WRITE TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER/S and The Mayor today!

This letter pertains to the Lower Concourse Rezoning Public Review process now underway.

(viewed at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/lower_concourse/lower_concourse4.shtml)

Through the South Bronx Initiative, a Mayoral effort to identify community priorities and create a coordinated economic development strategy for the South Bronx, the Lower Concourse rezoning proposal Public Review will continue through the environmental review and ULURP process.

The City Planning Commission, as environmental lead agency, issued a Notice of Completion for a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposal, on January 30, 2009.

The proposal began formal public review on February 2, 2009 with the Department of City Planning’s certification of the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) application (C 090303 ZMX) and referral of the related zoning text amendment (N 090302 ZRX).

While we are encouraged that the Harlem River and this area are getting much needed attention, we must highlight in particular one aspect that needs to be included before you should support this.

One, waterfront access.

The proposed inclusion of a vision for parkland and waterfront access is a small step to rectify historical inequities.  But, with the location of the CSX railway along the Western border of the Bronx, any park space that is blocked by the raised rail in the Harlem River is not really “waterfront” space.  The proposed space below 149th Street suffers from this rail barrier.  In addition, the proposed park space there is contingent on highway development and building development, which would likely not occur until some time in the unknown future.

RECOMMENDATION:

The proposed zoning footprint should be expanded south to include the Park Avenue location that the community has been advocating for use as a park space for over ten years.  As it stands the proposed map stops mere feet from including this obvious and natural site for a community park, waterfront with water access. 

This existing green-space is ready to use as a park already and would serve the Lower Grand Concourse area and beyond, without delaying a much needed resources until the distant future.  This is an ideal opportunity to map this location as parkland for the existing community and for residents and businesses to come.

Thank you for your time and attention.  We look forward to your response and to support your advocacy to leverage the Public Review process to gain substantial benefits for our community.

An update from a recent Parks Department public meeting on the New Yankee Stadium replacement park.

The new park to be built atop the gigantic 7.33-acre “Parking Garage A” will now be bisected by a vehicular ramp that emerges from “below ground”.  While the ramp does not separate this new park into two entirely separate pieces, it will segregate the western half of the park into two pieces, each on the opposite side of a ramp, which will essentially be an open cut.  Yes, kids could fall into the cut, or errant footbals or soccer balls could also conceivably fall into this cut, if not properly fenced.  Once again, the needs of cars trump the needs of pedestrians and park users in this neighborhood.  The principles of  PlaNYC do not apply in this case.

The Friends of Brook Park in the South Bronx are removing the asphalt so there will be even more space to grow things. Today was “tear up the pavement day” and a lot of people showed up to help out. City council woman Melissa Mark-Viverito stopped by to cheer us on. I think we got about a third of the asphalt up– so, there’s still more work to be done.

You have no idea how much fun it is to expose the soil a take back a little patch of the earth from all of the pavement. Today the South Bronx got a little more green space for once.

Here’s to the Friends of Brook Park for making this happen!

Friends of Brook Park gave away free garlic grown just a few blocks away in a community garden during their “Garlic Festival” on saturday. Locally grown food along with greenmarkets improve the quality of life for urban residents while reducing the impact we have on the environment.

Friends of Brook park also do a lot of work that helps residents connect with our local waterways. They are expanding the community garden and invite volunteers to come and help “tear up the pavement” (and thus expand the park.) on September 20, 2008. Check the events calendar at their website for more information.