Protect the High Line Pushes Bottcher to Oppose Wynn Casino

• Group wants councilmember to oppose zoning changes.
• City Planning Commission has advanced those alterations.

With the City Planning Commission (CPC) advancing to the New York City Council an application by Related Cos. to rezone Western Rail Yards — a plan that includes a proposed casino hotel operated by Wynn Resorts — Protect the High Line is pushing a councilmember to oppose those alterations.

“Protect the High Line”, which has long opposed the Related/Wynn proposal, wants Councilmember Erik Bottcher (D) to come out against the zone alterations approved by the CPC. Earlier today, the commission voted in favor of moving the proposed changes along to the City Council, but acknowledged it the scope of what it voted on was much narrower than the broader redevelopment of the Western Rail Yards.

Under established land use review procedures, the City Council will now have about two months to approve or reject the rezoning. Customarily, the Council defers to the local City Councilmember — in this case, Erik Bottcher,” according to a statement issued by Protect the High Line.

Protect the High Line, named after a famous local park, is among the leaders of the various community input movements in New York City that are speaking out against some of 11 proposals for three downstate casino licenses.

Protect the High Line Wants Wynn Casino Proposal Scrapped

Bottcher represents the third district, which includes Hudson Yards as well as Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, and Greenwich Village. As of yet, he hasn’t publicly said whether he will back the zoning changes needed to advance the Related/Wynn project or if he’ll support Protect the High Line’s opposition.

Protect the High Line is also concerned about how towers at Western Rail Yards, one of which would bear the Wynn name, would affect park views and the overall vibe of the neighborhood.

“The Related/Wynn proposal, which includes a casino and high-rise towers, would significantly alter the character of the High Line, obstructing views, reducing sunlight, and eliminating thousands of previously promised housing units,” said the group in the press release. “Unlike the 2009 rezoning agreement—crafted with community input—the new plan was introduced without meaningful engagement from local stakeholders.”

No Shortage of Opposition to Wynn NYC Casino

Protect the High Line’s call for Bottcher to speak out against the zoning changes arrived less than a week after New York City Comptroller Brad Lander (D) said he won’t support those alterations, claiming such changes would “undermine one of New York’s greatest urban transformation stories of recent years.”

There’s more where that came from. Earlier this year, Manhattan Community Board 4 balked at the zoning shifts needed for Related’s $12 billion plan for Western Yards.

“The community has spoken. It’s time for Related to do the right thing—drop this flawed proposal and work with the community to develop a plan that actually serves the people who live and work here,” said Alan van Capelle, executive director of Friends of the High Line. “Until Related withdraws its application, we are urging our neighbors and supporters to call Councilmember Bottcher and ask him to vote against this terrible proposal.”