BroadsheetDAILY June 5, 2019

Borough President and City Council Member to Hold Rally This Morning to Underscore Objections to Planned Development at Two Bridges

The four towers proposed by developers (visible on the right) as described by the de Blasio administration as “minor modifications” to nearby (and much smaller) existing structures.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council Margaret Chin will hold a rally today (Wednesday, June 5), starting at 9:00 am, outside the Municipal Building to build support for their ongoing lawsuit against the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, over City Hall’s plans to erect a string of super-tall towers along the East River waterfront in Lower Manhattan.

Ms. Brewer and Ms. Chin, along with City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, filed suit last December to stop a package of four proposed residential highrises, which will bring a total of more than 2,700 new apartments to the community situated between the Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges, more than tripling the number of residences in the area.

At issue is the approval granted by the City Planning Commission (CPC) of a streamlined process that would allow all of the controversial projects to avoid the full legal scrutiny of the City’s “uniform land use review procedure” (ULURP), and instead move ahead under a less-rigorous standard of review, limited to an environmental impact statement. This was made possible by the CPC’s determination in December that the addition of four new skyscrapers, reaching as high as 1,000 feet, qualifies as a “minor modification” to existing zoning for the area. If this claim by the CPC (which is controlled by Mayor de Blasio) is allowed to stand, it will also preempt the legal authority of the City Council to review, and possibly veto, these projects.

In their lawsuit, Ms. Brewer and Ms. Chin argue that, “such developments are required to be completed with the consultation and advice of the community, including the New York City Council, the Borough President and the Community Board.” They also charge that, “aside from the clear and incontrovertible statutory requirements mandating the application of ULURP, [the City’s] claim that this application, which includes the addition of more than 2,700 dwelling units in three skyscrapers on a single block, is simply a ‘minor modification’ is nothing short of irrational, arbitrary and capricious and is incorrect as a matter of law.”

Not Smiling Now: In January, 2018, City Council member Margaret Chin and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer attempted to persuade the de Blasio administration to agree voluntarily that the developments proposed for the Two Bridges area called for a heightened level of review. When City Hall rejected this approach last December, they responded by filing a lawsuit.

Ms. Brewer said shortly after the suit was filed that, “City Planning’s staff and the Commission have exceeded their legal authority. They used a made-up process and made-up standards to approve these towers without the full land use review and Council approval that’s required. I don’t like suing the Mayor or his agencies, but if that’s what it takes to get the residents of Two Bridges the full review and real negotiation they’re entitled to under the law, then I’m all in.”

Ms. Chin added that, “this lawsuit was made necessary by the actions of the Department of City Planning and this Administration. My colleagues and I could not stand by as an entire neighborhood’s worth of rezoning was categorized as a ‘minor modification.’ The residents of Two Bridges deserve a full public review process and I will not rest until they receive it.”

In February, Ms. Brewer’s and Ms. Chin’s legal action took on a new dimension, when lawyers representing the Borough President and the City Council uncovered decades-old legal covenants meant to ensure that one of the development sites would remain set aside for the elderly, low income residents, and those with disabilities, in perpetuity. The possible abrogation of this deed restriction, “is akin to the City’s disastrous decision to lift a deed on a parcel of land at the former Rivington House in 2015,” according to revised court papers. This was a reference to the controversial move by the de Blasio administration to sell to a private developer (at a fraction of its market value) a building that had been dedicated to the care of people suffering from AIDS. That developer then closed the facility and sold the building (at a profits of tens of millions of dollars) to another real estate operator, who moved ahead with plans for a market-rate, high-rise condominium.

“Like Rivington, which is in the same Council District as Two Bridges, the lifting of the deed would negatively impact a community struggling to remain affordable for all New Yorkers,” the updated lawsuit alleges.

In March, a second lawsuit was filed by a coalition of community groups, who allege that the planned developments will cause irreparable harm to their neighborhood. The group, which includes the Lower East Side Organized Neighbors, the Chinese Staff and Workers Association, and the Asian American Legal Defense Fund, argues in their court filings that the proposed buildings, “are a catalyst for cumulative environmental damage to the broader Lower East Side and Chinatown neighborhood and beyond.”

To the Editor,

Since the GPTA Rally for Rent Stabilization ended abruptly when the skies opened up, I did not get the chance to express my gratitude to many and to convey some important information.

On behalf of GPTA and all of Gateway, I want to express our sincere gratitude to Congressman Nadler, City Comptroller Scott Stringer, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, and Council Member Margaret Chin for joining us at the rally and standing with us in solidarity (and in the rain).

I would also like to acknowledge the GPTA Board.  We all we are all so fortunate to have an Executive Committee with vast knowledge and expertise working for us…

Without the help of the Battery Park City Authority, BJ Jones, Eric Munson, Nick Sbordone, Nidia Reeder, and the wonderful staff at BPCParks, this rally would not have been possible. Thank you.

If you want to stay up-to-date on what is happening, please take a moment and email the words, “I’M IN” to stabilization@gpta.org.  We will keep you informed of any updates and let you know what you can do to help.

Thank you all… let’s keep up the fight!!!

To the Editor:

The article, “Pupil Protection,” published April 1, 2019, notes the unfortunate shortage of School Crossing Guards (SCGs) in our area, especially at and around PS89 in Battery Park City.  It’s been two months since the article appeared, and there seem to still be no “permanent” crossing guards for PS89.

As a parent, every day I see the dangers to our kids posed by irresponsible drivers creeping into crosswalks at red lights, blocking crosswalks with their vehicles, out-of-state cars illegally turning right-on-red, and others speeding to make green or yellow lights; that’s in addition to equally irresponsible bicycle riders heading the wrong way on streets, careening through red lights, riding on sidewalks, and speeding recklessly along the West Street bikeway.  I would love to see multiple SCGs posted at the intersections around PS89 (and other schools).  It would especially be nice to have local residents as crossing guards since they would have a familiarity with the neighborhood, and also have a more heightened and direct interest in its safety.

For anyone interested, our NYPD Neighborhood Coordination Officers can be contacted with questions at 212-334-6462, or dinah.bodden@nypd.org (Officer Bodden) and arif.tasoren@nypd.org (Officer Tasoren).  A

lso, there is an online registration at:  https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/careers/civilians/school-crossing-guard.page.

Get inspired by the beautiful expanse of the Hudson River & New York Harbor. Embolden your artwork amidst the flower-filled and seasonally evolving palette of Wagner Park’s verdant gardens. An artist/educator will provide ideas and instruction. Materials provided. Wagner Park. FREE

Battery Park City Parks
Directed by Church Street School for Music and Art musicians, the BPC Chorus is open to all adults who love to sing. Learn a mix of contemporary and classic songs, and perform at community events throughout the year. 6 River Terrace.

Battery Park City Parks
Challenge your artistic skills by drawing the human figure. Each week a model will strike both long and short poses for participants to draw. Artist/educators will offer constructive suggestions and critique. Materials provided. South Cove.

Battery Park City Parks
Unwind from the day with outdoor yoga overlooking the sights and sounds of our river. Strengthen the body and cultivate awareness in a relaxed environment. An instructor provides guidance with alignment and poses. All levels welcome. Bring your own mat. Wagner Park.

Skyscraper Museum
The history of New York City’s urban development often centers on powerful municipal figures such as Andrew Haswell Green and on prominent inner Manhattan sites like Central Park. New York Recentered offers a new model for understanding the invention of metropolitan New York. By broadening the definition of planning, and paying close attention to the levels of governance on which it occurred, this book sees a regional history, not just a history of the city’s influence on its periphery. Author Kara Schlichting recognizes the influence of diverse local actors in conjunction with the work of well-known power brokers such as Robert Moses. The rise of greater New York between 1840-1940 reveals how residential and industrial decentralization, recreation, and public works tied the urban core and periphery together and gave shape to the region. 39 Battery Place.

Good Stuff
Hands-on workshop learning the art of visible mending, with a focus on the Japanese sashiko technique. Sashiko is the ancient Japanese art of mending with simple hand stitches that are beautiful, flexible and strong. The technique was used to create body armor for Japanese warriors so it’s ideal for mending textiles that see a lot of rough wear – like denim, linen and canvas.
205 Front Street $10-$20

Take a beautiful Sail Around New York on a historic 1885 schooner! See the sights of New York Harbor from the decks of the historic 130-year-old schooner PIONEER. The vessel, first launched in 1885, was built as an iron-hulled sloop to carry cargo along the Delaware River. Bring your family for an afternoon sail, a date for a sunset sail, or just yourself to enjoy history at sea. Get a new perspective on New York City with a sail on PIONEER. The best way to experience the harbor, without crowds, cars, and chaos. Bring a picnic lunch or dinner, afternoon snack, beverages or a bottle of wine to enjoy on your sail. Pier 16 (box office at 12 Fulton Street). $28-$42

 https://southstreetseaportmuseum.org

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A Stele for Survivors Honors Those Who Came Back, and Those Who Chose to Settle Downtown After the Dust Settled

On Thursday morning, the World Trade Center complex unveiled a new monument: the Memorial Glade, which honors people whose health (or whose lives) were taken from them not on September 11, 2001, but in the years that followed, because they were exposed to toxins in the aftermath of the Twin Towers’ collapse.

Chin Pushes to Renew Victim Compensation Fund

City Council member Margaret Chin is mobilizing local support for an effort at the federal level to restore funding and make permanent the Victim Compensation Fund, which offers financial awards to responders and survivors of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

This proposed federal measure would renew and make permanent the Victim Compensation Fund that was created by a 2011 law, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which was renewed in 2015.

To the Editor:

I watched the transfer of the bridge spans in person on Wednesday, but seeing your video was AWESOME!

Thanks for sharing that!

Many ships pass Lower Manhattan on their way to and from the Midtown Passenger Ship Terminal.  Others may be seen on their way to or from piers in Brooklyn and Bayonne.  Stated times, when appropriate, are for passing the Colgate clock in Jersey City, NJ, and are based on sighting histories, published schedules and intuition. They are also subject to tides, fog, winds, freak waves, hurricanes and the whims of upper management.

May 28 – June 9, 2019

While writing my recent column about bright stars in the south at nightfall, I was reminded of patterns those stars shape in addition to the position each has in an official constellation.

Arcturus is the brightest star in the constellation Bootes the Herdsman and Spica is brightest in Virgo the Virgin. Denebola marks the tail of Leo the Lion and Regulus the Lion’s heart. Draw imaginary lines to connect Arcturus to Spica and Denebola and we have a Spring Triangle, an asterism. Replace Denebola with Regulus for a larger Spring Triangle.

Governors Island Trust Considers a Plan to Activate the Island’s Perimeter

Local Elected Officials Say ‘Avast’ to Water-Borne Ads, But Company Claims City Is Out of Its Depth

The advertising barges operated by Ballyhoo Media have become the focus of stepped-up enforcement efforts by City officials in recent weeks.

The advertising barges that have become a pet bête noire for Lower Manhattan residents were the focus of a discussion at the April 23 meeting of Community Board 1 , where Paul Goldstein, who chairs that panel’s Waterfront, Parks, & Cultural Committee, offered an update, saying, “those floating billboards that you’ve seen on both the east and west sides — the  good news is that the City is cracking down on them. Both the Mayor and the Council say they find it unacceptable. So they are imposing fines and enacting laws to restrict it.”  To read more…

City Plans Temporary Flood Protection Measures for Downtown

An illustration of the short-term solutions during storm conditions that include  ‘tiger dams’ deployed to supplement Hesco barriers.

The administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio is formulating short-term strategies to protect the South Street Seaport and the Financial District from sea-level rise and future extreme-weather events.

Although Not Yet a Shore Thing, Proposal for Brooklyn Bridge Beach Takes a Step Forward

	A rendering of the proposed  Brooklyn Bridge Beach

After multiple rounds of funding since 2013, the proposed Brooklyn Bridge Beach — a project supported by elected officials, community leaders, and the public — may be inching closer to reality.

The plan, backed by all of these constituencies, aims to create a crescent-shaped wedge of sand along the East River waterfront, just north of the South Street Seaport, where park-goers could wade knee deep in tide. If built, it would become the sole access point at which Lower Manhattan residents could step into the water that surrounds them, rather than merely looking at it.

Journey with us across the Brooklyn Bridge, from Manhattan to Brooklyn, to celebrate Poets House and the poetry of New York City with readings by poets  Robert Pinsky, Rosamond King, Gregory Pardlo, Jenny Xie, and Anne Waldman, whom we will present with our Elizabeth Kray Award for service to poetry. This year marks Poets House’s 10th anniversary at 10 River Terrace-as well as Walt Whitman’s bicentennial. 

Recognition of Whitman’s 200th birthday will lend special significance to the evening as we gather to hear a reading of Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.”

Afterward, we’ll continue with more readings, accompanied by wine, dinner, and dessert, inside a beautiful historic foundry in DUMBO. All proceeds benefit Poets House’s library, public programs, and class trips for children and teens.

Monday June 10

6:00pm: Walk begins in Manhattan, near One Centre Street

8:00pm: Seated dinner at 26 Bridge Street in DUMBO

For more information: poetshouse.org/poetrywalk2019

Questions? please contact Phoebe at 212-431-7920 ext. 2819or phoebe@poetshouse.org.

Hudson River Park Trust Seeks Development on Pier 40

	The 14-acre former cruise ship terminal situated along the Hudson River waterfront, near West Houston Street.

The Hudson River Park Trust (HRPT), in collaboration with local elected officials, is seeking to revise its enabling legislation to allow for commercial development at Pier 40.

“The major issue is that there need to be changes to the legislation that created the Hudson River Park, because Pier 40 is sinking,” explained Anthony Notaro, chair of Community Board 1 (CB1) at an April 26 meeting.

	John Watts     Why isn’t he smiling?