Hudson River Vistas May Be Eclipsed by Planned Flood Barriers
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning resiliency measures for the West Side of Lower Manhattan that will rely primarily on a 12-foot-high seawall running along Hudson River Park, wedged between the bikeway and the pedestrian promenade. The preliminary plan calls for the structure to begin in Tribeca, where it will link to the Battery Park City Authority’s North/West Resiliency plan, and continue uptown at least as far as West 34th Street.
In a story first reported by the online newsroom, The City, the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) began circulating detailed versions of its evolving plans for the entire New York region in late January. Among these is a series of photo renderings of the proposed wall at Christopher and West Streets, which is representative of the section between Tribeca and Hudson Yards. This presentation includes a schematic diagram specifying the wall’s height, and a map indicating that the structure will stretch for approximately three miles.
The map delineates six openings in this wall, at North Moore, Laight, Vestry, Watts, Canal, and Houston Streets. Each of these gaps will be protected by deployable flood-protection measures, which can be temporarily activated during times of rising water.
A disclaimer from ACE cautions that, “these renderings are artistic depictions of the features… for illustrative purposes only and are subject to change. The renderings are intended to promote a discussion of the study objectives and potential coastal storm risk management solutions.” But the same document describes these features as the Tentatively Selected Plan.
Community Board 1 (CB1) enacted a resolution at its November meeting advocating for “increased consideration of nonstructural, natural, and nature-based solutions,” rather than a stark concrete wall. The Board also urges ACE to conduct greater outreach to local residents, and allow for an extended period of public comment, and calls for “robust public engagement, especially with frontline communities impacted by the project, to facilitate collaborative project planning and decision-making.”
CB1 additionally prioritizes “a reform of the 90-day comment period to include an iterative approach,” noting that ACE’s “public comment period only budgets for 6-8 public meetings, when in contrast the Department of City Planning held at least 110 meetings with the public for a Citywide rezoning proposal.”
In response, ACE says, “given the complexity of the… study, the vast and populated study area, and the goal of ACE and our non-federal partners to have maximum public engagement and input, the public comment period will be extended to March 7, 2023.” The previous deadline was January 6.
The next meeting at which the plan will be explained and public responses solicited will be held online (via WebEx) this Monday, February 6, from 6pm to 8pm. Members of the public may livestream the meeting at https:/usace1.webex.com/meet/bryce.w.wisemiller, and submit comments no later than March 7 via email to nynjharbor.tribstudy@usace.army.mil .