We heard it from the Historic Districts Council first!19 February 2008
Hon. Amanda M. Burden, Chair
City Planning Commission
22 Reade Street
New York, New York 10007-1216
re: AIA New York Zoning Text Amendments
Dear Chair Burden,
The New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, representing 4,200 architect and professional affiliate members, along with the Zoning Task Force it helped to convene, hereby withdraw from formal consideration the seven Zoning Text Amendments that were scheduled to be considered by the City Planning Commission later this month. We do so at the specific suggestion of City Planning Department staff, to allow for more time for public discussion of the portions of the Zoning Resolution which limit the ability of architects to create good design.
The aspiration of the American Institute of Architects, New York Chapter and the other organizations and associations who participated in the development of the proposed Zoning Text Amendments was an improved cityscape, a goal that has been a driving force for your efforts at City Planning. We regret that these suggestions will not come to public hearing at the Commission or at City Council, but strongly urge that efforts go forward to identify and correct inconsistencies and deficiencies in the Zoning Resolution.
We pledge to continue our efforts to create livable and sustainable communities through process change along with revisions to the Building Code and Zoning Resolution.
Sincerely,
Joan Blumenfeld, FAIA, IIDA
2007 President,AIA New York
James McCullar, FAIA
2008 President, AIA New York
cc: Larry Parnes, CPD; Mark Ginsberg, FAIA; Rick Bell, FAIA; Laura Manville
Graphic from Brownstoner
6 comments:
Scoundrels, philistines and liars, the architects who rape this city for money. Whether it is the high concept malarkey in Manhattan or the crap revival in the boroughs, there is so little architecture here to respect that bureaucratic love notes like this perfectly summarize the decline in American (and NY) culture.
Spring Break with the kids walking around the city and the work of the contemporary architects sticks out like gang graffitti (no style, all threat and force of will).
Why don't they just continue to design pastiche stripmalls in the 'burbs and let the ambitious anarchist homeless fill in the vacant lots (they'd be more imaginative and less doctrinaire).
H-m-m-m.....
a case of forced coitus interruptus
seems to have occurred just in the nick of time!
Those AIA scum 's original intent to
quietly commit rape in some dark boiler room
by circumventing the ULURP process
has been momentarily thwarted.
With the gun of public outrage
placed at their temple,
the AIA had to zip up its plans,
pull out and beat off to a quick retreat!
Watch out for these self serving "architects".
This momentary withdrawal
is merely a move on their part to buy
some more time to figure out a new way
to force themselves, once again,
upon NYC's defenseless communities!
Let's make sure that we all stay tuned
to this continuing soap opera!
But for the meantime
our honor appears to be still intact.
If AIA needs to refine their art of raping the community, they should hire Pinky.
Then they would deny any rape, and call it consensual destruction.
We do so at the specific suggestion of City Planning Department staff, to allow for more time for public discussion of the portions of the Zoning Resolution which limit the ability of architects to create good design.
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Translation: we are going to do some more jawboning behind the scenes so that when it is submitted, it will pass (and the preservation community will make little more than some ineffectual noises)
...We regret that these suggestions will not come to public hearing at the Commission or at City Council, but strongly urge that efforts go forward to identify and correct inconsistencies and deficiencies in the Zoning Resolution.
-Yes! It should go to public hearings. I want to be there.
However, I think that there are inconsistencies and deficiencies found in the new proposal. We need more green space, we need setbacks and maintain sideyard requirements. And we do need to improve our city's infrastructure. It's definately a serious problem.
Shame on the AIA and DCP for even allowing this to proceed past the drawing board stage without review from outside their insular lobbying group.
Nice of them to withdraw the application. Now let's see how they handle a better informed public whom have many questions and criticisms.
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