On Friday, I joined some
friends at a press conference opposing the rezoning of Governor’s Island,
another developer giveaway from the d Blasio Administration.
There my friend Roger
Manning implored the city to Vote no on the Govs
Island Rezoning.
It really comes down to one question: what will the space become said Manning, one of the co-founders of MAGIC, the Metro Area Governor’s Island Association?
Will it be better off?
This is another bad idea.
Recall Penn Station,
that was destroyed
in 1963 in the name of progress. It
was a gem. Now the city wants to recreate it.
Speaker’s representing
Elizabeth Street Garden and East River Park all stood up to decree this plan to
privatize more public space.
Trees not towers.
One mom talked about her kids learning to ride bikes there
last spring, without worry of cars. A lot of us have do not country homes. We stay here, where we need our public spaces.
These were places where kids found themselves, meeting, letting off some steam.
If Covid has taught us anything,
it is that we need our public spaces for mental health as well as leisure and ideas.
We’re not asking for more
green space, said another speaker, just to keep the green space we have.
Actually, I am I said.
My name is Ben Shepard.
I'm here today to
oppose the Governor's Island rezoning on behalf of the grassroots community
coalition Voice of Gowanus. We stand in solidarity with MAGIC and all
groups and people seeking to keep Governor's Island a true haven in the
harbor. It is not just another development site - and it should
remain an egalitarian place open to all.
Gov’s island is a magic
place, a secret place, where pirates and marching bands converge, friends play
baseball, kids loaf in the grass.
It’s a space where we
imagine.
New York has always
been a place for arts and artists. But
there is less room with rezonings such as this.
We live in a delicate
urban ecology. Developer giveaways and
one size fits all solutions only endanger this ecology.
Under
the currently proposed Governors Island rezoning, a unique green urban refuge
in NYC will essentially become a backyard for a massive corporate-style
facility– fundamentally altering the experience of the island.
In
reality, the Governors Island (GI) climate hub proposed by Mayor de Blasio
and the Trust for Governors Island (TGI) is part of a fast track push for
numerous NYC rezonings (including Flushing, SoHo/NoHo, Gowanus) to satisfy
the mayor’s economic recovery plan legacy. It’s a Trojan horse for
high-rise1 profit-driven overdevelopment.
The project’s law firm
has ties to the powerful REBNY real estate lobby. The TGI chair citing “the
hopeful case of Robert Moses“ and saying, “This is a nice piece
of real estate” 4 should also be red flags.
Voice of Gowanus is
particularly concerned about all the proposed development on Governor's Island
because it stands to increase stresses on the same sewershed that we share
across the Buttermilk Channel in Brooklyn. If sewage load pressures on
the Red Hook Sewage Treatment Plant increase as a result of the Governor's
Island rezone, combined sewer overflows (or CSOs) will increase in
Gowanus. That's a problem. We already have major CSO issues where over
350 million gallons of CSO run into the Gowanus each year. That could
undo the EPA's Gowanus superfund cleanup remedy, something we cannot afford as
a community.
Mayor DeBlasio talks a
great deal about the Paris climate accord.
If we are ever to live up to this, then the developer giveaways have to
stop. For us to survive, we are going to have to change our means of
production.
The City Council Land Use Committee will vote on the current
rezoning proposal for Governors Island on Tues May 11th. The proposal must be
withdrawn. Bringing in high-density high-rise development is not the best use
of this unique "country place in the city" which belongs to and is
visited by people from all NYC zip codes. The main rationale for this intrusive
project – making Governors Island financially self-sufficient and accessible
year round — isn’t supported. Also any discussion regarding a climate research
center is irrelevant - it is a proposal to upzone the south island, period.
Public hearings on land use being held virtually due to COVID-19 are
insufficient and should be suspended as has been the case in several instances
this year in NYC.
Even
Manhattan’s Community Board 1 voted to reject the plan. Their 12/22/20
Resolution states:
- The city’s
current proposed rezoning in its current form needs to be rejected in
order to: “ensure the protection and preservation of the natural, cultural
and historic qualities of Governors Island, guarantee public access to
this magnificent island, promote the quality of public education, and
enhance the ability of the public to enjoy Governors Island and the
surrounding waterways, thereby increasing the quality of life in the
surrounding community, the City, the State and the United States.”
- Currently, Governors
Island has a village-type, modest urban density. In terms of mass and
height, the proposed development is substantially larger than the existing
development on the Island. A majority of public comments indicate that it
is the existing density and scale that gives Governors Island its identity
as an island refuge in its highly urbanized context within the city
We urge the council to vote NO TO THE CURRENTLY PROPOSED REZONING OF
GOVERNORS ISLAND SOUTH.
Speakers included:
• Lindsey Boylan - Manhattan Borough
President Candidate
• Jeffrey Kroessler - City Club of New York
• Christopher Marte - City Council Candidate,
District 1
• Kim Watkins - Manhattan Borough President
Candidate
• Fannie Ip - East River Park Action
• Tiffany Winbush - City Council Candidate,
District 1
• Paul Graziano - Urban Planning, Land Use, Zoning
Consultant (sent a statement)
• Benjamin Shepard - Voice of Gowanus
• Jenny Low, City Council Candidate, District 1
• NY State Assemblymember Deborah Glick (sent a
statement)
• Allie Ryan - M.A.G.I.C. co-founder, City Council
Candidate District 2
• Roger Manning - M.A.G.I.C. co-founder
Attached images:
1) magic_preser_5-6-21_01.jpg – Screenshot From
video of the 5-6-21 M.A.G.I.C. press conference. Lindsey Boylan speaking. Also
visible : Tiffany Winbush , Jenny Low, Jeffrey Kroessler, Roger Manning, Chris
Marte. By Wade Winckler
2) magic_gi_poster_900w.jpg – M.A.G.I.C.
“Trees Not Towers” (TNT) poster.
Statements from the speakers:
Roger Manning - M.A.G.I.C.
co-founder
Roger Manning highlighted the above points
and emphasized that the actual issue at hand is, "What is Governors Island
going to be? Will it be an irreplaceable one-of-a-kind green urban refuge that
essentially functions as a park - even in areas with buildings with - and
provides for the arts and environmental educational projects? Or another
high-rise, high-density commercial urban district with boxed in value-added
landscaping?" The de Blasio administration wants to build 4 times higher
than the 70 foot lookout hill created in the south island parkland. The
rezoning applicants are not providing plans for legally required FDNY
infrastructure in areas with buildings over 70 feet. Let's not let Governors
Island 2021 = Penn Station 1963.
Allie Ryan - M.A.G.I.C. co-founder, City
Council Candidate D2
"Thank you to
everyone coming out today to draw attention that we are trying to save another
park. Our fight began years ago trying to save Community Gardens. A couple
years ago we began to fight to save East River Park. And this year we are
trying to save Governors Island. It is sorta crazy that parkland is becoming
real estate opportunities in this town and it should not be. I like to add that
M.A.G.I.C. is a member of the At-Risk Green Spaces Coalition and I know that several
other representatives of Green Spaces are here and will speak, too."
Paul Graziano - Urban Planning, Land Use,
Zoning Consultant
(Supplied statement read by writer and journalist
Eileen Myles)
"There is no question that the
rezoning application put forth by the Governor's Island Trust is frankly an
overdevelopment scheme in search of a plan. In the more than two decades that I
have been involved in planning issues in New York City, I have never
encountered such a brazen attempt by any entity - public or private - to
essentially steal this amount of public land and hand it over to the equivalent
of a phantom organization. The Trust refuses to show its financials, has no
development partner and continues to push for the privatization of one of the crown
jewels of public land in New York City, or anywhere in the United States for
that matter. There are no planning principles being discussed here, only the
utter degradation of a cherished and irreplaceable public asset by the de
Blasio administration and the Mayor's handpicked members who control the Trust.
The City Council has an obligation to protect the public good against what can
only be described as a landgrab against itself and either demand that this
application be withdrawn or, barring that, just vote NO. Our city - and
Governor's Island - deserves better."
Lindsey Boylan - Manhattan Borough
President Candidate
"Our green spaces are the lifeblood of
this city. They are what enlivens it, they keep our kids healthy — yet so many
of them are under attack," said Lindsey Boylan, a career urban planner and
candidate for Manhattan Borough President. "The tactic of our failed
leadership is to fail to foster and nurture these spaces. The city is starving
them and then saying ‘this can’t work’ and making it a fait accompli to turn
them over to developers. If we really want to promote climate science and
resiliency, then we will do everything we can to protect that amazing place. I
stand with M.A.G.I.C. in asking the New York City Council to reject the
proposed upzoning of Governors Island.”
Jeffrey Kroessler - City Club of New York
"The plan to develop Governors
Island with massive commercial towers is but the latest bad idea from an
administration that has been a fount of bad ideas. They seem to view public
open space not as a public benefit, but as an opportunity for private interests
to profit. What the Trust for Governors Island describes as new public spaces
is in reality nothing more than the lawns and walkways between the massive new
buildings. To speak of a need for additional square footage for an as yet
merely aspirational climate research center when the historic buildings on the
island remain vacant and unused mocks the very idea of ‘green.’ It is wonderful
that so many candidates for office, newcomers to the political arena, have
expressed their opposition to this misbegotten plan, and it is a shame that so few
current officeholders have expressed an opinion. The upzoning of Governors
Island must be stopped, and the Trust must redirect it efforts to craft a plan
that the public will recognize as reflecting the public interest."
Christopher Marte - City Council Candidate,
District 1
"Governor’s Island is a
treasured park for Lower Manhattan, and the rest of the city. The proposed
rezoning is justified as a way to make the park profitable. But the value of
the parks comes from all that they offer to our community, not the money they
generate."
Kim Watkins - Manhattan Borough President
Candidate
(See Kim’s City Council hearing testimony here: https://runwithkim.com/saving-
Fannie Ip - East River Park Action
"East River Park Action supports
M.A.G.I.C's fight against the rezoning of Governors Island. There is an urgency
- our green spaces are being threatened. Our City is trying to take away our
parks and our gardens, whether it's for a $1.45 billion plan for flood control
that can be achieved for half that without destroying the entire East River
Park, or taking away public green space to build a 250ft tower and calling it
ironically, a "research center for climate solutions.' Our green spaces
are at risk. We must stand together to fight the City's land grab benefitting
private developers and protect and preserve our parks and gardens for future
generations to come."
Tiffany Winbush - City Council Candidate,
District 1
"I’m adding my voice urging the
City Council Land Use Committee to vote no on the current rezoning proposal for
Governors Island. As a 15-year+ Financial District resident, Governors Island
is my backyard. Like so many New Yorkers, my family of four, including an 8 and
4 year-old, stayed put in NYC during the height of COVID-19. The experience
reconfirmed what we already knew. Accessible, open green-space is invaluable.
When Governors Island opened up last July, we were the first to reserve our ferry
tickets. We reveled in the open-space of Governors Island and my daughter
mastered riding her bicycle for the first time in a space that was free of car
traffic. When I stepped foot onto the ferry, I immediately begin to feel the
M.A.G.I.C. of the island. I’ll also point out that access to open-space is an
equity issue. Last season, as well as this season, a Governors Island ferry was
made available in Red Hook, allowing a community that is typically underserved
by open space, access to it. I urge the Governors Island Trust to withdraw its
current proposal and reassess the vacant properties currently going unused on
the island to strategize solutions on how to use those to generate revenue."
Jenny Low - City Council Candidate,
District 1
Governor’s Island is a unique and beloved public
space in our city. The Island’s long and fascinating history and the important
role it plays for residents today make it especially important that any new
development on Governor’s Island is done right and that community voices are at
the center of this process. I strongly oppose the Mayor’s current proposal.
It’s critical that any new development on
Governor’s Island preserves its unique landscapes and prioritizes the
protection of open space. Many New Yorkers see Governor’s Island as a
much-needed escape from the city. The current proposal is out of sync with the
existing infrastructure on the Island, including its low-scale structures and
open parkland.
Governor’s Island should continue functioning as a
public park. It’s clear that this project can’t move forward until these voices
are heard and have a real seat at the table in this process.
Throughout this pandemic, we’ve seen just how
critical parks and open spaces are to our wellbeing in this city and I’m
committed to fighting for their preservation. The proposed development on
Governor’s Island does not do enough to protect our open spaces, preserve the
historic nature of the Island, address environmental concerns, and ensure our
families can enjoy it for years to come. Until community voices are heard and
these concerns are addressed, I strongly oppose this plan.
NY State Assemblymember Deborah Glick
(Supplied statement read by writer and journalist
Eileen Myles)
“I am troubled that the City Planning
Commission is considering an application from the Trust for Governors Island
(the Trust) and Mayor de Blasio to rezone 45% of the portion of Governors
Island known as South Island and permit 4.5 million gross square feet of
development, with buildings reaching 300 feet in height. This egregious
proposal would rob City residents of light, air, and open space at a time when
they are more essential than ever to maintaining public health.
The rezoning would dramatically reshape the
landscape of what has become a treasured respite for so many New Yorkers, and
would pit the commercial needs of large scale tenants with those of park-goers.
I would hope the need for access open space is not compromised by this proposal
when outdoor recreation is valued, now, more than ever.”
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