After sitting through a slew of NYU 2031 presentations, the local populace will get its turn to say a thing or ten when Community Board 2 gathers tonight for a full board neeting at PS 41 in Greenwich Village. Over the past two weeks the public has been meeting with Big Purple and the university's design teams; the five nights of hearings covered everything from open space to sky exposure planes. The planning professionals all used the driest of prose to sell their big expansion proposal, intoning in ULURP-speak about traffic, noise, and shadows that will fill the blocks south of Washington Square for the next two decades.
Beyond the pretty pictures showing trees and flowers that will bloom some twenty years hence, NYU came armed with charts and tables. University officials reported that construction noise will hover just below the allowable maximum decibel level and that traffic signals in the area can be adjusted by a second or two to keep things moving, with barely a wait for anyone. Villagers who were watching weren't buying it, especially the folks living nearby who might want to open their windows or step out for a walk at some point prior to 2031.
Nearby residents questioned the validity of Big Purple's data and an NYU faculty member declared that the massive expansion doesn't have the support of a broad range of either faculty or students. The professor said it shouldn't be called the "NYU Plan" but rather the "Sexton Plan," laying the blame for the proposal on the ambition of NYU President John Sexton. Others called for politicians to take a stand and braced themselves for what could be the toughest land use fight in years. For anyone who wants to join the on-going ULURP festivities, the community meeting kicks off tonight at 6:00 PM, in the big auditorium at 116 West 11th Street just off Sixth Avenue, where there's room for everyone.
· NYU 2031 coverage [Curbed]
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