Here's word via Sen. Jose M. Serrano about a scoping meeting tonight on rezoning the lower Grand Concourse ....The Dept. of City Planning has announced plans to re-zone the Lower Concourse. A public scoping meeting will be held tonight at Hostos Community College to solicit comments and input with regard to the draft scope of work. Senator Serrano (who's in Albany, for the end of legislative session) will have staff on hand to deliver his testimony. The Senator encourages all residents to come and share their own testimony. Nobody knows the Bronx better than Bronxites, and it's so important for City Planning officials to hear from you. A successful re-zoning process depends on strong community engagement!
When: TONIGHT, June 19 at 4 p.m.
Where: Hostos Community College
450 Grand Concourse, 3rd Floor
Where: Hostos Community College
450 Grand Concourse, 3rd Floor
For additional information, contact the Dept. of City Planning's Bronx Borough Office at (718) 220-8500
Achieving a Shovel Ready Waterfront Park
ReplyDelete& Real Access in the Short-term
Department of City Planning Public Hearing
Lower Concourse ReZoning Proposal
Testimony April 1st 2009, based from Bronx Borough President’s Hearing March 10, 2009
Good morning. My name is Harry J. Bubbins, Director of Friends of Brook Park (FoBP), the South, South Bronx based environmental, arts and sustainable development organization. FoBP is committed to ensuring that our Mott Haven, Melrose and Port Morris communities enjoy easy access to our waterfront and full enjoyment of the current and proposed public amenities, including public sports fields, natural areas, shore line greenway, waterfront and river access and more.
This testimony pertains to the Lower Concourse Rezoning Public Review process now underway.
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 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 approve the final version of this.
One, real 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 in the truest sense of the word, which would be inclusive of on-water recreational opportunities. 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 indeterminate time in the unknown future.
RECOMMENDATION: Include and map the shovel ready site at the end of Park Avenue, as featured on the cover==>
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. This is a shovel ready location. 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 site is featured on the cover of the NYC Department of City Planning’s Bronx Harlem River Waterfront Bicycle and Pedestrian Study, 2006.
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. With this minor modification that in no way detracts from any of the proposed ReZoning goals or plans we can achieve immediate waterfront park and access with minimal if any Capital costs.
With this slight extension of the proposed map by a mere 100 feet to the South along the Harlem River we will successfully achieve one of the major stated goals of the ReZoning, which is to “Provide new waterfront open space to an underserved community.” The Williamsburg/Greenpoint Rezoning recognized local aspirations and this recommendation comes well under the threshold for an EIS.
This waterfront open space at the end of Park Avenue would work to support the longer-term effort to create a continuous promenade along the Harlem River and connect the proposed parks to the north with the existing Port Morris community to the south.
Thank you for your time and attention. We look forward to your response to the public in this review process to gain substantial benefits for our community.