Private access plans drawn for High Line.

After months of quiet negotiation between developers, city agencies and greenspace advocates, the question of private access to The High Line park has been answered.

Late last month, the Parks Department released guidelines for developers and designers that allows, with a few stipulations, access to the elevated public corridor--now under construction on the west side--from the many private residential and commercial developments being built alongside it.

"The Parks Department has determined that a limited number of connections to the High Line from adjacent private developments--both commercial and residential in use--have the potential to make a positive contribution to the overall experience of the High Line open space," The Parks Department says in their guidelines. "Given that the original purpose of the High Line was to connect to adjacent warehouses and manufacturing sites, the concept of allowing connections to new adjacent uses is consistent with the historic character of the High Line."

Under the Parks Department's plan, developers can connect their buildings to the 1.5-mile long serpentine park built atop a 75-year old abanoned elevated rail line so long as public access is provided from the same point. Identified in the document as "public amenity" spaces, access points could come in the form of publically accessible restaurants and commercial spaces or simple staircases and elevators to street level. In all cases, private access points from residential buildings will not open directly onto The High Line. Instead, developers will be required to create a "buffer zone" where private traffic from the building and public traffic from street level would mix together before exiting onto The High Line a few feet later. In other words, a developer can not provide a public access point on one side of his building to meet with regulations only to build an exclusive access point on the far side for condo owners.

"The Parks Department's general policy is not to allow for direct and/or dedicated residential access into a public open space," the Parks Department's document said. "A buffer area of a public sidewalk or street helps protect the public nature of the park. The Parks Department wants to counter any patterns of encroachment and ensure that public lands remain public."

All submissions for access points to The High Line must not detract from the aesthetic of the park and gain approval from a number of city agencies including the Department of Buildings and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities.

The release of the city's guidelines comes not a moment too soon for condominium developers along the site, many of whom had previously not known how to address the question of direct High Line access when asked by potential buyers.

Last week at a broker party held for The Caledonia, a 26-floor condo tower now in the site excavation stage on W. 17th Street, a model of the building showed access to The High Line from the building via a nearby public access point.

"They had the model makers hold off on that part until the very end," a broker said.

Construction continues on phase one of The High Line, which will extend from Gansevoort Street to 28th Street on the west side. Currently, crews are removing materials from the defunct rail bed, making minor repairs to the steel superstructure, removing lead paint and performing other site mitigation. Completion of this phase is scheduled for Spring 2007.

Opening of the first section is slated for 2008.