The Tribeca Trib

OPTION 2: This plan zones all of Tribeca west of Church Street for P.S. 234. Residents of a large building at 270 Broadway have protested this option because they want to be zoned for P.S. 234. And Gateway Plaza residents say they prefer to be zoned for what will be their closer school. P.S. 276, rather than P.S. 89, as envisioned here. A large swath of the Financial District is zoned for P.S. 276 and some parents in that neighborhood have expressed a preference for P.S. 397, especially because they do not want to cross West Street. Community Board 1 endorsed this option before Option 3 had been introduced.

OPTION 3 (Revised): A portion of southern Tribeca is assigned to P.S. 89, including the large, so-called Whole Foods complex: 101 Warren Street and 89 Murray Street. But it gives Gateway Plaza parents their preferred school, P.S. 276 and zones most of the Financial District for P.S 397. The plan was revised to accommodate the condominium at 275 Greenwich Street, whose residents protested an Option 3 that zoned them for P.S. 89 while 295 Greenwich Street, a separate building to the north but part of the same condominium, was zoned for P.S. 234.

The panel that will decide on zoning for four Lower Manhattan elementary schools for next fall—and possibly beyond—has narrowed its choices.

At its meeting Wednesday night, the District 2 Community Education Council deliberated over two zoning plans that have been offered by the Department of Education. Two others are now out of contention. The council, which has final approval of zoning plans, will vote its preference on Jan. 13.

The panel will decide between the DOE’s “Option 2,” which zones all of Tribeca west of Church Street for P.S. 234 and “Option 3 Revised,” introduced on Wednesday, which zones a portion of southern Tribeca for P.S. 89. Important differences also lie in the school assignments for children in Battery Park City’s Gateway Plaza and in a large portion of the Financial District.

While several members of the Council declared themselves undecided—too many to determine a clear winner—only one so far has expressed support for what is being called Option 3 Revised. (See maps for comparisons of the options.)

That lone opinion belonged to Michael Markowitz, one of four members of the CEC’s zoning committee. Two of the committee’s other members, Shino Tanikawa and Eric Greenleaf, said they favor Option 2 and one, Sarah Chu, was undecided. Other members of the 10-member council also said they were undecided, though the safety of crossing West Street was a theme of concern for several of them. Option 3 Revised would send some children in southern Tribeca to P.S. 89, a school that is close but on the other side of West Street in Battery Park City.

“My heart is heavily leaning toward Option 2,” said CEC president T. Elzora Cleveland, citing her worries about safety. “But I have not ruled out Option 3 Revised.”

“I think the safety issue so outweighs anything else,” said Greenleaf, adding that it is one thing to ask parents to change their expectations about where their children will go to school, “but [what] we can’t ask people to do is put their kids or themselves in danger.”

CARL GLASSMAN / TRIBECA TRIB

Some 50 residents of southwest Tribeca attended the Wednesday evening meeting, hoping to convince the CEC to choose Option 2, which would keep them in the P.S. 234 zone.

Greenleaf echoed the concerns of about 50 residents of southwest Tribeca who attended the meeting, holding signs in support of Option 2 and blasting a zoning plan they said would endanger children by crossing West Street.

Shino Tanikawa, the zoning committee’s co-chair, said her “leaning” was toward Option 2 for a different reason. That option keeps all of Tribeca from Canal Street to Liberty Street, west of Church Street, in the P.S. 234 zone.

“It does maintain the integrity of what I consider to be the center of Tribeca right now…and I know people on the northeast corner [of Tribeca] are going to be very upset for me saying this but I think there is something to be said with proximity.”

Markowitz differed, saying Option 3 Revised helps build communities around the new schools.

“If you look at the footprints from 30,000 feet high, if you lived in another state and moved to New York, that’s the map that results in the strongest sense and most understandable sense of community around each of those growing schools,” Markowitz said.

Markowitz also argued that the danger of crossing West Street for some parents in Option 3 Revised was no greater than the risks taken by other Tribeca parents, walking greater distances, in Option 2.

“There is no question that the intersection of Chambers and West is a dangerous intersection,” he said. “All of the intersections east west along Chambers and some north, south are comparably dangerous. If you have to cross twice as many intersections, you are exposed overall to the same number of cars and those don’t have a bridge [at Chambers and West Streets].”

Whichever option is chosen, the Department of Education has called it “temporary.” But it is up to the CEC to decide when they will draw up a permanent map. Complaining that the DOE has yet to provide them with enough data for an informed decision, the option they choose may remain for another year.

“We still won’t know the impact of this [decision] by the time it is supposed to be considering the real data,” said Markowitz.

“Hallelulah!” exclaimed CEC member Mary Silver, directing her joy and apparent relief to the zoning committee. “You guys get to the right answers sooner or later. I love that.”