  based  on  the  NYC  asset  and  could  be  lifted  if  the  property  were  occupied  for  more  than  180  days  per  year.      -­‐  421-­‐a    The  421-­‐a  tax  abatement  program  created  to  incentivize  affordable  housing  development  has  caused  tax  revenue  loss  for  the  city.  The  One57  tax  abatements  are  estimated  to  be  worth  at  least  $35  million,  according  to  the  now-­‐disbanded  Moreland  Commission.  We  recommend  that  the  program  be  reworked  to  generate  fair  tax  revenue  as  well  as  a  balanced  amount  of  affordable  housing.      

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Construction Safety & Building Safety

 Construction:    The  track  record  for  construction  safety  has  been  problematic  so  far.  A  recent  article  from  the  Wall  Street  Journal  stressed  that  "at  least  once  a  month  on  average,  a  passerby  is  injured  near  a  New  York  City  construction  site  by  anything  from  falling  bricks,  hammers  and  glass  to  windblown  fences  and  collapsing  sidewalk  sheds."  

 The  construction  of  extremely  tall  buildings  presents  a  number  of  specific  challenges.  With  safety  complaints  ranging  from  fallen  debris,  metal  pipes,  and  Plexiglas  to  fires  to  cranes  threatening  to  collapse,  construction  sites  have  posed  a  threat  to  their  surroundings.  A  number  of  vehicles  have  been  damaged  by  fallen  objects  from  432  Park  Avenue  as  well  as  the  One57  sites.    In  the  wake  of  the  2007  deadly  Deutsche  Bank  fire,  Uniformed  Fire  Officers  Association  demanded  an  investigation  of  the  development  corporation,  which  it  said  "deliberately  sacrificed  safety  for  speed"  and  "allowed  repeated  violation  

of  their  own  emergency  action  plan."  A  lot  of  the  tragic  accidents  and  well-­‐publicized  cases  of  jobs  being  done  hastily  and  unsafely  had  been  reported  as  jobs  done  by  non-­‐union  workers  and/or  subcontractors.      Currently,  construction  sites  are  required  to  have  signage  baring  the  name  of  the  project,  as  well  as  the  construction  company  and  the  developers.  Unless  a  union  has  chosen  to  post  up  their  local  chapter  information,  it  is  difficult  to  identify  who  the  subcontractors  are  at  each  stage  of  construction.  Adding  contact  information  for  all  companies,  unions,  safety  monitors  and  subcontractors  attached  to  a  project  increases  transparency  and  provides  a  way  to  file  targeted  complaints.    Following  the  recommendations  of  BTEA  (Building  Trades  Employers'  Association),  we  recommend  consideration  of  installation  of  a  cocoon  system  for  concrete  projects  that  will  provide  additional  protection  to  the  public  from  debris  or  material  that  may  fall  from  these  high-­‐rise  buildings  and  provide  an  additional  level  of  worker  protection.    We  also  recommend  mandatory  drug  and  alcohol  testing  for  all  construction  workers.      Currently,  one  the  most  pressing  hurdles  for  our  first  responders  is  the  traffic  congestion  that  a  full  corridor  of  construction  sites  can  cause.  As  part  of  the  citywide  traffic  improvement  program,  

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

we  urge  DOT,  DOB,  DDC  and  other  City  Agencies  to  better  coordinate  construction  on  the  57th  &  58th  Street  corridor  and  investigate  ways  to  alleviate  some  of  the  congestion.      The  small  area  of  Midtown  where  these  towers  are  going  will  undergo  continuous  disruption  for  the  next  five  years  at  best,  with  little  to  no  coordination  with  the  public.  Currently,  there  is  no  unified  notification  process  to  reach  out  to  residents  and  workers  in  the  area  in  an  organized  and  systematic  way  when  incidents  like  the  100  W.  57th  Street  crane  collapse  happen.  Also  daily  non-­‐threatening  occurrences  like  blasting  and  road  closures  are  very  hard  to  find  out  about  in  advance.  Some  buildings  in  the  area  of  equipped  to  communicate  with  residents  very  well,  but  some  are  not,  leaving  some  of  us  to  find  out  as-­‐it-­‐happens  from  FDNY  or  NYPD.      We  recommend  the  creation  of  a  construction  Task  Force  that  will  meet  regularly  and  will  act  as  a  mediator  between  developers,  construction  companies,  residents  and  City  agencies.          Buildings  safety:    The  technologies  used  to  build  the  current  generation  of  very  tall  buildings  are  newly  being  used  in  New  York.  As  much  as  geologists  believe  the  bedrock  of  Manhattan  is  well  suited  for  the  construction  of  skyscrapers,  many  concerns  arise.  Foundations,  weight  load,  wind  resistance  are  some  of  the  many  areas  where  we  urge  the  Department  of  Buildings  to  continue  to  strengthen  their  code  to  maintain  stringent  construction  guidelines.    

Ice  buildup  is  becoming  a  major  safety  issue.    Ice  falling  from  buildings  has  caused  injuries  and  major  disruption.  When  ice  falls  from  greater  heights,  it  poses  even  more  tremendous  risk  to  pedestrians  as  well  as  adjacent  properties.  We  specifically  urge  DOB  to  create  guidelines  to  avoid  ice  buildup,  to  prevent  ice  falling,  and  to  devise  an  ice  removal  strategy  on  megatowers.    Resources  must  be  allocated  to  adequately  respond  to  emergencies  in  megatowers,  including  making  a  one  way  Public  Address  (PA)  system  mandatory  in  all  buildings  of  a  certain  height,  regardless  of  whether  they  are  office  or  residential  towers.    

 

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Construction Incidents Report FALLING OBJECTS  ADDRESS   DATE   TYPE  

157  WEST  57  STREET   03/16/15  

SITE  SAFETY  MANAGER  REPORTED  A  PIECE  OF  PLEXI  GLASS  4’X4’  FELL  OFF  THE  22ND  FLOOR,    HITTING  2  PARKED  CARS.  NO  INJURIES  

157  WEST  57  STREET   03/04/15  

SSM  REPORTED  A  SMALL  PIECE  OF  GLASS  FELL  ONTO  ADJACENTPROPERTY  ROOF.    INCIDENT  OCCURED  ON  FRIDAY  FEBRUARY  27TH  

432  PARK  AVENUE   02/05/15  

SITE  SAFETY  MANAGER  REPORTED  THAT  2  PIECES  OF  WOOD  FELL  ACROSS  THE  STREET  TO  56TH  STREET  TO  THE  SIDEWALK.  NO  INJURIES  

432  PARK  AVENUE   01/14/15  

SECTION  OF  GR  FROM  HOIST  CAR#6  FELL  FROM  81FL  OF  BLDG.  LANDED  ACROSS  STREET  IN  FRONT  OF  OCCUPIED  BLDG.STOPALLWORK  

432  PARK  AVENUE   09/18/14  

SSM  REPORTED  WHILE  POURING  SHEAR  WALL  AT  THE  80TH  FL  FORMWORK  BLEW  OUT  CAUSING  APPROX.4  YARDS  OF  CONCRETE  TO  FALL  ONTO  STREET  BELOW  NO  INJURIES  REPORTED,  SEVERAL  DAMAGED  VEHICLES  

432  PARK  AVENUE   07/08/14  

SITE  SAFETY  MANAGER  REPORTED  THAT  A  PAIR  OF  WIRE  CLIPPERS  FELL  TO  ADJACENT  PROPERTY  ALMOST  HITTING  A  PERSONN  

157  WEST  57  STREET   05/17/14  

SSM  REPORTED  A  PIECE  OF  GLASS  FELL  FROM  22ND  FL  ONTO  SIDEWALK  SHED.  NO  INJURIES  REPORTED  AT  THIS  TIME  

432  PARK  AVENUE   11/16/13  SITE  SAFETY  MANAGER  REPORTED  A  POWER  TOOL    FELL  FROM  EASTSIDE  OF  THE  BUILDING  

157  WEST  57  STREET   10/29/12  

UNSAFE  CRANE  AT  THE  CONSTRUCTION  SITE  OF  THE  90  STORIES  BUILDING.    BROKEN  TOP  FIGMENT  OF  THE  CRANE  (20YRDS)  AT  THE  BASE  AND  HANGINGDOWN.  AFRAID  THAT  THE  STORM  WOULD  BLOW  IT  MORE  AND  FALL  OFF  

     

SOURCE:  DOB  –  NYC  –  DATA  COMPILED  BY  CB5  

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Media Coverage    Paul  Goldberger,  architecture  critic.  Vanity  Fair  “If  you  seek  a  symbol  of  income  inequality,  look  no  farther  than  57th  Street.”    Justin  Davidson,  architecture  critic.  New  York  Magazine  “The  plutocratization  of  the  midtown  skyline  is  just  getting  under  way”.    Michael  Kimmelman,  architecture  critic.  The  New  York  Times    On  allowing  supertowers:  “Exceptional  height  should  be  earned,  not  just  bought.  Let  community  groups  and  city  agencies  weigh  in.  Developers  will  raise  hell,  but  the  move  would  not  stop  sky-­‐high  buildings  from  going  up.”  On  One57:  “The  conceit  is  falling  water.  The  effect:  a  heap  of  volumes,  not  liquid  but  stolid,  chintzily  embellished,  clad  in  acres  of  eye-­‐shadow-­‐blue  glass  offset  by  a  pox  of  tinted  panes,  like  age  spots.  It’s  anybody’s  guess  how  the  building  got  past  the  drawing  board.”    Nicole  Gelinas,  contributing  editor  to  the  Manhattan  Institute’s  City  Journal  “Calling  a  timeout  and  deciding  what’s  more  important  in  this  particular  circumstance  —  private  construction  and  building-­‐maintenance  jobs,  or  the  protection  of  a  public  asset  that  future  generations  will  use  —  is  perfectly  reasonable.”  

Save  Central  Park  from  the  attack  of  the  monster  buildings!  NYPost  

'Billionaire's  Row'  Supertowers  Up  for  Public  Debate  at  Community  Meeting  DNAInfo  

After  Plexiglas  Falls,  City  Halts  One57  Glass  Work  WSJ  

Occluded  Sky,  Okay:  Landmarks  Approves  Extell’s  Plan  to  Cantilever  Nordstrom  Tower  Over  Art  Students  League  NY  Observer  

Growing  City  Skyline  Could  Bring  Dark  Days  To  Central  Park  CBS  NY  

A  tall  tower  threatens  to  darken  New  York's  Central  Park  WNYC  -­‐  Marketplace  

Central  Park  advocates  battle  skyscrapers  over  shadows  AM-­‐NY  

Central  Park,  and  the  billionaires'  shadow  Capital  NY  

Sniping  at  the  Supertowers  NY  City  Lens  

Extell  in  Talks  to  Buy  Midtown  Church  Property  WSJ  

New  Yorkers  Protest  Long  Shadows  Cast  By  New  Skyscrapers  NPR  

Manhattan  High-­‐Rise  Boom  Reduced  To  'Massive  Erections'  Curbed  

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Too  Rich,  Too  Thin,  Too  Tall?  Vanity  Fair  

Seeing  a  Need  for  Oversight  of  New  York’s  Lordly  Towers  NYTimes  

Giants  in  Our  Midst  NYMag  

Stash  Pad  NYMag  

Dark  Park  Arch  paper  

 Will  Gary  Barnett  Bring  a  Third  Skyscraper  Shadow  to  Central  Park?  Bloomberg  News  

Billionaires  have  all  the  luck  Daily  News  

Shadows  Over  Central  Park  NYTimes  

Supersizing  Manhattan:  New  Yorkers  rage  against  the  dying  of  the  light  The  Guardian  

 

   

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Conclusions It  is  critical  that  action  be  taken  promptly  by  legislators  and  city  officials  to  address  the  rapid  

proliferation  of  megatowers.    

The  current  opacity  of  the  development  process  is  counter  to  the  principles  of  good  zoning  and  

planning  policy.  Land  use  planning  around  Central  Park  must  become  part  of  the  public  

discussion.  

The  fundamental  problem  here  is  outdated  zoning  regulations.  New  zoning  tools  must  be  created:  

there  are  a  number  of  steps  the  administration  can  take  to  evaluate  the  negative  impacts  of  

megatowers  clustered  around  Central  Park  and  to  mitigate  these  impacts,  whether  on  access  to  air  

and  light,  infrastructure,  historic  resources,  construction  safety  or  tax  loopholes.    

 

CB5  recommends:    

 

-­‐  Temporary  moratorium  on  new  buildings  of  600  ft  and  higher  that  are  not  undergoing  public  

review  to  allow  for  development  of  new  zoning  regulations  

-­‐  Rezoning  of  the  blocks  between  53rd  Street  &  Central  Park  South,  Fifth  Avenue  to  Eighth  Avenue  

-­‐  Increased  Transparency  in  lots  assemblage,  lots  merger,  transfer  of  development  rights  

-­‐  Increased  transparency  of  ownership  of  condominiums  

-­‐  Zoning  changes  to  protect  parks,  open  space  from  shadows,  and  to  protect  access  to  air  &  light  

-­‐  Tax  reform  to  secure  fair  tax  revenue  for  the  city  

-­‐  Evaluation  and  protection  of  our  historic  resources  

-­‐  Upgrade  Construction  Safety  Code  to  eliminate  incidents  and  accidents  

-­‐  Construction  safety  task  force  co-­‐sponsored  by  CB5  &  elected  officials  to  mitigate  impact  of  

construction  

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Mapping available air rights Disclaimer:  These  maps  are  for  information  purposes  only.  They  are  based  on  current  publicly  available  information  that  might  be  outdated.  The  Central  Park  Sunshine  Task  Force  makes  no  representation  as  to  the  accuracy  of  the  information,  its  suitability  for  any  purpose  and  disclaims  any  liability  for  errors  that  may  be  contained  herein.    Source  data:  ZOLA,  Municipal  Art  Society,  ACRIS.    Maps  created  by  Shawna  Ebanks  Land  Use  Fellow  –  CB5  

Map of Block 1029Borough: Manhattan

Lot 6

Lot 53

Lot 14Lot 12

Lot 50

Lot 47

Lot 19

Lot 43

Lot 23

Lot 27

Lot 36

Lot 37

Landmark

Landmark

Landmark

Landmark

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Map of Block 1008Borough: Manhattan

Lot 1

Lot 8

Lot 7503

Lot 15

Lot 19

Lot 26 Lot 29

Lot 37Lot 7501

Lot 60

Lot 75027 AV

Landmark

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Map of Block 1009Borough: Manhattan

Lot 1

Lot 5

Lot 9Lot 7501

Lot 14

Lot 50

Lot 46

Lot 1

6Lo

t 17

Lot 1

8

Lot 19

Lot 29

Lot 37

Lot 40

Lot 44Landmark

Landmark

Landmark

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Map of Block 1010Borough: Manhattan

Lot 7504Lot 5

Lot 7506

Lot 7503

Lot 15

Lot 21

Lot 2

3Lo

t 24

Lot 25

Lot 27

Lot 29

Lot 32

Lot 7505

Lot 7502

Lot 1

45Lo

t 45

Lot 46

Lot 7501

Lot 51Lot 53

Lot 55

Lot 61

Landmark

Landmark

Landmark

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Map of Block 1027Borough: Manhattan

Lot 1

Lot 2

Lot 103

Lot 3Lot 4

Lot 63

Lot 62

Lot 61

Lot 1

01Lo

t 102

Lot 5

Lot 6

Lot 7Lot 9 Lot 12

Lot 5

6

Lot 57Lot 58Lo

t 160

Lot 6

0

Lot 20

Lot 7501

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Map of Block 1028Borough: Manhattan

Lot 7501

Lot 56

Lot 7502

Lot 42

Lot 17Lot 33

Lot 29

8th

Aven

ue

Landmark

Landmark

Landmark

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Map of Block 1271Borough: Manhattan

Lot 7501

Lot 71

Lot 1

06

Lot 7

Lot 12Lot 14

Lot 15Lot 17

Lot 19

Lot 21Lot 23

Lot 25

Lot 27

Lot 30

Lot 38 Lot 41

Lot 4

6

Lot 47Lot 4

9Lot 5

0

Lot 5

1

Lot 5

2

Lot 5

3

Lot 54Lo

t 154Lo

t 55Lo

t 57

Lot 5

8

Lot 5

9Lot 6

0Lot 6

1

Lot 6

2Lot 6

3Lot 64

Lot 6

6

Lot 6

7

Lot 1

67Lo

t 68

Lot 6

9

Aven

ue o

f the

Am

eric

as

Landmark

Land

mar

k

LandmarkLa

ndm

ark

Land

mar

k

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Map of Block 1272Borough: Manhattan

Lot 1

Lot 5

Lot 7Lot 63

Lot 13

Lot 14

Lot 7501

Lot 19 Lot 20

Lot 22

Lot 23

Lot 25Lot 26

Lot 28Lot 39

Lot 34

Lot 36

Lot 45

Lot 47

Lot 50

Lot 52

Lot 56

Lot 66Lot 68Lot 69Lot 70(1380)

(61)

(57)

(39)

(41)(39)

(33)

(29)(24)

(23)

(21)(17)

(13)

(11)

(730)

(720)

(724)

(6)

(10)

(16)

(20)

(28)

(48)(52)(54)

(56)

Landm

ark

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Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Map of Block 1274Borough: Manhattan

Lot 7502

Lot 7503

Lot 6

Lot 6 Lot 11

Lot 7501

Lot 16

Lot 57

Lot 5

5

Lot 25

Lot 34Landmark

Landmark

Page 31: Central Park Sunshine Report

 

Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Map of Block 1292Borough: Manhattan

Lot 7501

Lot 8Lot 15

Lot 64

Lot 66

Lot 69

Lot 52

Lot 48

Lot 4

7

Lot 33

Lot 4

2Lo

t 41

Lot 37

Page 32: Central Park Sunshine Report

 

Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Map of Block 1294Borough: Manhattan

5th

Aven

ue

Park

Ave

nue

Lot 1

Lot 46

Lot 7501

Lot 33

Lot 37Landmark

Page 33: Central Park Sunshine Report

 

Central Park Sunshine Task Force – Community Board Five

Map of Block 1293Borough: Manhattan

Lot 1

Lot 3

Lot 69

Lot 5Lot 7

Lot 8

Lot 10

Lot 12Lot 14

Lot 16

Lot 59

Lot 6

3Lot 64

Lot 26

Lot 7501

Lot 35

Lot 37

Lot 47

Lot 50

Lot 51

Lot 52

Landmark

Landmark