Preservationists and neighbors of Green-Wood Cemetary are up in arms over a developer’s proposal to build a 70-foot-tall condominium that would obscure the views of one of the cemetary’s most important residents. Located on Battle Hill, the cemetary’s high point, the bronze statue of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, has had a clear view to the Statue of Liberty since 1920, when she was commissioned by a local history buff to commemorate the Revolutionary War Battle of Long Island. The Green-Wood neighborhood to the south has recently started to attract the attention real estate developers looking for more hospitable zoning than neighboring Park Slope offers. Last month, Community Board 7 unanimously passed a resolution supporting the preservation of the cemetery’s historic views. The City Planning Department is conducting a rezoning study that could be ready by the end of the summer, but the Times reports that it might take an additional six months or longer to win ultimate approval from the City Council.
Notice: At 1 pm, Sunday, April 10, the South South Slope Community Group, joined by Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Heights, will march from 15th Street and 7th Avenue to Battle Hill in Green-Wood Cemetery. Marchers will enter the cemetery at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. The march will end atop Battle Hill.
Raise a Hand if You Like the View [NY Times]