NYCkayaker Meeting re boathouse at Pier 26 tonight?

Wed Jan 24 11:12:55 EST 2007

Keep in mind that Gov. Spitzer has already replaced a really dysfunctional 
MTA chairman. And in that spirit, please write

The Honorable Eliot Spitzer
120 Broadway
New York City, NY 10271

and tell him what you think of HRPT management.  I did and I actually got 
a very nice reply back from one of his staff.  Which is better results 
then I got from 3 letters to Pataki.  The paddling governor indeed!!!

Bob Huszar

On Wed, 24 Jan 2007, Rob Buchanan wrote:

> I agree that a lot of sense was made at last night's meeting. But I'm
> wondering if any of it will matter. That announcement at the outset that the
> hrp trust had construction drawings for the boathouse that were 'virtually
> 100 percent complete' and would be putting them out to bid in april would
> seem to pre-empt any real community input. That said, here's my two cents,
> in case the trust turns out to be bluffing, or eliot spitzer comes in and
> gives connie fishman a stern talking-to about NOT building another white
> elephant.
>
>
> 1) let's cut all the extras, on the theory that the less money is wasted on
> frills, the more can be spent on raw space. So, no fabulous soaring
> rooflines or jungle gym aluminum superstructures. No showers, no central
> heating, no insulation, no bathrooms even (as jim wetteroth pointed out,
> toilets never really work on piers).
>
> 2) let's make sure the space is flexible enough to accommodate not only
> kayaks, but also rowing gigs and even six-man outrigger canoes. I know that
> the downtown boathouse is envisioned as the tenant here, and that means
> mostly kayaks, but as recreational boating on the harbor grows, the
> community's needs and interests will surely diversify. Bmcc, which is right
> next door, has a rowing program on pier 40 now, but what happens when that
> gets rebuilt? Will downtowners wanting to row or paddle together really trek
> all the way up to midtown to get on the water? Anyway, designwise it's not a
> big deal--it just means bigger doors and good high ceilings--at least 12
> feet, so that oars can be stood on end (something the architects of the MIT
> boathouse in Boston famously forgot)--and a davit or two.
>
> 3) let's not let them put a lock on the gate or door at the head of the ramp
> that runs down to the dock. There can be plenty of fierce signage, but for
> me, at least, more important than the boathouse itself is the idea of open
> access. Without that, we're just rats fenced into a cage, pathetic little
> minions who need to go begging permission from their minders in order to
> enjoy a day on the water. In the long run, that can't be good for the
> community, especially one with such a proud nautical heritage.
>
> 4) let's insist on a couple of big barn doors on the south side of the
> building, even though boats will be launched to the west. There's nothing
> nicer than hanging out in a sunny, protected spot on a blustery winter day
> when the wind is out of the northwest.
>
>
> On 1/23/07 9:53 AM, "bonnie13 at earthlink.net" <bonnie13 at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> And it was DEFINITELY interested. Pier 26 is not somewhere I personally EVER
>> would have expected to store a boat but I was depressed just on general
>> principal when I read that Downtown Express article about the Trust cutting
>> the Tribeca boathouse because they didn't have the budget - when it's so
>> freaking obvious that the boathouses they ARE building are just plain over-
>> (and mis-) designed & for the cost of the 2 they've already built, they could
>> probably have afforded at least 3 simpler boathouses that actually would have
>> worked better. Bleah.
>>
>> So nice to hear sense being spoken at that meeting last night.
>>
>> too many deadlines today I did a bit of a writeup on my blog -
>> www.frogma.blogspot.com -  it's not great 'cause I did it too fast after I got
>> home last night, but I think it gives the general sense (attendees are MORE
>> than welcome to send me any corrections or clarifications).
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: "j,duffy1" <j.duffy1 at rcn.com>
>>> Sent: Jan 22, 2007 5:53 PM
>>> To: bonnie13 at earthlink.net
>>> Cc: nyckayaker <nyckayaker at rockandwater.net>, pier63holdtrips
>>> <pier63holdtrips at yahoogroups.com>, greenland list
>>> <greenland-list at brooklynkayak.com>
>>> Subject: Re: NYCkayaker Meeting re boathouse at Pier 26 tonight?
>>>
>>> Thank you, Bonnie.  This meeting was set last week at the first Pier
>>> 25-26 subgroup meeting, and most of the usual suspects were there.  I
>>> should have posted it to the list, but I forgot.  It should be interesting.
>>>
>>> Jim Wetteroth,
>>>
>>> bonnie13 at earthlink.net wrote:
>>>
>>>> Sorry, can't remember if anybody else announced this already but there's a
>>>> meeting that might be of interest tonight - I don't know if I can make it,
>>>> if I do it's out of curiousity & I only intend to listen - but I suddenly
>>>> realized I hadn't done a thing to pass the word.  It's on their public
>>>> notice section at www.cb1.org . I have no more details than this.
>>>>
>>>> Waterfront Committee
>>>> DATE:  Monday, January 22, 2007
>>>> TIME:  6:00 PM
>>>> PLACE:  Community Board #1 Office
>>>> 49-51 Chambers Street, Room 709
>>>>
>>>> Agenda
>>>> 1)  East River Waterfront  Preview on upcoming ULURP action  Presentation
>>>> by EDC
>>>> 2) Strategic planning needs assessment discussion lead by Michael Levine,
>>>> Director of Planning and Land Use of CB #1
>>>>
>>>> Pier 26  Boat House 7:30 PM
>>>> 1) Subgroup working session
>>>>
>>>> Sorry again about the late notice and/or duplication. Since I've disengaged
>>>> from the Hudson River scene & gone to Jamaica Bay I'm a little out of the
>>>> loop.
>>>>
>>>>
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>>
>>
>> **********************************************************************
>> The NYCKayaker mailing list is hosted by www.rockandwater.net, and is a public
>> service offered to the kayaking community by the Hudson River Watertrail
>> Association. Learn more about HRWA at www.hrwa.org
>>
>> To unsubscribe or change delivery options:
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>
>
> **********************************************************************
> The NYCKayaker mailing list is hosted by www.rockandwater.net, and is a public service offered to the kayaking community by the Hudson River Watertrail Association. Learn more about HRWA at www.hrwa.org
>
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