The fight for the light

From PIX11:

Go for a walk around New York City and you probably will pass right by 217 East 51st Street.

It's a tiny slice of this big place. It's tucked between Second and Third Avenues in Midtown Manhattan.

Trees spread out and green plants lounge on the walls as they soak in the light.

And yes, there's a waterfall. The sound bounces off the buildings that border the place.

Sunlight streams in, at certain times of the day. Time marches on and the nearby buildings sometimes offer shade.

But the sunlight seems to be diminished, as more taller buildings rise around this particular block and in the distance.

"There's a greater Midtown-East Rezoning Plan. We're concerned there will be buildings that will block the light in the park in the afternoon," Gail Caulkins said.

Some building owners, officials and planners have said Midtown zoning needs to be updated to keep up with the commercial area.

Greenacre Foundation commissioned its own study of the light. Supporters believe the taller buildings will cast too big a shadow.

...elected leaders have acknowledged the current fight as the zoning process continues.

This light is not something that will go quietly, if the people who enjoy the space have anything to say about it.

Newer buildings casting longer shadows

From the Daily News:

A new generation of mega-tall skyscrapers being built along 57th St. for foreign billionaires will cast a long shadow over New York’s premier greenspace, a new report shows.

"It’s troubling that the sky's the limit when it comes to one of our most precious public spaces," said Vin Cipolla, president of the Municipal Art Society, which conducted the report to highlight the need for oversight of development around parks.

"We need to protect these spaces," Cipolla added.

The shadow report reveals the worst-case scenario — every Dec. 21, the winter solstice, the sunless zone will extend 20 blocks into Central Park and reach the Lake and Ramble.

Every Sept. 21 at 4 p.m., shadows would stretch a dozen blocks — as far as Sheep Meadow and the Naumburg Band Shell near the 72nd St. transverse.

The skyscrapers in question are rising “as of right,” meaning the public has no say over their size. Developers are able to build so high because they bought air rights from neighboring buildings — and technological advances now allow for the construction of super thin mega-towers on small footprints traditionally suited for 40 story buildings.