Concerns

We support community institutions including the mission work of St Luke’s Church. We also support required open space, zoning integrity, and neighborhood character. Our concerns are not ideological—they are structural and legal.

1) Open Space Is Finite and Regulated

NYC zoning requires residential buildings to provide and preserve a minimum amount of open space for residents. If required open space is built over—or functionally converted to serve other uses—does that space still qualify as open?

2) Incremental Loss Adds Up

One project can appear “modest” in isolation. But on a complex zoning lot with multiple buildings and shared obligations, incremental changes can tip a site from compliance into violation—especially in how open space is allocated.

3) How does this block Serve the Community

This block is used actively by families of the St Luke’s School, staff of the school, staff of the church, parishioners, town-home residents, neighbors visiting the gardens, and other groups through the year. Altering this space directly impacts, the flow of daily interactions, the surrounding neighborhood, and the West Village’s precious interior open-space network.

4) Transparency

Where zoning compliance is genuinely in question, the community deserves independent expert review—not just internal interpretations by project teams whose incentives align with approval and construction.