Taking a page out of the anti-Dock Street play book (which didn't work out so well in the end), the organizers of the movement to stop (or modify) the city's plan for the rezoning and redevelopment of Coney Island have recruited a pedigreed list of historians to sign and go public with a letter of opposition. Here's the meat of the letter:
The City’s rezoning plan for Coney Island, however, dishonors its past and sacrifices its future. It would shrink the area reserved for amusement parkland to only 12 acres. It would insert soaring high-rises into the very heart of Coney Island’s historic amusement district. It would invite developers to tear down many of Coney Island’s remaining historic buildings, some dating back more than a century. This shrunken amusement district, hemmed in by high-rises, would leave little room for the innovation and creativity that have been Coney Island’s hallmarks for more than a century.
Signatories include Ric Burns, Charles Denson and Francis Morrone. The deadline for modifying the plan originally was this past Monday but may be extended to this coming Monday; the City Council is scheduled to vote on the plan in its current form within the next two weeks.
12 Prominent Historians: Fix Coney Island Rezoning Plan [Save CI]
Council Members Push for More Time on Coney Plan [Brownstoner]
City Planning Votes in Favor of City's Coney Plan [Brownstoner]
Marty Weighs In On City's Coney Plan [Brownstoner]
