Overflow Crowd at NYU Town Hall; Crucial Hearing on Monday 1/9
 We want to thank the nearly 500 people who attended the standing-room only Community Town Hall on the NYU 20 year expansion plan on Wednesday, as well as co-organizers CAAN 2031 and GVBA, and the more than fifty community groups from the Village, Chelsea, SoHo, Union Square, and the East Village who co-sponsored the event. In addition to hundreds of neighborhood residents, many NYU faculty, students, and alumni also attended to express their opposition to the NYU plan. We will soon have a videotape of the entire meeting on-line, but right now you can view GVSHP’s presentation about the NYU plan and how to stop it HERE, and photos of the event HERE. You can also see coverage of the event from NY1 News, Channel 4 news, The Villager newspaper, the Epoch Times, and the Architect’s Newspaper.
The Town Hall was staged to educate the public about NYU’s massive plan, the public review and approval process it will undergo, and what the public can do to stop it (a summary can be found in an op-ed published in this week’s Villager newspaper HERE). Community Board #2 and Borough President Scott Stringer will review and issue advisory votes on the plan in the coming weeks; after this, the plan MUST be approved by the City Planning Commission and the City Council in order for it to move ahead. GVSHP provided attendees with letters to fill out to key elected and appointed officials urging them to oppose the plan; literally thousands were filled out and collected, and will be delivered by GVSHP. GVSHP also provided a list of phone numbers of key officials and asked attendees to call each one at least once a week urging them to oppose the plan until they vote or arrive at a final position on the plan.
HOW TO HELP:
 The next key step in this battle is the first — and in many ways most important — of Community Board #2’s public hearings on the NYU plan. On Monday, NYU will present its rezoning application to CB 2’s zoning committee, which will then hold a public hearing on the proposal. The Zoning Committee and then the full Community Board will vote in February on whether or not to support the proposed zoning changes in whole or in part, or whether to reject the application entirely. The NYU plan cannot move forward without the requested zoning changes. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN THE PUBLIC APPROVAL PROCESS, AND WE MUST CALL UPON THE COMMUNITY BOARD TO REJECT THE ZONING APPLICATION IN ITS ENTIRETY.
HOW TO HELP:
- Attend the CB 2 Zoning Committee hearing on the NYU plan this Monday, January 9 at the AIA, 536 LaGuardia Place (Bleecker/W. 3rd). The meeting begins at 6 pm, but NYU is the second item on the agenda. Sign up to testify AGAINST the NYU plan, or just come to show your opposition.
- Attend the CB 2 Parks Committee hearing on NYU’s request to take over public park space for its development on Thursday, January 12 at 6:30 pm at Our Lady of Pompeii Church, Father Demo Hall, 25 Carmine Street (Corner of Carmine and Bleecker Sts). Urge the board to REJECT NYU’s request.
- Consider attending other community board committee hearings on the environmental impact, traffic impacts, and impacts upon schools and social services of the NYU plan – CLICK HERE for dates and times.
Our effort to stop the NYU’s massive 20 year expansion plan is off to a very strong start — please help us keep the momentum going! Send those letters, make those phone calls, and speak out at the public hearings next week.
Next: 01/10/12
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