The boundaries of the High Line Improvement District that would tax local property owners to help pay for the costs of maintaining the High Line Elevated Park in West Chelsea have been revised recently.
The map accompanying this article appeared this week in Chelsea Now and the streets indicated in red have recently been removed from the proposed improvement district, according to an article by Patrick Hedlund.
The article indicated that the revisions were made "after complaints from property owners and residents who objected to being included in the initiative."
The High Line's recently proposed improvement district will unfairly force local residents and property owners to pay for the elevated greenway, charged a group of Chelsea neighbors who don't think the community should have to pony up for the public "park in the sky."
Last month, the Friends of the High Line, a non-profit organization that was instrumental in creating the recently opened first section of the elevated park that will run eventually from Gansevoort Street to 30th Street, began seeking support for the 37-block improvement district that is expected to generate about $1 million annually by requiring nearby property owner to pay 3 to 9 cents per square foot based on their proximity to the park.
The improvement district's new borders now exclude the London Terrace residential complex and the General Theological Seminary, among other buildings, according to the article.
The Friends of the High Line have estimated that the park's maintenance will cost between $3.5 million and $4.5 million per year for the park's first two sections, with the second section - running from 20th Street to 30th Street - slated to open in fall 2010. In addition to the expected $1 million or so to be provided by the city, F.H.L. plans to raise anywhere from $1.5 million to $3 million through contributions, memberships fees, special events and sponsorships.
A statement from the Friends of the High Line said that "The Improvement District Steering Committee, made up of engaged and active community members, is beginning to collect public opinion and make adjustments to the proposal based on that input and further analysis." "We want the final proposal to be an equitable one that will best benefit the people who live and work near the High Line. We look forward to a constructive dialogue," it continued.
The park has received very favorable notices but some concerns have been raised about limited access to it to protect its fragile environment that includes a wide variety of plantings. The elevated park has spurred a remarkable recent renaissance of new development activity along it.
The map accompanying this article appeared this week in Chelsea Now and the streets indicated in red have recently been removed from the proposed improvement district, according to an article by Patrick Hedlund.
The article indicated that the revisions were made "after complaints from property owners and residents who objected to being included in the initiative."
The High Line's recently proposed improvement district will unfairly force local residents and property owners to pay for the elevated greenway, charged a group of Chelsea neighbors who don't think the community should have to pony up for the public "park in the sky."
Last month, the Friends of the High Line, a non-profit organization that was instrumental in creating the recently opened first section of the elevated park that will run eventually from Gansevoort Street to 30th Street, began seeking support for the 37-block improvement district that is expected to generate about $1 million annually by requiring nearby property owner to pay 3 to 9 cents per square foot based on their proximity to the park.
The improvement district's new borders now exclude the London Terrace residential complex and the General Theological Seminary, among other buildings, according to the article.
The Friends of the High Line have estimated that the park's maintenance will cost between $3.5 million and $4.5 million per year for the park's first two sections, with the second section - running from 20th Street to 30th Street - slated to open in fall 2010. In addition to the expected $1 million or so to be provided by the city, F.H.L. plans to raise anywhere from $1.5 million to $3 million through contributions, memberships fees, special events and sponsorships.
A statement from the Friends of the High Line said that "The Improvement District Steering Committee, made up of engaged and active community members, is beginning to collect public opinion and make adjustments to the proposal based on that input and further analysis." "We want the final proposal to be an equitable one that will best benefit the people who live and work near the High Line. We look forward to a constructive dialogue," it continued.
The park has received very favorable notices but some concerns have been raised about limited access to it to protect its fragile environment that includes a wide variety of plantings. The elevated park has spurred a remarkable recent renaissance of new development activity along it.
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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