Editorial
Decoding rezoning
MANHATTAN SNAPS
COURTESY NYC PARKS DEPARTMENT
People enjoyed Washington Square on July 17, 1935. According to
New York City Weather Archive, the summer of ’35 was cool, with
July 6 the first day it hit 90 degrees. Kids swam in the fountain,
and city buses ran through the park. It was also in 1935 that Parks
Commissioner Robert Moses first proposed to overhaul the park,
setting the stage for later battles to kick cars and buses out of it.
THE HOT TOPIC
STORY: “Locals say Wash. Sq. drug dealing is rampant.”
SUMMARY: At a recent Build the Block meeting
with Sixth Precinct police, Villagers complained
drug dealing and using in Washington Square Park
— particularly in the park’s northwest corner and
along its western side — are out of control. They
say drug sales are brazenly being done in the open,
and they fear “the bad old days” are back.
REACH: 769 people (as of 3/5/19)
There’s obviously a lot of confusion and anxiety among many Soho and Noho
residents right now as the city has launched into a rezoning process for
these two enclaves that have traditionally been home to working artists.
In short, a lot of people don’t know what to make of “the process” so far. Basically,
it’s all being led by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City
Councilmember Margaret Chin, who represents the area, and is being facilitated
by an outside consultant, Jonathan Martin, of BFJ Planning. Martin will also compile
a report on the community’s recommendations for the possible rezoning.
There have been two meetings so far. There will be a total of six, with the last
occurring in June. It’s expected that City Planning will then issue a report on the
whole matter by next fall. Next, the actual zoning change would occur, and there
would be a formal Uniform Land Use Review Procedure, or ULURP.
Essentially, from what we hear from Soho sources, the city’s goals in terms of
rezoning include two major wants. First, the city — and, let’s face it, much of this
is being driven by big real estate — wants to make retail use as of right throughout
these two districts. South of Broome St., for example, the retail that is there now
has usually been grandfathered in. But, almost always, when an applicant requests
a special permit or variance for retail use, it’s granted. There’s cost and time.
Second, real-estate types have always seemingly been drooling at the prospect
of scrapping the requirement that one member of each household in Soho and
Noho must be an artist certifi ed by the Department of Cultural Affairs. Soho’s
zoning is known as Joint Living Work Quarters for Artists (J.L.W.Q.A.).
However, already, according to longtime legal residents, from 50 to 70 percent
of these communities’ denizens are, in fact, nonartists — meaning around 5,000
out of the 8,000 people who live in Soho and Noho. Actually, we hear the artist
residents would prefer to keep the present situation — in which they are the legal
residents: If the zoning no longer protected the artists’ right to live there, the
stockbrokers and hedge-fund types would surely move to kick them out. There
have already been cases where this has been tried — against a metal sculptor (she
was “banging too loudly” while making her artwork) and a painter (his oil paints
were too smelly and “toxic”). Meanwhile, no one is moving to kick out the nonartists,
and plenty of them clearly are happy to live there without fear.
Can we just end this, yes, farce — and just get to the point? Won’t that be more
constructive and calm for everyone involved? Let’s end all the intrigue — and start
dealing with the nuts and bolts.
Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now,
Downtown Express and Manhattan Express
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12 March 7, 2019 TVG Schneps Media
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