High Line Success Forces Org To Consider Taxing Neighbors
Filed under: buildings and construction, cars-houses, events: nyc, healthy living — Michael d'Estries @ 2:06 pm
July 30th 2009
Since the High Line “Park in the Sky” project opened earlier this summer, it’s been an incredible draw for people looking to enjoy a new green space. According to organizers, nearly 20,000 visit on the weekends, with 6-8K during the week — nearly four times more than what was predicted before its opening. All this traffic is putting a real strain on resources and now the High Line’s founders are proposing a business improvement district that would tax nearby property owners.
Needless to say, neighboring residents are less than thrilled by the idea. From the article,
At a community meeting on the proposal last night, at least half a dozen residents panned the idea of hitting them with an extra tax to pay for the park. “I think it’s the epitome of chutzpah,” said Pat Lipsky, a resident of London Terrace on West 23rd Street. “You build this beautiful park and then you come and ask us to pay for it.” Maya Hess, a resident of West 21st Street, said she’s opposed to the fee on principle. “It’s not the $30 a year I would have to pay, but I don’t believe it should be done this way,” she said.
Fees are expected to range from $30-90 depending on where residents live. In my opinion, that’s a small price to pay for the added benefit (and probable property value increase) of having access to the High Line Park. Friend of the Highline estimate that operating costs will be roughly $3.5 million to $4.5 million a year. Since NYC only kicks in $1 million, fund-raising is left to cover the rest.
Obviously, with celebrity backers like Edward Norton, Kevin Bacon, Ethan Hawke, and others — it’s not too hard to imagine some swanky annual fund-raising gigs to help sustain the project. If residents do in fact turn down the tax idea, that may be the only way to deal with the maintenance costs. If you lived nearby, would you pay a small tax to support the park?
depends if i had the money.
No I do not want to pay. I own a home on 2oth Street between 9th and 10th Avenue in am therefore within the proposed High Line “Improvement District” – My block has become a virtual pathway to the High Line with hoards of people going to and coming from the park.
My neighbors and I are vehemently opposed to a tax for the High Line’s maintenance…we already pay extremely high property taxes, as well as the high costs of maintaining historic buildings. The flow of tourists also leave offensive refuse in their wake, and take a massive toll on our streets and buildings. Who’s helping to pay for our mounting maintenance?
We have become nothing more than a conduit for tourism, and, as many have said community members have said in recent days – let those high end celebrities who have touted this project scrape together the high end scratch to maintain it now and in the future. Or charge an admission…
The proposed Chelsea tax district is a special tax on a particular neighborhood in support of a public amenity which benefits all. Central Park, in comparison, is supported by general tax revenues and by private contributions to the Central Park Conservancy, not by taxes levied on Upper East and Westsiders.
Help fight this tax and voice your opposition at nohighlinetax@aol.com
Also write to Christine Quinn at http://council.nyc.gov
Opposition in the neighborhood is substantial and increasing.
Please add your voice!