NYCkayaker Lower manhattan water access--important meeting!

[Rob Buchanan]

The Waterfront Committee of Community Board 1 (lower Manhattan) will meet
next Monday, November 27, and two of the four items on the agenda ought to
be of particular interest to members of this list.

Item number one is a preview by the Economic Development Corporation of the
upcoming ULURP (land use review process) for the East River Waterfront
Promenade and Piers Project. So far, the EDC hasn't shown much interest in
providing access to or from the water along this substantial and historic
stretch of the waterfront, but that could change with enough support from
local residents and the human-powered boating community.

Item number four is a discussion of issues relating to Hudson River Park in
Segment 3--specifically, the question of what's going to happen on Pier 26,
which was (until the money ran out) supposed to be the site of a new
estuariam and boathouse. Constructive comments made now could, conceivably,
have an effect on how the Hudson River Park Trust approaches boathouse, boat
storage and access issues in the future.

It's worth noting that the Waterfront Committee has some new members and a
new chair, Julie Nadel, who's knowledgable about the harbor's workings and
seems interested in the idea of expanded access.

I urge anyone with an interest in these matters to attend, to participate in
the discussion, and to spread the word about the importance of both places
for recreational boating. We're talking about the tip of Manhattan Island,
New York's original port and the kernel from which the city sprang. Whatever
happens (or doesn't happen) here is going to have a profound influence on
everything else. 

The meeting is in the CB #1 Office at 49-51 Chambers Street, Room 709, at 6
pm.

--Rob Buchanan