MAKE HISTORY! Listening to the City Jacob Javits Center Saturday, July 20, 2002 8AM - 4PM LISTENING TO THE CITY ***************************************** The attack on the World Trade Center has affected not only those working and living in lower Manhattan, but everyone in the New York tri-state area and the country at large. Among other things, it has affected our economy and our basic sense of security. Likewise, the rebuilding of downtown will have an impact on the future economy, the lives of people living there, our progress as a nation towards the future and most importantly how we feel about each other as New Yorkers. This historic event, "Listening to the City," will bring together 5,000 people at the Jacob Javits Convention Center to participate in a 21st Century town hall meeting to consider plans for the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan and the creation of a permanent memorial in honor of the victims of the 9/11. This will be the FIRST public discussion of the 6 rebuilding plans, for both the WTC site and the city as a whole, that will be proposed by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. It will also be a rare chance to express your ideas on how downtown, the 5 boroughs and the tri-state area at large should be connected, economically, physically and socially, in order to build a public fabric that best benefits our progress as a people. "Listening to the City" is being organized by "The Civic Alliance to Rebuild Lower Manhattan," a coalition of more than 85 civic, business, environmental, community, university and labor groups, all committed to ensuring that community voices are heard. "Listening to the City" is designed to take an accurate measure of public sentiment on the rebuilding of downtown and the need to memorialize the thousands of people who lost their lives in the 9/11 attack. It will also be a unique opportunity to tell the politicians what YOU think downtown should look like and what should be done to reinvigorate the lives of the people living and working there, the vitality of its small and large businesses and ways in which we can make it a place the whole tri-state area and the country can feel a living part of. JULY 20th, 2002 This event will employ modern interactive technologies that combine small and large group discussions. At key points, participants will have the opportunity to vote on critical issues and options brought before the entire group, as well as express there own original ideas. Professional facilitators at each table will lead face-to-face discussions, capture thoughts on laptop computers and then electronically transmit them to a theme team. This team will combine the inputs, frame questions and project them on large video screens for the entire group's consideration. Individual participants will then use wireless polling keypads to voice their preferences on the questions, with results being instantly displayed. Participant input will be widely disseminated to decision makers, who have committed to seriously consider its recommendations. At the event, the region's rich ethnic, racial, and geographic diversity will be fully represented. Participants will be made up of residents and workers, survivors and families of victims, emergency and rescue workers, students, immigrants, business and property owners, youth, the homeless and citizens and civic leaders from all walks of life. Participants are requested to stay for the entire program. Check-in and breakfast begins at 8 AM. The program will begin at 9 AM. and end at 4 PM. Registration is free and includes lunch and beverages. Vegetarian and kosher lunches will be available (no special orders necessary). Childcare will be provided for anyone who needs it. Listening to the City is fully sanctioned and supported by the key city and state government organizations that have authority for developing the area. Decision makers associated with these organizations are committed to seriously considering the perspectives and recommendations expressed by the people who attend this event. Remember and Rebuild. Help shape the plans for the redevelopment of Downtown New York and the creation of a memorial for 9/11. On Saturday, July 20, 2002, join 5000 people for this historic, interactive, 21st century town hall meeting. Participation is free but SPACE IS LIMITED. SO REGISTER TODAY! Register by calling 1 800 862-3154 or on the web @ www.listeningtothecity.org Free breakfast, lunch and childcare will be provided. For more information, please call Michael Oliva @ 917 438-4610 *For those who cannot attend for religious or other reasons, a subsequent event will be held on Monday, July 22nd. For this event you must register on a first come/first-served basis. For more information on the Monday event call: 212 404-3041 |
Dear Civic Alliance: Thank you to those who attended Monday's meeting at the Salmagundi club. Pasted below are the minutes from the meeting and some other announcements. You can also find a copy of the minutes on our website, In other news, I had a chance to check out the new Civic Amenities website, www.downtownnyc.org. It does an excellent job of illustrating the recommendations of the Civic Amenities working group of the Civic Alliance and is already generating some interesting feedback. I encourage you to check it out. This email contains: 1. NYC City Planning Department seeks Deputy Executive Director for Land Use and Environmental Review 2. LMDC holds first public hearing Thursday, May 23, 6:00 PM Pace University 3. Minutes from May 20 Civic Alliance meeting, Salmagundi Club 1. POSITION AVAILABLE New York City Department of City Planning DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LAND USE AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW RESPONSIBILITIES: The Department of City Planning is seeking to fill the position of Deputy Executive Director for Land Use and Environmental Review. A key member of the agency's executive management, this position requires familiarity with New York City's environmental review and land use processes and significant managerial experience. The Deputy Executive Director works closely with the leadership of City Planning in the development of land use policy and the implementation of the agency's strategic plan. Specifically, this Deputy Executive Director oversees projects as they move through the Uniform Land Use Review Process and is responsible for overall management of the following three divisions: * Land Use Review Division * Technical Review Division * Environmental Assessment and Review Division To read the full description, please visit our website at: www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/03002034.html 2. Notice of Public Hearing THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER SITE, ADJACENT AREAS AND RELATED TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE The Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation (LMDC), a subsidiary of the Empire State Development Corporation, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Authority), are working together to revitalize Lower Manhattan. The Port Authority and the LMDC issued a Request for Proposals for a three-phase study to develop options for the World Trade Center site, adjacent areas and related transportation infrastructure. The LMDC and Port Authority will hold a joint public hearing to solicit input on possible ideas, including those that are suggested in the LMDC Principles and Preliminary Blueprint for the Future of Lower Manhattan. The public hearing, which will be open to the general public and will provide an opportunity for public comment, is scheduled for: Thursday, May 23, 2002, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University Spruce Street (between Gold Street and Park Row), New York, NY 10038 The Port Authority and LMDC also invite written public comment. The deadline for submissions regarding the Principles and Preliminary Blueprint is May 27th. The deadline for submissions of ideas to be considered for Phase 1 of the RFP is June 26th. Comments may be submitted via e-mail to RenewNYC@empire.state.ny.us or by mail to: LMDC/Port Authority Comments c/o Empire State Development Corporation P.O. Box 4438, Grand Central Station New York, NY 10017 To obtain a copy of the draft Principles and Preliminary Blueprint in English, Spanish or Chinese, please visit the LMDC web-site at www.renewnyc.org or visit any of the locations listed below. To obtain a copy of the Request for Proposals, please visit the Port Authority web-site at www.panynj.gov or the LMDC web-site. 3. Civic Alliance Minutes Monday, May 20, 2002 8:30 AM Salmagundi Club, 47 5th Avenue, New York City MINUTES 1. Bob Yaro brought the meeting to order and reviewed the meeting's agenda. 2. Petra Todorovich outlined the process for the revision of the Draft Planning Framework. There will be an official two-week comment period during which Civic Alliance members (and anyone else) should submit comments to Petra by email, mail, or fax. Petra's email is Petra@rpa.org, and her fax number is 212-253-5666. The two-week comment period ends Monday, June 3. 2.1. The Civic Alliance working groups should plan to meet during the first two weeks of June to review comments received. Working groups will be forwarded any comments that pertain to their chapter, or a chapter that contains overlapping information with theirs. Working groups are asked to make changes to their chapters to reflect comments made, if they are in agreement with the comment. In the case that consensus cannot be reached among a working group, or between two different working groups, the issue should be identified and brought back to the Steering committee. It is possible that in the final version of the Planning Framework, there are certain issues that cannot be resolved, and the chief opposing view points will both be stated. 2.2. During this time RPA staff members will also be closely reviewing the draft planning framework to detect inconsistencies among different chapters, and issues that still need to be resolved between different constituencies. 2.3. Working groups should also identify a handful (or less) of key recommendations that they wish to be included in the updated executive summary. These should be forwarded to the Civic Alliance steering committee by their June 10 meeting. 2.4. The top recommendations of the Civic Alliance working groups will be vetted and (hopefully) approved at the June 24 Civic Alliance general meeting. Issues on which consensus cannot be reached will either be identified as such in the final document, or groups will continue to attempt to reach consensus over the next several weeks. 2.5. A revised document will be available online on approximately July 1, for final approval at a late-July Civic Alliance meeting. 3. Carolyn Lukensmeyer of AmericaSpeaks gave a short presentation on the upcoming "Listening to the City July 20, 2002." Listening to the City will take place on a Saturday in late July and will host up to 5000 people a the Jacob Javits Center to participate in a modern town hall meeting. (Please note: at the meeting Carolyn announced that the forum would be a two-day event. However since Monday morning it has been decided that the event will take place on a single day because of the prohibitive expense of doing a two-day event.) 3.1. The Civic Alliance hosted a preliminary Listening to the City event on February 7, 2002 at the South Street Seaport, which over 600 people attended. The July 20 event will use the same format and technology as the February event, but will be open to greater number of people. 3.2. Bob Yaro added that this is a joint venture with LMDC and that they will be providing about a third of the funding. 3.3. The LTC team will strive to reach out to wide and diverse groups of people in the region to ensure that the diversity of people affected by the September 11 tragedy is represented on July 20. Carolyn noted that the most daunting aspect of producing this event is making sure that the participants come from all walks of life. We will aim for a representation from mixed demographics; however Lower Manhattan residents, victims' families, survivors, and rescue workers will be "appropriately over-represented." We aim to have up to 30% of this aforementioned category at the event. 3.4. The participant discussion guide will represent a synthesis of public input so far, including content from the Civic Alliance Planning Framework; the MAS Imagine New York process, NYNV, LCAN, and other reports. The participant guide will also contain content straight from LMDC. 3.5. The format of the meeting has several advantages over the traditional public hearing model including: the intimacy of small group discussions and the power of the collective wisdom of thousands of people; and the immediacy and transparency of the process. 3.6. Carolyn introduced some of the project consultants for Listening to the City including: * Amy Chester & Michael O'Loughlin, M&R Strategic Services, Outreach * Andy Cooper, Cooper Katz, Communications * Jeremy Soffin, Jasculca/Terman, Events 3.7. Amy Chester briefly outlined the strategy of the Outreach team of working with a team of organizers, working with the Civic Alliance to reach the memberships of the member organizations, and reaching out to business associations, religious groups, tenant groups, Community Boards etc. The Outreach team will also conduct street outreach, and constantly track the results of their efforts, and redesign their strategy if necessary. 3.8. Questions and Comments: 3.8.1. Ashok Gupta, NRDC suggested that we look at elected officials, city council, legislative branch, state assembly, etc. 3.8.2. Paul Elston asked about the nature of this joint venture of LMDC, and wondered what is price tag for the entire event (Answer: Approximately $2 Million.) He argued that if the Civic Alliance were to spread $2 Million among its member organizations, we could effectively do some work with the downtown community to design plans for Civic Amenities, such as a Brooklyn Bridge park. 3.8.3. Bob Yaro responded that it seems Alliance members want more input into the content of the program. In crafting the content, which options do we put on the table? 3.8.4. Diane Horning, who lost her son on September 11, voiced her concern that LMDC is heavily weighted with allegiance to Governor Pataki. LMDC also is focusing on the 16 acres while the Civic Alliance looks at all of Lower Manhattan. Her comment to the communications team: family members are not being considered in this process at all. Also, families are not organized together, and they're not all located in New York. 3.8.5. Jeanine Thomas, Community Services Society commented that she represents undocumented workers and the like. How much representation do we need from her organization? 3.8.6. David Kallick hoped that the concluding sentiment of Charles Bagli's article in the NY Times after the February conference would not be true for July: that we hope this isn't just a chance for citizens to vet, and that building public involvement isn't just a matter of siphoning off that responsibility to the Civic Alliance. There needs to be follow through after the event to truly affect the public process. 3.8.7. Rivka Mazar: We need to pay careful attention to the visual images that we use. Also, what is the thinking behind involving facilitators from all 50 states? 3.8.8. Carolyn: there has been significant interest in this issue from around the county, and this a way that people can donate their time. Also: we will provide translation the day of the event in six languages. 3.8.9. Rick Bell: Content will be influenced by the timing of LMDC's process. Listening to the City is currently scheduled for nineteen days after the first deliverable of LMDC, if they stick to their schedule. Also, NYNV has released their Growth Strategies report today. The Civic Alliance should be cognizant of all the materials available, and especially the NYNV work for visuals. 3.8.10. In response to numerous concerns about crafting the content for Listening to the City, a "content committee" has been formed, which will be chaired by Paul Elston. The content committee will work with Alex Marshall, Senior Editor at RPA, and the Listening to the City team to form the briefing book for Listening to the City. In the case that the LMDC deliverables get pushed back, we should still be able to get a preliminary sense if direction coming from the consultants for use at Listening to the City 4. Bob Yaro: This brings us to the next item on the agenda. We have had a series of conversations with LMDC and the Port Authority - and many of their members were at the Regional Assembly. The next step is for the working groups of the Civic Alliance to meet with key staff members of LMDC and PA to make their points of view known to LMDC staff members. Working groups should begin to identify key recommendations to focus on in their meetings with LMDC staff. LMDC has 1-2 people working on each area. As for the Port Authority, it's not as clear how we will be relating with them. We had a meeting with Joe Seymour and have explained to them what we are doing. 4.1. Holly Leicht, MAS: Civic Alliance should be advocates for public involvement. Apparently, McGreevey's office asked for a public hearing in New Jersey and the LMDC said no. 4.2. Gene Russianoff, NYPIRG: LMDC is a fast-moving process and I know that everyone in this room wants to influence it. On the other hand, we are committed to a rich, inclusive process. There is a tension there. The Civic Alliance might consider putting together its own ideal process. 4.3. Rob Lane: Our ideal process would probably take a lot longer than LMDC is thinking. 4.4. David Kallick: RPA has been thinking about the region for a long time. Accepting the constraints of LMDC, there is significant diversity in Lower Manhattan alone with Chinatown, the Lower East Side, etc. Of the people who worked in the WTC, 80% were people from other parts of the region. 4.5. Bob Yaro: With all the work that has been done by the Civic Alliance, New York New Visions and others we have the components of a Master Plan in the making. We now need to refine 50 or so recommendations throughout the Planning Framework down to about 10. 5. In other business, we'd like to announce the formation of a Finance working group. Janette Sadik-Khan will be chairing this committee and we are looking for people to work on it that have significant amounts of transportation infrastructure financing experience. Interested parties should contact Petra and the first meeting will be set up in the next few weeks. 6. Julie Caniglia of Project for Public Spaces next gave a presentation on the new website, "DowntownNYC.org." This website is a creation of the Civic Amenities working group of the Civic Alliance and aims to outline different issues, problems, and questions at stake in rebuilding Lower Manhattan and especially in creating public amenities to make downtown a more pleasant place to live, work, and play. 7. The goal of the site is to put the recommendations of the Civic Amenities working group online for people to read and react to. The site is currently live and comments are already being received. Check it out 8. The next Civic Alliance meeting will take place on Monday, June 24 at 8:30 AM. Location will be announced. 9. The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:25 AM. |
The NY Metro Chapter ASPA recently joined the Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York. The Alliance is a collection of over 100 civic, professional, community, labor, business, and university groups who have joined together to forge a common vision for rebuilding that represents the aspirations, memories, and pride of the city and region. Filename ASPACouncil1.23.02Handout.doc contains a handout that accompanied a presentation to the Chapter Governing Board. If you wish to become involved with the Allaince through the Chapter, please contact Chapter President Bill Ciaccio. |
The NY Metro Chapter ASPA recently joined the Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York. The Alliance is a collection of over 100 civic, professional, community, labor, business, and university groups who have joined together to forge a common vision for rebuilding that represents the aspirations, memories, and pride of the city and region. Filename ASPACouncil1.23.02Handout.doc contains a handout that accompanied a presentation to the Chapter Governing Board. If you wish to become involved with the Allaince through the Chapter, please contact Chapter President Bill Ciaccio. |
The Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York held a Meeting on Monday, February 25,2002 at 8:30 am at One Liberty Plaza. At that meeting, two letters were proposed to Civic Alliance members to sign-on. This was an opt-in letter only and members had to contact the Alliance before Friday, March 1, 2002 at Noon to sign on. The two letters are below. The NY Metro Chapter ASPA Governing Board considered these letters during the Governing Board Meeting o February 28th, 2002. The Board decided that it would not be prudent to sign-on without first considering policy and other issues for our Chapter. The short timeframe from the Civic Alliance did not allow proper consideration by the Chapter and its Leadership. The Governing Board invites comments from the membership of NY Metro Chapter ASPA regarding the policy position the Chapter should take on issues (such as those raised in the two letters) revelant to the work of the Civic Alliance. ************************************************************************************************************ January 14, 2002 Honorable George E. Pataki Governor The Executive Chamber State Capitol Albany, NY 12224 Dear Governor Pataki: In the wake of the World Trade Center tragedy, we, the undersigned, respectfully urge you to consider an amendment to the Green Buildings Tax Credit. We propose that the $25 million cap on the funds budgeted for the Tax Credit should not be applied to development in Lower Manhattan, south of Canal Street, but instead, that the Tax Credit be as of right. In this way, every eligible rehabilitation, renovation and new construction project in Lower Manhattan that is designed and built in compliance with the very stringent regulations could be assured of getting the tax credit. In our view, by ensuring that every downtown project is potentially eligible for the tax credit, the Lower Manhattan area could serve as a national example of environmentally responsible development. It will also result in increased demand for green materials and equipment, making them more competitive with raditional materials and equipment in the marketplace. It will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and improve the working and living environment of downtown Manhattan. We can think of no better way to turn this crisis into an opportunity than to provide such a guarantee. We hope you will give this recommendation serious and prompt consideration. We have also enclosed for your review a summary of comments presented to the NYS DEC at the NYS Green Building Tax Credit public review held in New York on October 13th 2001. Under your leadership we can continue to set a new standard for buildings of the future. Sincerely, ************************************************************************************************************ The next letter advocates rehabilitating an old float bridge on the Upper West Side at 69th street in order to provide high speed ferry service to Lower Manhattan. January 27, 2002 Hon. George E. Pataki Governor The Capitol Albany, NY 12224 Dear Governor Pataki: The undersigned members of the Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York strongly support the proposed restoration of the historic rail pier on the Hudson River at West 69th Street as a ferry landing for commuter service to downtown Manhattan. We ask for your help to complete this project as quickly as possible as part of the downtown recovery effort. This project would rehabilitate the dilapidated New York Central Railroad Floatbridge #4, which is eligible for the State Register of Historic Places, into a public pier and ferry landing as part of the ongoing expansion of Riverside Park south of West 72nd Street. High-speed ferry service from the pier to Battery Park City and Pier A at the Battery, a 15-minute ride, would supplement the limited and overcrowded subway service from the Upper West Side to lower Manhattan, and provide a vital alternate route in the event of emergencies or service disruptions. The importance of ferry access to downtown has been starkly highlighted by the evacuation of September 11th and the role that ferries played on that day. Ferries also reduce auto congestion and pollution, and make commuting to downtown more pleasant and attractive. The New York City Department of Transportation and the nonprofit Riverside South Planning Corporation have applied for $2 million from the federal Transportation Enhancements Program, which is administered by the State Department of Transportation. If funding is awarded soon, the pier could be restored and the ferry landing in service by late next year. We hope you will agree that this small project will greatly benefit both downtown Manhattan and the Hudson River Greenway. (Sincerely,) cc: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg Commissioner Joseph Boardman Chairman John Whitehead |
Dear Civic Alliance: Thank you to those who attended Monday's meeting at the Salmagundi club. Pasted below are the minutes from the meeting and some other announcements. You can also find a copy of the minutes on our website, In other news, I had a chance to check out the new Civic Amenities website, www.downtownnyc.org. It does an excellent job of illustrating the recommendations of the Civic Amenities working group of the Civic Alliance and is already generating some interesting feedback. I encourage you to check it out. This email contains: 1. NYC City Planning Department seeks Deputy Executive Director for Land Use and Environmental Review 2. LMDC holds first public hearing Thursday, May 23, 6:00 PM Pace University 3. Minutes from May 20 Civic Alliance meeting, Salmagundi Club 1. POSITION AVAILABLE New York City Department of City Planning DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LAND USE AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW RESPONSIBILITIES: The Department of City Planning is seeking to fill the position of Deputy Executive Director for Land Use and Environmental Review. A key member of the agency's executive management, this position requires familiarity with New York City's environmental review and land use processes and significant managerial experience. The Deputy Executive Director works closely with the leadership of City Planning in the development of land use policy and the implementation of the agency's strategic plan. Specifically, this Deputy Executive Director oversees projects as they move through the Uniform Land Use Review Process and is responsible for overall management of the following three divisions: * Land Use Review Division * Technical Review Division * Environmental Assessment and Review Division To read the full description, please visit our website at: www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/03002034.html 2. Notice of Public Hearing THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER SITE, ADJACENT AREAS AND RELATED TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE The Lower Manhattan Redevelopment Corporation (LMDC), a subsidiary of the Empire State Development Corporation, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Authority), are working together to revitalize Lower Manhattan. The Port Authority and the LMDC issued a Request for Proposals for a three-phase study to develop options for the World Trade Center site, adjacent areas and related transportation infrastructure. The LMDC and Port Authority will hold a joint public hearing to solicit input on possible ideas, including those that are suggested in the LMDC Principles and Preliminary Blueprint for the Future of Lower Manhattan. The public hearing, which will be open to the general public and will provide an opportunity for public comment, is scheduled for: Thursday, May 23, 2002, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts at Pace University Spruce Street (between Gold Street and Park Row), New York, NY 10038 The Port Authority and LMDC also invite written public comment. The deadline for submissions regarding the Principles and Preliminary Blueprint is May 27th. The deadline for submissions of ideas to be considered for Phase 1 of the RFP is June 26th. Comments may be submitted via e-mail to RenewNYC@empire.state.ny.us or by mail to: LMDC/Port Authority Comments c/o Empire State Development Corporation P.O. Box 4438, Grand Central Station New York, NY 10017 To obtain a copy of the draft Principles and Preliminary Blueprint in English, Spanish or Chinese, please visit the LMDC web-site at www.renewnyc.org or visit any of the locations listed below. To obtain a copy of the Request for Proposals, please visit the Port Authority web-site at www.panynj.gov or the LMDC web-site. 3. Civic Alliance Minutes Monday, May 20, 2002 8:30 AM Salmagundi Club, 47 5th Avenue, New York City MINUTES 1. Bob Yaro brought the meeting to order and reviewed the meeting's agenda. 2. Petra Todorovich outlined the process for the revision of the Draft Planning Framework. There will be an official two-week comment period during which Civic Alliance members (and anyone else) should submit comments to Petra by email, mail, or fax. Petra's email is Petra@rpa.org, and her fax number is 212-253-5666. The two-week comment period ends Monday, June 3. 2.1. The Civic Alliance working groups should plan to meet during the first two weeks of June to review comments received. Working groups will be forwarded any comments that pertain to their chapter, or a chapter that contains overlapping information with theirs. Working groups are asked to make changes to their chapters to reflect comments made, if they are in agreement with the comment. In the case that consensus cannot be reached among a working group, or between two different working groups, the issue should be identified and brought back to the Steering committee. It is possible that in the final version of the Planning Framework, there are certain issues that cannot be resolved, and the chief opposing view points will both be stated. 2.2. During this time RPA staff members will also be closely reviewing the draft planning framework to detect inconsistencies among different chapters, and issues that still need to be resolved between different constituencies. 2.3. Working groups should also identify a handful (or less) of key recommendations that they wish to be included in the updated executive summary. These should be forwarded to the Civic Alliance steering committee by their June 10 meeting. 2.4. The top recommendations of the Civic Alliance working groups will be vetted and (hopefully) approved at the June 24 Civic Alliance general meeting. Issues on which consensus cannot be reached will either be identified as such in the final document, or groups will continue to attempt to reach consensus over the next several weeks. 2.5. A revised document will be available online on approximately July 1, for final approval at a late-July Civic Alliance meeting. 3. Carolyn Lukensmeyer of AmericaSpeaks gave a short presentation on the upcoming "Listening to the City July 20, 2002." Listening to the City will take place on a Saturday in late July and will host up to 5000 people a the Jacob Javits Center to participate in a modern town hall meeting. (Please note: at the meeting Carolyn announced that the forum would be a two-day event. However since Monday morning it has been decided that the event will take place on a single day because of the prohibitive expense of doing a two-day event.) 3.1. The Civic Alliance hosted a preliminary Listening to the City event on February 7, 2002 at the South Street Seaport, which over 600 people attended. The July 20 event will use the same format and technology as the February event, but will be open to greater number of people. 3.2. Bob Yaro added that this is a joint venture with LMDC and that they will be providing about a third of the funding. 3.3. The LTC team will strive to reach out to wide and diverse groups of people in the region to ensure that the diversity of people affected by the September 11 tragedy is represented on July 20. Carolyn noted that the most daunting aspect of producing this event is making sure that the participants come from all walks of life. We will aim for a representation from mixed demographics; however Lower Manhattan residents, victims' families, survivors, and rescue workers will be "appropriately over-represented." We aim to have up to 30% of this aforementioned category at the event. 3.4. The participant discussion guide will represent a synthesis of public input so far, including content from the Civic Alliance Planning Framework; the MAS Imagine New York process, NYNV, LCAN, and other reports. The participant guide will also contain content straight from LMDC. 3.5. The format of the meeting has several advantages over the traditional public hearing model including: the intimacy of small group discussions and the power of the collective wisdom of thousands of people; and the immediacy and transparency of the process. 3.6. Carolyn introduced some of the project consultants for Listening to the City including: * Amy Chester & Michael O'Loughlin, M&R Strategic Services, Outreach * Andy Cooper, Cooper Katz, Communications * Jeremy Soffin, Jasculca/Terman, Events 3.7. Amy Chester briefly outlined the strategy of the Outreach team of working with a team of organizers, working with the Civic Alliance to reach the memberships of the member organizations, and reaching out to business associations, religious groups, tenant groups, Community Boards etc. The Outreach team will also conduct street outreach, and constantly track the results of their efforts, and redesign their strategy if necessary. 3.8. Questions and Comments: 3.8.1. Ashok Gupta, NRDC suggested that we look at elected officials, city council, legislative branch, state assembly, etc. 3.8.2. Paul Elston asked about the nature of this joint venture of LMDC, and wondered what is price tag for the entire event (Answer: Approximately $2 Million.) He argued that if the Civic Alliance were to spread $2 Million among its member organizations, we could effectively do some work with the downtown community to design plans for Civic Amenities, such as a Brooklyn Bridge park. 3.8.3. Bob Yaro responded that it seems Alliance members want more input into the content of the program. In crafting the content, which options do we put on the table? 3.8.4. Diane Horning, who lost her son on September 11, voiced her concern that LMDC is heavily weighted with allegiance to Governor Pataki. LMDC also is focusing on the 16 acres while the Civic Alliance looks at all of Lower Manhattan. Her comment to the communications team: family members are not being considered in this process at all. Also, families are not organized together, and they're not all located in New York. 3.8.5. Jeanine Thomas, Community Services Society commented that she represents undocumented workers and the like. How much representation do we need from her organization? 3.8.6. David Kallick hoped that the concluding sentiment of Charles Bagli's article in the NY Times after the February conference would not be true for July: that we hope this isn't just a chance for citizens to vet, and that building public involvement isn't just a matter of siphoning off that responsibility to the Civic Alliance. There needs to be follow through after the event to truly affect the public process. 3.8.7. Rivka Mazar: We need to pay careful attention to the visual images that we use. Also, what is the thinking behind involving facilitators from all 50 states? 3.8.8. Carolyn: there has been significant interest in this issue from around the county, and this a way that people can donate their time. Also: we will provide translation the day of the event in six languages. 3.8.9. Rick Bell: Content will be influenced by the timing of LMDC's process. Listening to the City is currently scheduled for nineteen days after the first deliverable of LMDC, if they stick to their schedule. Also, NYNV has released their Growth Strategies report today. The Civic Alliance should be cognizant of all the materials available, and especially the NYNV work for visuals. 3.8.10. In response to numerous concerns about crafting the content for Listening to the City, a "content committee" has been formed, which will be chaired by Paul Elston. The content committee will work with Alex Marshall, Senior Editor at RPA, and the Listening to the City team to form the briefing book for Listening to the City. In the case that the LMDC deliverables get pushed back, we should still be able to get a preliminary sense if direction coming from the consultants for use at Listening to the City 4. Bob Yaro: This brings us to the next item on the agenda. We have had a series of conversations with LMDC and the Port Authority - and many of their members were at the Regional Assembly. The next step is for the working groups of the Civic Alliance to meet with key staff members of LMDC and PA to make their points of view known to LMDC staff members. Working groups should begin to identify key recommendations to focus on in their meetings with LMDC staff. LMDC has 1-2 people working on each area. As for the Port Authority, it's not as clear how we will be relating with them. We had a meeting with Joe Seymour and have explained to them what we are doing. 4.1. Holly Leicht, MAS: Civic Alliance should be advocates for public involvement. Apparently, McGreevey's office asked for a public hearing in New Jersey and the LMDC said no. 4.2. Gene Russianoff, NYPIRG: LMDC is a fast-moving process and I know that everyone in this room wants to influence it. On the other hand, we are committed to a rich, inclusive process. There is a tension there. The Civic Alliance might consider putting together its own ideal process. 4.3. Rob Lane: Our ideal process would probably take a lot longer than LMDC is thinking. 4.4. David Kallick: RPA has been thinking about the region for a long time. Accepting the constraints of LMDC, there is significant diversity in Lower Manhattan alone with Chinatown, the Lower East Side, etc. Of the people who worked in the WTC, 80% were people from other parts of the region. 4.5. Bob Yaro: With all the work that has been done by the Civic Alliance, New York New Visions and others we have the components of a Master Plan in the making. We now need to refine 50 or so recommendations throughout the Planning Framework down to about 10. 5. In other business, we'd like to announce the formation of a Finance working group. Janette Sadik-Khan will be chairing this committee and we are looking for people to work on it that have significant amounts of transportation infrastructure financing experience. Interested parties should contact Petra and the first meeting will be set up in the next few weeks. 6. Julie Caniglia of Project for Public Spaces next gave a presentation on the new website, "DowntownNYC.org." This website is a creation of the Civic Amenities working group of the Civic Alliance and aims to outline different issues, problems, and questions at stake in rebuilding Lower Manhattan and especially in creating public amenities to make downtown a more pleasant place to live, work, and play. 7. The goal of the site is to put the recommendations of the Civic Amenities working group online for people to read and react to. The site is currently live and comments are already being received. Check it out 8. The next Civic Alliance meeting will take place on Monday, June 24 at 8:30 AM. Location will be announced. 9. The meeting adjourned at approximately 10:25 AM. |
MAKE HISTORY! Listening to the City Jacob Javits Center Saturday, July 20, 2002 8AM - 4PM LISTENING TO THE CITY ***************************************** The attack on the World Trade Center has affected not only those working and living in lower Manhattan, but everyone in the New York tri-state area and the country at large. Among other things, it has affected our economy and our basic sense of security. Likewise, the rebuilding of downtown will have an impact on the future economy, the lives of people living there, our progress as a nation towards the future and most importantly how we feel about each other as New Yorkers. This historic event, "Listening to the City," will bring together 5,000 people at the Jacob Javits Convention Center to participate in a 21st Century town hall meeting to consider plans for the redevelopment of Lower Manhattan and the creation of a permanent memorial in honor of the victims of the 9/11. This will be the FIRST public discussion of the 6 rebuilding plans, for both the WTC site and the city as a whole, that will be proposed by the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. It will also be a rare chance to express your ideas on how downtown, the 5 boroughs and the tri-state area at large should be connected, economically, physically and socially, in order to build a public fabric that best benefits our progress as a people. "Listening to the City" is being organized by "The Civic Alliance to Rebuild Lower Manhattan," a coalition of more than 85 civic, business, environmental, community, university and labor groups, all committed to ensuring that community voices are heard. "Listening to the City" is designed to take an accurate measure of public sentiment on the rebuilding of downtown and the need to memorialize the thousands of people who lost their lives in the 9/11 attack. It will also be a unique opportunity to tell the politicians what YOU think downtown should look like and what should be done to reinvigorate the lives of the people living and working there, the vitality of its small and large businesses and ways in which we can make it a place the whole tri-state area and the country can feel a living part of. JULY 20th, 2002 This event will employ modern interactive technologies that combine small and large group discussions. At key points, participants will have the opportunity to vote on critical issues and options brought before the entire group, as well as express there own original ideas. Professional facilitators at each table will lead face-to-face discussions, capture thoughts on laptop computers and then electronically transmit them to a theme team. This team will combine the inputs, frame questions and project them on large video screens for the entire group's consideration. Individual participants will then use wireless polling keypads to voice their preferences on the questions, with results being instantly displayed. Participant input will be widely disseminated to decision makers, who have committed to seriously consider its recommendations. At the event, the region's rich ethnic, racial, and geographic diversity will be fully represented. Participants will be made up of residents and workers, survivors and families of victims, emergency and rescue workers, students, immigrants, business and property owners, youth, the homeless and citizens and civic leaders from all walks of life. Participants are requested to stay for the entire program. Check-in and breakfast begins at 8 AM. The program will begin at 9 AM. and end at 4 PM. Registration is free and includes lunch and beverages. Vegetarian and kosher lunches will be available (no special orders necessary). Childcare will be provided for anyone who needs it. Listening to the City is fully sanctioned and supported by the key city and state government organizations that have authority for developing the area. Decision makers associated with these organizations are committed to seriously considering the perspectives and recommendations expressed by the people who attend this event. Remember and Rebuild. Help shape the plans for the redevelopment of Downtown New York and the creation of a memorial for 9/11. On Saturday, July 20, 2002, join 5000 people for this historic, interactive, 21st century town hall meeting. Participation is free but SPACE IS LIMITED. SO REGISTER TODAY! Register by calling 1 800 862-3154 or on the web @ www.listeningtothecity.org Free breakfast, lunch and childcare will be provided. For more information, please call Michael Oliva @ 917 438-4610 *For those who cannot attend for religious or other reasons, a subsequent event will be held on Monday, July 22nd. For this event you must register on a first come/first-served basis. For more information on the Monday event call: 212 404-3041 |
Dear Civic Alliance Members: Attached and pasted below are the minutes from the Civic Alliance general meeting on June 24 at the Salmagundi club. These can also be read at www.civic-alliance.org. The next Civic Alliance Meeting will take place on Wednesday, July 31 at 8:30 AM. Location is to be announced. Please note, during the summer months Civic Alliance meetings will now take place on Wednesday mornings instead of Monday mornings to better accommodate everyone's vacation schedules. Don't forget to register now for Listening to the City July 20! Call 1-800-862-3154 (bilingual operators available 24/7) or visit www.listeningtothecity.org Happy Holliday weekend! Petra Todorovich Regional Plan Association 4 Irving Place, 7th Floor New York, NY 10009 T: 212-253-2727 x322 F: 212-253-5666 Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York Monday, June 24, 2002 8:30 AM Salmagundi Club 47 5th Avenue New York City Meeting Minutes * Bob Yaro opened the meeting and gave an overview of the agenda which included discussing the "Action Agenda" of the Civic Alliance and hearing from select working groups on revisions to their planning framework chapter. In the next coming weeks we plan to finalize the planning framework and use it as a platform for advocacy on a short list of issues that the Civic Alliance should champion. * Petra Todorovich gave a report on comments received to the Draft Planning Framework. This summary reflected written comments received only and not comments submitted directly to working groups or comments voiced in meetings. A summary of these comments is available. * Jeff Zupan gave an update on the ESTA Core Group/ Civic Alliance Transportation working group summary of "big pops." He noted that this was a short list of advocacy priorities, not the revised chapter of the Planning Framework. The group chose to highlight items that are particularly important and items that demand immediate advocacy. They chose to shift items that fall under the purview of other working groups, such as urban design, and drop issues that already have broad support. o The report outlined 6 "keepers" including: * Creating a new transportation hub, underground walkway and PATH station at Church Street. * Street management plan and pricing system * Plan for hi-speed buses, and storage space * Plan for moving goods & refuse in and out of Lower Manhattan * Other issues included West Street, and how to pay for all of these transportation needs. o This document will be available online shortly. o Questions and comments: * On the subject of the underground concourse, will it take life away from the street? Should the Civic Alliance take a stance on this? * The document deals with commuter rail but does not take into account rail freight. * Jeff: We need to deal with goods movement. So far, the Port Authority has not reacted favorably to carting trash in PATH trains. * The PA has agreed to evaluate options for rail removal of waste, including using PATH and barges. * They are taking this issue seriously, yet they have some concerns. * I don't mind if issues drop but it seems there should be some cross-reference to the different chapters. For example, the transportation hub: The LMDC blueprint did call for this to be a landmark structure, etc. We shouldn't back away from what we've already achieved. Also: I advise you to not define transportation so narrowly. * The intent is not to undercut what we've already gotten agreement on. Instead, let's focus our advocacy on issues that are still in contention. * On the issue of solid waste: The Chief architect of the Port Authority knew nothing about this issue about 10 days ago. This is not just a transportation issues but an environmental and social justice issue as well. * We sent the letter recently, so he should be aware by now. * What is the status on the short term and long term stations of PATH downtown? * The interim station is currently being rebuilt in its old location. I have recently heard that they could possibly make the interim station a permanent station - turning wall board into marble-it you will. * $150 Million is being spent by the PA on an interim station - it would be cheaper to keep it where it is than to move it to Church Street. However if you move it to Church street you shorten walking times to points Eastwards and you bring it closer to the transportation hub at Fulton Street. Also if the station is built at Church street, it can accommodate 10 cars, which will increase capacity by 25%. LMDC has been pushing to extend the station to Broadway but there are serious costs associated with this proposal. To do this a new tunnel reaching outside of the bathtub would need to be built. The Civic Alliance needs to be a vocal advocate for replacing the station at Church Street. * Would it be possible to have two new stations in Lower Manhattan? * This has not been met with a positive evaluation. It also increases costs significantly. * I don't see the 2nd Avenue subway prominently featured among these "big pops." Can we actually say that there has been genuine progress on this proposal? Members of the Alliance criticized LMDC for not featuring this prominently in their blueprint, and now we too are giving it second banana status. * Jeff: I guess we need to renew and reinforce our commitment to this committed-to project. Also, I meant to note earlier: if any new commuter rail to Lower Manhattan considered, it should not reduce existing subway service. * This needs to be a bold point. The danger is that no one is talking about it. The Second Avenue subway would serve up to 1 Million passengers a day. A portion of the $20 billion should be allocated to building the Lower Manhattan portion of the Second Avenue subway. * Buses, and especially clean fuel buses should be used as much as possible. The language in here is not strong enough. We need to recommend that using clean fuel buses should be written into contracts, and that Lower Manhattan should be a "clean fuel" zone. I will suggest language for you to incorporate. * Also-you mentioned that there would be a link to Metro North at the 125th Street station in the MetroLink proposal. Should you stress this detail because there is such an interest in commuter rail to Lower Manhattan? * We had stated earlier that we recommend Light Rail in Lower Manhattan. I notice that it has disappeared from this document. Perhaps we should reinsert it in the context of bus traffic and as a way to move tourist traffic around. * Zupan: ESTA is concerned about the deluge of tourist buses, and is open to surface substitutes such as light rail. * Bob Yaro: We need to highlight the following points: bus access, and a street management plan or circulation system. * Light rail can be integrated with cars. * Waste movement often affects other communities. What are we going to do about the "other end" of waste management? * From the viewpoint of the local community, increased commuter buses, torn-up streets and construction will be very disruptive and chaotic. * It is clear that in order to increase subway capacity, a new tunnel under the East River will need to be built. * I am concerned about the fact that the Second Avenue subway is a likely 50 years from completion. It's true that the completed project will address regional inequities in transportation and mobility, but until then, what are we to tell commuters in the South Bronx? Let's promote LIRR connections to NY Waterway, which can be done in the short term. Also, let us reopen Metro North stops in the South Bronx to serve low-income communities. * Marian Imperatore, Co-chair of the Memorials Committee next gave a presentation on the revised platform of this group. o Although it hasn't been officially stated, the Memorial process has begun. * LMDC has started meeting with its family advisory groups, and specific language in the RFP for consultant services referred to the memorial. o We recommend that a team of consultants should be hired by LMDC to consult on the memorial process. o The current advisory committee structure in ineffective. We recommend two panels: a professional committee made up of design professionals, a Park Service representative and others, and a Steering Committee, involving family members. o We also recommend that a simple time frame that coordinates with the consultant process be set up. o LMDC should set up a website, which is underway. o There should be a world-class competition both invited and open, for the design of the memorial. o Questions and Comments: * Are we concerned that the planning process being undertaken by Beyer Blinder Belle is too far gone to recommend slowing down at this point? * Marian: We took a more pragmatic stance considering that the chance of slowing down the process over the next 7 months is slim. We are recommending the integration of the memorial process with the consultant's planning work that is underway. * Bob Yaro: We've expressed concerns about the pace of the process. We need to either slow down the planning process or speed up the memorial process. * On the subject of coordinating the schedules of the master plan and the memorial, I think we should talk about initiating the memorial process, but not speeding it up. Our hope is that after the gubernatorial election, the pressure for the planning process to move quickly may be lessened. * A community liaison design professional should be included on one of the memorial advisory committees. * Why can't we make a statement about how the time frame has been too politicized and that rushing doesn't make any sense at all. How can we even think about the design of the memorial until we have the space defined? * We need to put forth a consistent message that the planning process is moving too fast and that a rational process is needed. Furthermore, the memorial should not be separated from the rest of the site. The entire 16 acres should be integrated. * We have expressed our concerns about the pace both privately and publicly: this question should be part of the agenda a Listening to the City. * Chris Jones, Director of Economic Programs at RPA next gave a presentation on the progress of the Economic Development working group. o The economic development working group of the Civic Alliance met on June 13. We considered several questions including: How can the rebuilding process produce a more equitable economy? o We do not advocate "betting on" certain sectors of the economy, but recommend setting up the framework to support the growth of various industries. o Questions and Comments: * I am concerned that there is no jobs program mentioned here. That was a big focus of LCAN and the Community Services Society. I suggest that we include a manufacturing retention strategy, "Buy New York" campaign, and regional purchasing strategy. This has positive environmental implications. * I dissent on advocating a regional purchasing strategy without having specifics on the return on this investment. * To achieve a "carbon neutral area" for environmental sustainability reasons, buying locally makes sense. It also creates jobs in the region. This has both long and short term benefits. * The history of this city demonstrates enormous diversification. However, we have long struggled with the enormous polarization of our region. We need a diversified and balanced economy. * It seems there is a tension between economic development and social justice proposals. * I still maintain that a regional purchasing strategy leads to a more vibrant local economy and cuts down on shipping and transportation costs. * On the subject of tourism, we can design Lower Manhattan to be a model of creative and sustainable redevelopment for the world. It will be a sort of urban eco-tourism in Lower Manhattan. * I have concerns about the recommendations for Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) in the draft chapter and recommend we eliminate that recommendation. * I take exception to eliminating any recommendations about zoning. Using zoning incentives can be an effective measure to create sub-market housing in a financially austere time. Let's sharpen the recommendations rather than eliminate them. * I recommend that we incorporate principles of permaculture into all of our principles for redevelopment so that resources can be fed back into the city. * Amy Chester, of M&R gave an update on outreach for Listening to the City. On Monday there were over 756 people registered for the event. We continue to urge Civic Alliance members to reach out to their organizations and encourage them to attend the event. * It was decided that in the summer months we will hold Civic Alliance meetings on Wednesday mornings. The next meeting will take place Wednesday, July 31. |
This message contains: 1. Announcement of Date change for next Civic Alliance meeting 2. Listening to the City Report released 3. Economic Development Working Group report released 4. Announcement of meeting and formation of working group around "Life Cycle Performance Scorecard" 1. The next meeting date of the Civic Alliance has been changed (again) to: Wednesday, October 16, 8:30 AM Location: To Be Announced. This meeting was originally scheduled for 10/14 (Columbus Day), then 10/15 (conflicted with an R.Dot meeting), so we hope very much to that the 16th will work well for everyone. Stay tuned for an email announcing the meeting's location in the coming days. In the meantime, the dates for upcoming meetings this winter have not changed. Here is a schedule of Civic Alliance general meeting through the end of the year and beyond: Wednesday, October 16, 8:30 - 10:30 am Tuesday, November 12, 8:30 - 10:30 am Monday, December 16, 8:30 - 10:30 am Monday, January 13, 8:30 - 10:30 am Monday, February 10, 8:30 -10:30 am 2. In other exciting news, the Listening to the City Report of Proceedings has now been released and is available for viewing at www.civic-alliance.org <http://www.civic-alliance.org/> , or www.listeningtothecity.org <http://www.listeningtothecity.org/> . Hard copies of this 24-page color report will be distributed at the next Civic Alliance meeting on October 16. We would like to thank everyone from the Civic Alliance who gave their time and energy to this historic forum, and especially the volunteer data coders who helped organize the voluminous amounts of data, which led to the analysis of the meeting results and completion of the Report of Proceedings. 3. The Economic Development working group of the Civic Alliance, co-chaired by Alice Rivlin and Rosemary Scanlon has also been hard at work developing draft economic scenarios for the future of Lower Manhattan. These are included along with two other papers by Hugh Kelley and Richard Florida in the newly released Economic Development Working Group Reports. These reports can also be viewed on the Civic Alliance website at www.civic-alliance.org <http://www.civic-alliance.org/> . 4. A new working group will be forming next week to pursue the development of a "Life Cycle Performance Scorecard" for rebuilding Lower Manhattan and the region. This concept was presented by Paul Epstein of the American Society of Public Administration at the last Civic Alliance meeting on September 18. If you are interested in taking part in this project and would like to join the working group and attend the first meeting, please email Petra Todorovich at Petra@rpa.org. The first meeting is scheduled to take place on: Monday, October 7, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM 4 Washington Square North (NYU/ Wagner) Commons Room, 1st floor RSVP required Regards, Petra Todorovich Regional Plan Association 4 Irving Place, 7th Floor New York, NY 10009 T: 212-253-2727 x322 F: 212-253-5666 |
Below are the minutes from the Civic Alliance transportation meeting on November 12 at Merrill Lynch. Also attached is the PowerPoint presentation presented at the meeting, and a summary of the upcoming Planning Workshop. Regards, Petra Todorovich Regional Plan Association 4 Irving Place, 7th Floor New York, NY 10009 T: 212-253-2727 x322 F: 212-253-5666 Civic Alliance to Rebuild Downtown New York Meeting Notes General Meeting November 12, 2002 Merrill Lynch Bob Yaro opened the meeting and provided an overview of the day's topic: transportation. He mentioned that there has been some disagreement between the RPA and the downtown business community over the prioritization of transportation investments for Lower Manhattan. There is little question that Lower Manhattan needs better access for suburban commuters. Lower Manhattan has traditionally been at a competitive disadvantage compared to midtown because it does not have a one-seat ride from the suburbs. However, there has been some disagreement how to best provide that service (if it is possible) to Lower Manhattan. Jeff Zupan, Senior Transportation Fellow at RPA would present two different alternatives to improve transit service from the outer boroughs and suburbs to Lower Manhattan. The first option is to expedite the construction of the Second Avenue Subway, and accelerate its extension to Brooklyn, which would provide a one seat ride to JFK and Jamaica. The second option is the Brookfield proposal, which would use an existing subway tunnel currently used by the A/C train to provide a rapid rail service on a hybrid car between Jamaica and Lower Manhattan. Jeff Zupan gave a presentation on short and long-term transportation improvements for Lower Manhattan. The PowerPoint can be viewed at www.civic-alliance.org <http://www.civic-alliance.org/> . Questions and Comments: Al Papp, Association of New Jersey Railroad Passengers made the comment that Zupan's presentation had neglected to mention the prospect of connecting PATH service to the Lexington Avenue subway lines. He emphasized that this was a very important project for New Jersey commuters, and that the Association of NJ RR passengers has contacted many public officials who have responded positively to the project. Ethel Sheffer, American Planning Association asked whether we have heard from the MTA or the other agencies when they expect all of these studies to be complete. Ron Shiffman remarked that when thinking about prioritizing transit project we really should focus on how the financing is being carved up. There was a motion to support "Rebuilding PATH train in its existing location and supporting the rationalization of the transit hub with major facilities at Church Street/ WTC Site and Broadway/Nassau Street, and a pedestrian corridor between them that is built with the flexibility to allow for both pedestrian and goods movement." Before the motion was passed, Al Papp remarked that the two projects of extending PATH station to the Lexington Avenue line and rebuilding PATH in its existing location are not mutually exclusive. We would like to see the motion modified so that the rebuilt PATH that does not preclude the possibility of extending PATH to the Lexington line. Jeff Zupan replied that he would be more comfortable if we only modify the motion to say that we support the study of extending PATH to the Lexington line. I'm not sure if we want to support rebuilding PATH with that flexibility if it turns out to be technically unfeasible. Marian Imperatore brought up that an important aspect of the Civic Amenities work was providing an east-west connection across Lower Manhattan. This should be emphasized in the pedestrian corridor, and it should possibly be extended river to river. The motion was modified to state that the Civic Alliance endorses the location of PATH at the permanent site with connection to the Fulton complex to not preclude the study of connection to Lexington line, or other lines, and calls for the agencies to design a concourse that is integrated into the broader circulation system with possibilities for goods movement and waste transfer. Short Term Recommendations Next the discussion shifted to a series of short-term recommendations for improvements in transit service that Jeff had included in this presentation. These included: * Expanded ferry service * Long Island City to LM * Demonstration of subsidized ferries * Battery Marine Terminal * Shorter term subway improvements * J train express * Train to the AirTrain to the Plane * Pedestrian corridor at Grand Central to Lexington Avenue line * Kennedy Airport's AirTrain will be connected to Howard Beach and A train soon; could provide interim good quality two-seat ride to Kennedy Airport * Recommendation: Support MTA's look at J train; support marketing of the 21 Century "trains to the planes" * Recommendations: LIRR upgrade facilities and service in LIC. NYC should begin a demonstration of subsidized ferry service. Study of Battery Marine Terminal should be undertaken to accommodate added services. There was a motion to approve these recommendations as having general support from the meeting participants. The motion was seconded and passed with one abstention. South Ferry Station Next the discussion shifted to the subject of rebuilding the South Ferry station of the 1/9 line. The station is one the oldest subway stations in the city and suffers from a reduced platform at which only the first five cars can disembark. This presents safety issues for people who have to transfer from car to car, an inconvenience for riders. It also slows service on the entire 1/9 line because cars must slow down and laboriously turn the loop, slowing down service. The proposed position for the Civic Alliance is to support the straightening of the loop and possibly extending it to the Battery Maritime Building to create an inter-modal link between ferry service and the subway. Rick Muller from the Office of Manhattan Borough President Virginia Fields pointed out that residents of Lower Manhattan are concerned about the impacts that construction on this project might have on their community and particularly to Batter Park. Apparently there are 120 mature trees that could be dislocated by the construction of this project. Jeff Zupan replied that a great number of London Plain trees were temporarily dislocated during the renovations of Bryant Park and they were replanted successfully, as they continue to grow today. After some discussion, there was a motion that the "sense of the meeting" is to support the renovation of the South Ferry station, in order to straighten the loop, and connect it to the Battery Maritime Ferry terminal to create an inter-modal transportation hub, if possible. The motion was seconded and passed, with one abstention. Rector Connector Discussion on the Rector Connector project was introduced. This project would cost an estimated $80 million dollars and would connect the 1/9 subway with the N/R subway lines. While not providing a direct benefit to commuters traveling Lower Manhattan, the project is located in Lower Manhattan, and improves mobility between those traveling between parts of Brooklyn and the Lower West Side. George Penesis asked whether the need for this project was passed on hard data of travel patterns. The studies for this project have not been completed. There was a motion to support further study of the Rector Connect project. The motion was seconded and approved. Tolls on East River Bridges The discussion then shifted to the subject of tolling East River Bridges. Several people commented on the importance of tying value pricing or congestion pricing techniques to the prospect of providing clean air. It was echoed that for people in Brooklyn (and this project must be palatable for people in Brooklyn if it will pass) clean air is an important issue. Bob Yaro mentioned that funds generated by East River tolling could be put towards East Side access tunnels, and other important transportation projects. He also described a recent conversation he had with Bob Kiley, who now works for the City if London Transit authority who suggested that if politicians were intent on using the money generated to close the city's budget gap, this could possibly be agreed upon for a two-year time limit, at the end of which the funding would be used for transportation projects. Roger Herz objected to this approach as a starting point. He thought that we should begin by demanding any funding generated be devoted to transportation project, and only adopt the position described by Bob in the last stages of negotiation, if necessary. After some more discussion a motion was proposed that we support east river tolling on bridges with the goal of using the funding generated for the transit system. The motion passed with one abstention. Brookfield Proposal Al Papp opened the discussion on the Brookfield proposal by wondering how we can justify spending several billion on what is basically the embellishment of an existing subway line. He suggested that we should put two tunnels under the East river, and they should be regional rail connections. If you're going to spend that much money, it should be on commuter rail. Jeff Zupan replied that it is still a question whether you can bring commuter rail into Lower Manhattan. The MTA studied this option several years ago and found it very difficult. David Kallick made the comment that if the Second Avenue subway is presented as an alternative we're now talking about a price tag in the high billions. At a macro level, we are comparing suburban sprawl to the multi-center city concept. How does the Second Avenue subway proposal support the idea of multi-centered cities? Jeff Zupan replied that the Metrolink proposal for Second Avenue Subway is a four-borough system connecting Jamaica, Downtown Brooklyn, and other centers. It would definitely improve mobility between these centers, benefiting their economy and commuters all over the city. Beverly Willis made the point that roughly 11% of commuters to Lower Manhattan are coming from the suburbs. Some years ago, after extensive hearings in Long Island, Long Islanders voted against increasing Long Island Rail Road service in favor of adding a third lane of traffic to the Long Island Expressway. Ron Shiffman pointed out that the argument of providing transportation for the "executive class" from the suburbs is not necessarily a strong one because increasingly executives are located in Brooklyn in places like Park Slope, Fort Greene, and Brooklyn Heights. He was willing to bet that there may be as many executives who would be negatively impacted by the Brookfield proposal (by reduction in the A & C subway service) than would benefit. He added that in supporting a regional transportation network, we must also look for ways to increase mobility between New York and New Jersey. Gene Russianoff argued that the Brookfield project is a misallocation of resources. It is an exclusive project. Just yesterday a booster for the project made the comment at an ESTA meeting that they would charge a higher fare for this service so that it would remain exclusive for Long Island Railroad riders, not passengers boarding at Jamaica. George Penesis asked whether we can examine the demography of who is being served by this proposal. Jeff Zupan speculated that the Brookfield proposal would take five years to build if there was absolutely no opposition to the project (Gene Russianoff pointed out that the Straphangers will most definitely oppose the project.) The question of getting good data depends on the journey-to-work data from the 2000 census, which is still not out yet. Jeff Zupan suggested that we the Civic Alliance call for the $250 million recently allotted to study the Brookfield proposal to be used instead to do a definitive study of all the alternatives for improving regional and inter-borough connections to Lower Manhattan. We support the study of the 2nd Avenue subway and extensions of the 2nd Avenue subway into Brooklyn using these funds, and we express skepticism of the Brookfield proposal. There was some discussion around whether or not to pass the proposed language. Someone made the comment that the Brookfield proposal would only benefit approximately 7000 commuters. It was suggested that instead of "expressing skepticism" we should instead "reject" the Brookfield proposal as the sense of the meeting. It was motioned that the sense of the meeting is that we reject the Brookfield Proposal, and encourage the use of the $250 million for a definitive study of all the transit options for improving regional access to Lower Manhattan, including and extended Second Avenue Subway. The motion passed with one abstention. This concluded the transportation portion of the meeting. Planning Workshop Bob Yaro then gave an update on the Civic Alliance Planning Workshop, planned for December 13 - 17, 2002. The workshop will take three scenarios developed by the economic development working group of the civic alliance and create alternative development programs for Lower Manhattan, and visualizations on the scale of Lower Manhattan, the World Trade Center Site, and the Region. At the workshop each team will focus on one of the scenarios and will look at the entire district of Lower Manhattan, not just the World Trade Center site. The timing of the workshop will take place before the LMDC and the Port Authority release the results of their second phase of the design study, but we hope to add constructively to that process. There will also be a resource team providing technical expertise to the team members, and ESRI, the firm that create GIS software has volunteered software and technical assistance to the exercise. The Civic Alliance meeting on Monday, December 16 will serve a mid-course correction to the team members, at which we will get a chance to critique what they have come up with half way through the exercise. A summary of the workshop is included with these minutes. Finally, Diana Balmori gave an update on the Memorial Conversation series. Two dinners have taken place at her home recently in which members of the Civic Alliance memorial committee, family members, historians, artists and scholars have gotten together to discuss the subject of memorializing, and have started to broach difficult questions about the memorial in a convivial relaxed setting. The dinners have been very successful, and created a lot of good will. One of the dinners was recently written up by Paul Goldberger in the "Talk of the Town" section of The New Yorker Magazine. The memorial committee plans to host some more dinners and possible a lecture series. The meeting concluded at approximately 10:45 AM. |
