Dozens of elected officials, activists, Brooklyn residents, community board members and even some Atlantic Yards supporters called this week for an extension of the public comment period on Bruce Ratner’s Atlantic Yards project — but the state agency overseeing the project said the approval process is moving full steam ahead.
Almost all of 50 people who took to the steps of City Hall on Wednesday complained that there is not enough time to fully analyze the Empire State Development Corporation’s 2,000-page, highly technical draft environmental impact statement in the allotted 66 days.
To demonstrate the difficulty, activists showed off the DEIS itself — two looseleaf binders measuring 17 inches thick.
“The ESDC has allowed the same amount of [public comment] time for the largest single developer proposal in the history of the city of New York as they have for most strip malls,” said James Vogel of the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, which has hired an outside consultant to pick through the document.
“We take our responsibility to review these documents very seriously and respectfully request … a reasonable extension of the review period.”
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the New York Industrial Retention Network, the Municipal Art Society, New Yorkers for Parks, and the Women’s City Club also called for an extension on Wednesday.
Even Assemblyman Roger Green (D-Prospect Heights), a longtime Atlantic Yards supporter, joined the chorus.
But a spokeswoman for the Empire State Development Corporation said the public comment period would close on Sept. 22 as scheduled.
“ESDC is committed to the public process and will be giving the public more opportunity to comment on this project than is usual,” said the spokeswoman, Jessica Copen.
“Besides scheduling a public hearing on Aug. 23, we have a community forum on Sept. 12. We believe that the addition of this venue gives the public ample time [for] review and comment.”
Sept. 12 is primary election day, making it difficult for elected officials to attend.
