The View From Somewhere

I don't really know anything about this development, other than from the picture it looks like a total nightmare. But obviously these reporters and their editors know a lot about it. They know it's "important." And they know it's very sad that zoning law changes might prevent it from being built. I'm not quite sure why the rules of balanced journalism get thrown out for stories like this, but apparently they do.

DiCicco has acknowledged from the beginning that a 2006 ordinance he sponsored was meant to give neighborhoods more say in development. One of Schiffman's lawyers said DiCicco had told him that including the World Trade Center in the area covered by the height limit was a mistake - an account corroborated by a City Hall source familiar with the events.

While the developers "would like to try this case in the press," said DiCicco aide Brian Abernathy, "we will not descend to their level. The councilman and I are comfortable with our actions and confident in our position."

How could a mistake block a project of such importance? Schiffman shrugs and blames Council politics as the most likely suspect. The City Hall source familiar with the deal said DiCicco questioned whether the World Trade Center had ever moved beyond the "vision" stage; otherwise, he and the developer would have found a way to make it happen.

From what I can tell from the picture the development is so awful it's important that it isn't built, but I'm just a dirty blogger so I'm allowed to say such things.