Transfer of Air Rights Leaves Unanswered Questions
To the WestView News Editor:
Thanks for continuing to call attention to the recently-passed State legislation allowing the transfer of air rights from the Hudson River Park to allow larger development in our neighborhood. While I am sympathetic to the need to find funding for the park, I am deeply concerned aboutany mechanism which makes such funding dependent upon giving real estate developers the right to build ever-larger buildings in our neighborhood. This provision was passed by our state legislators in near-secrecy, and still leaves huge unanswered questions, and a plethora of opportunities for abuse.
The affected communities must come together to fight to ensure that this doesn’t simply become a new way to give developers a green light to build higher and bigger in our neighborhood — especiallyalong our waterfront. Without a strong response and input from the community, I fear it is developers – not the park or the adjacent neighborhoods – that will benefit from this most of all .
The sale of air rights recently resulted in a soon to be completed 24 story building on my “little” street without an environmental impact study and without community involvement in the development process..
Thank you for your consideration.
— Gail Fox
