Draft EIS released - anybody have a link?

easternpkwy · July 2006

From Crains:

ESDC adopts plans for Javits, Atlantic Yards

Two major development projects -- the expansion of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and the Atlantic Yards -- moved closer to fruition after the Empire State Development Corp. adopted their general project plans.

(blah blah Javits blah blah)

Separately, the ESDC gave a nod of approval for the $4.2 billion Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, and released a 1,000-page draft environmental impact statement.

The project includes an 18,000-seat sports and entertainment arena, 606,000 square feet of office space and 6.8 million square feet of residential housing, including nearly 7,000 affordable units.

The draft EIS considers two version of the project in case developer Forest City Ratner replaces some apartments with offices.

"We have designed into the project enhancements to improve the existing infrastructure and environmental quality of the area," Atlantic Yards Development Group president Jim Stuckey said in a statement. "We look forward to discussing these as we enter this stage of the public process."

A public hearing will be held in Brooklyn on Aug. 23.

Critics of the Atlantic Yards plan have complained it would ruin the neighborhood.

stacey · July 2006

http://www.empire.state.ny.us/AtlanticYards/DEIS.asp

rogersma · July 2006

Anyone interested should order the free CD version since the graphics on the downloaded files may not be great. Here's the info from the site:

Please email [email protected] for a complimentary CD of the DEIS and Appendices. The CD contains all graphics in their original high resolution format.

danaeo · July 2006

I downloaded it and the graphics look pretty good.

If you live on Dean Street - good news: you'll get a free air conditioner.
Otherwise if you've been waiting for a set of mitigations or perks for the community that might make this all palatable - you'll be very disappointed. Many of the impacts are simply unmitigatable, so, according to the DEIS, we'll just have to live with it.

raulism · July 2006

Here's a choice bit of news from page 38 of the Executive Summary of the DEIS:

"Construction activity associated with the proposed project would have significant adverse localized neighborhood character impacts in the immediate vicinity of the project site during construction."

If you're used to bland bureaucraticspeak, you know that this translates into "Prospect Heights, you screwed!"

There's tons more. This from page 37 (uh, I always thought executive summaries were supposed to be short.):

"The detailed construction traffic analysis shows that significant adverse traffic impacts would occur at numerous locations throughout the construction period. However, these impacts would be attributable primarily to factors other than the added traffic from construction trucks and worker vehicles. The permanent closure of several streets within the project site, the lane disruptions during utility installation and rail yard improvements, and the reconstruction of two bridges over the rail yard were determined to be the main reasons for changes in area travel patterns and traffic diversions. These traffic diversions, when combined with construction generated traffic, would concentrate traffic at specific intersections near the project site and result in the projected significant adverse traffic impacts for 12 intersections in proximity to the project site and seven outlying intersections. All significant adverse traffic impacts identified at the outlying intersections would be mitigated by the early implementation of proposed operational traffic mitigation measures. However, certain significant adverse traffic impacts identified at 10 intersections adjacent to the project site would remain unmitigated."

Yeah- just think of one double parked car in front of Junior, and multiply it by about a thousand every day for ten years.

Also, "unmitigated" means: "the locals are screwed, and we don't care."

escap · July 2006

One gazillion bureaucratic approvals down, one last major one to go (not to mention lawsuits-those will surely go on through 2050). Gee, I wonder how many more obscure city agencies can dip their hands into this one in order to horse-trade some political favors out of Ratner, Bberg, Schumer and the rest of the pro-bklyn development crew. Will Sheldon Silver be bought off easy with some cash thrown at lower manhattan or is it going to take some good old-fashioned duffle bag filled with cash style corruption to get him to come around?

Just for fun, we ought to require individuals to get approvals from 15 various city council boards in order to renew their driver's licenses, so we can all share in the glory of this city's political system.

Draft EIS released - anybody have a link?

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