3-D Model of West 70th Street and Congregation Shearith Israel Project

ProtectWest70.org and other supporters have funded and created a 3-D Model of West 70th Street to show the impact of the Congregation Shearith Israel Project.

The Congregation has flatly refused to provide shadow and context studies. CB7 would not ask for shadow studies, nor has BSA (although BSA may have required a shadow study on November 26 but seemed to back off on November 27th under the bullying of the Congregation.)

Mid-Block Contextual Zonning - limiting the height and setback of new buildings on the mid-blocks of narrow streets such as West 70th Street - was intended to protect light and air and create a sense of space. It is then odd that CB7 and BSA would provide variances to Congregation Shearith Israel without analyzing the actual impact of the proposed building.

The 3-D Model was constructed using Google's SketchUp program, a free version of which is available from Google. Alice Sterling, a recent Yale Architecture graduate, provided the heavy lifting on this project.

Version 1.10 of the Model is available here as a 3MB SketchUp File. The model is still being refined. This version was completed just prior to the CB7 meeting.

Screen Shots from the model were added to photographs to create a PowerPoint Presentation for the November 19, 2007 Community Board Hearing. Selected screens were provided at the BSA first public hearing.

Additionally, preliminary videos of the SketchUp Model have been posted on YouTube. Still rough, but, we are working on new ground here. Patience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYvSLI4Zbjk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DAYfIPVvrQ