Mayor Bloomberg supports higher taxes along the High Line.
The proposed business improvement district for the park, which would be the first in his administration to tax residents as well as merchants, is a great way to help pay for the upkeep of the park, a mayoral spokesman told The Post.
Although it’s long been legal for BIDs to levy residents as well as businesses, such an arrangement has not been approved in many years.
The extra funds are needed because the crowds at the park, which opened two months ago, have far exceeded expectations, said Robert Hammond, co-founder of the Friends of the High Line.
Weekend crowds have averaged 20,000 visitors a day, while weekdays typically draw between 6,000 and 10,000 — quadruple the original estimates.
“No. 1, the nice problem, I gather, is that the High Line has turned out to be a very big success. That’s the good news,” Bloomberg said.
The BID tax plan cannot go forward without the approval of the majority of residents and merchants, as well as the City Council, he said.
“If the community supports charging all property owners, then we’ll support it, too,” a spokesman for the mayor said.
“If this is very unpopular, and the majority of residents are opposed, we’re not going to do this,” Hammond said. “We’re a community group, and we don’t want this to be a sore spot.”
The residents who would pay the tax — roughly $30 to $90 year for a 1,000-square-foot apartment — are unlikely to get any special privileges as a result.
There will not be “residents only” hours, Hammond said.
“This is a public park, and we want to keep it that way,” he said. “Some people have suggested that we charge admission, but there are a lot of low-income residents in the area who would not be able to enjoy the park then.”
Property owners will make back their money with the higher real-estate values the park brings, he said.
Those who live along the park are not so sure.
“The park is lovely; it’s great that they did this, but they never asked us to foot the bill,” said resident Rebecca Gordon, 40. “I have contributed to the park, but I think this is unfair.”
Reut Edelman, 32, said he’s never paid for any other city park.
“I don’t see why or how they should be able to do that,” he said. “I don’t think they are trying to get people who live on the Upper West Side to pay for Central Park.”
Merchants also had misgivings.
“If that’s the case, then they should close the damn park down,” said Kerry Nolen, manager of Los Davos, a Mexican restaurant near an entrance to the park. “It’s not like we were asked about it before.”
Tam Nguyen, the manager of the clothing shop Earnest Sewn, agreed.
“That’s just ridiculous, because we were here first,” she said. “None of us were ever given any sense we would be responsible for the upkeep.”