NYCkayaker Roosevelt Island Memorial alternative

[gpollara at feri.org]

Dear Mr. Baard,

The Kahn design has a riprap edge, not a bulkhead.

Gina Pollara


----- Original Message -----
From: erikbaard at gmail.com
To: "gpollara at feri.org" <gpollara at feri.org>
Cc:
wvanden at allenco.com,jmartinez at allenco.com,broches at mitchellgiurgola.com
,webmaster at rooseveltisland.us,ccraft at waterwire.net,rlewis at waterwire.net
,rmelnick99 at earthlink.net,rooseveltislander at gmail.com,editor at MainStreetWIRE.com
,info at carolynmaloney.com,lappin at council.nyc.ny.us,KellnerM at assembly.state.ny.us
,nyckayaker at rockandwater.net,cyberharbor at treebranch.com
Subject: Re: Roosevelt Island Memorial alternative
Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 17:02:11 +0000

> To clarify:"...against the millions that would be spent in
> the southern Roosevelt Island design's *bulkhead* to
> detract from beauty everwhere in that park."Sent from my
> BlackBerry® wireless device-----Original
Message-----From:
> "gpollara at feri.org" <gpollara at feri.org>Date: Thu, 01 May
> 2008 11:24:41 To:"Erik Baard"
> <erikbaard at gmail.com>Cc:wvanden at allenco.com
> ,jmartinez at allenco.com,broches at mitchellgiurgola.com
> ,webmaster at rooseveltisland.us,ccraft at waterwire.net
> ,rlewis at waterwire.net,rmelnick99 at earthlink.net
> ,rooseveltislander at gmail.com,editor at MainStreetWIRE.com
> ,info at carolynmaloney.com,lappin at council.nyc.ny.us
> ,KellnerM at assembly.state.ny.us,nyckayaker at rockandwater.net
> ,cyberharbor at treebranch.comSubject: Re: Roosevelt Island
> Memorial alternativeDear Mr. Baard,Thank you for taking
> the time to express your carefulthoughts about the FDR
> Four Freedoms Park. I understand yourdesire to have
> "natural elements" and a "soft shoreline." AsI am sure you
> know from your many hours on the water, theEast River is
> not a river, per se.
>  It is a tidal strait thatis subject to tidal fluctuations
> and also some of thestrongest currents in the area.
> Because of this, a softshoreline is not possible at the
> southern tip of RooseveltIsland. One need only look across
> the river to the GantryPlaza State Park in Long Island
> City to understand theimplications.At that park, there was
> an attempt to create the kind ofsoft shoreline you are
> suggesting, by planting naturalgrasses to create a marshy
> type edge. That park hasexperienced ongoing erosion
> problems that are evidenteverywhere. Those grasses (and
> the thousands of dollarsspent to purchase and plant them)
> were washed out into theEast River in a matter of weeks.
> Riprap has since been putin those areas to alleviate the
> problem and stop the erosionloss, something which has not
> quite been solved as yet. Ifyou make a trip to the Park
> you will see many areas oferosion, areas where the granite
> is in danger of fallinginto the River, and areas that have
> been undermined by washout beneath once-level granite wal
> ks. And this in areas muchmore protected than the southern
> tip of Roosevelt Island.The riprap edge that currently
> exists at the southern tip isthere to protect the island
> from just this kind of erosionfrom wave action. The riprap
> breaks up and absorbs theenergy of the tides. The Kahn
> design also makes use of thisriprap edge, and for the same
> reasons. The storms that blowup the East Coast can pound
> quite hard on the southern tipand, as you may know, there
> have been times when thecombination of tidal heights and
> lunar cycles have made thewaters from these storms breach
> the promenade. The currentstate of the seawalls around
> Roosevelt Island is alsoevidence of the harsh conditions
> the island is subject to.The East River is not like the
> Hudson, which can accomodatethe kind of edge, plants,
> creatures and birds you describe.I am often reminded of
> the words of the writer and poet PaulGoodman, who called
> it "the lordly Hudson, hardly flowing." I support and
> applaud all the efforts to renew the use ofthe waterfront
> o f our City. I, in fact, contributed to anarchival
> project and exhibition that was published in a bookcalled
> The New York Waterfront that looked at this issueback
> before it became so prominent. Part of what needs to
> beincluded in this current push to reconnect City
> residents totheir waterfront is basic life and water
> safety education. Ahealthly respect for and understanding
> of our water andwaterfront in all its nuanced forms should
> be part of thisrenewal. I hear all too frequently about
> unfortunateincidents (some fatal) that occur because that
> essentialinformation has been overlooked.Best regards,Gina
> Pollara----- Original Message -----From: "Erik Baard"
> <erikbaard at gmail.com>To: gpollara at feri.orgCc:
> webmaster at rooseveltisland.us, ccraft at waterwire.net
> ,rlewis at waterwire.net,  rmelnick99 at earthlink.net
> ,rooseveltislander at gmail.com,  editor at MainStreetWIRE.com
> ,info at carolynmaloney.com,  lappin at council.nyc.ny.us
> ,KellnerM at assembly.state.ny.us, 
> nyckayaker at rockandwater.net
> ,cyberharbor at treebranch.comSubject: Roosevelt Isl and
> Memorial alternativeDate: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:47:16 -0400>
> Ms. Gina Pollara> Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt
> Institute> > Dear Ms. Pollara,> >  Franklin D. Roosevelt
> certainly deserves a memorial in> view of the United
> Nations that respects the Louis I. Kahn> vision, the
> environment, and the timeless beauty of> nature. In that
> light I propose that the Kahn design be> expressed through
> natural elements that enhance its sense> of place in the
> harbor.> >  As the founder of the LIC Community Boathouse
> and>
> www.NatureCalendar.com<http://www.naturecalendar.com/>I>
> have spent many hours as a volunteer harbor and estuary>
> ecology advocate kayaking around Roosevelt Island and>
> admiring its green southern tip from the nearby Queens>
> waterfront. What happens at the southern tip of Roosevelt>
> Island is viewed by more lovers of our estuary heritage
> in> Manhattan and Queens than on Roosevelt Island itself.
> This> letter reflects my personal concerns and hopes for
> the> site.> >  A V-shaped colonnade of indigenous trees 
> is the central> visual element of the Kahn design, and
> that can be> responsibly included in a final design. It
> could still> flank a sustainable and lush greensward and
> garden, but> elevating it would be a needless pouring of
> concrete.> > The retaining wall edging the entire tip of
> the island> will be both costly and damaging to the
> environment. What> is needed is a soft shoreline that
> allows harbor birds,> tidal pool creatures, and saltwater
> plants to live. A soft> shoreline also offers safe
> landings in emergencies to> paddlers and rowers, who will
> be surrounding the island in> far greater numbers over the
> coming years (many of whom> will be Roosevelt Island
> residents).> > You are also seeking higher maintenance
> costs and> significant hassles with a retaining wall, as
> can be> witnessed across the strait at Queensbridge Park.
> Instead,> I recommend that you save millions of dollars
> in> construction that will be unattractive and
> environmentally> unfriendly by retaining the edge largely
> as is, improved> only by
>  cleaning and aiding the habitat restoration that> is
> underway through natural propagation.> > This is in
> keeping with the "blue wave" that is> refashioning New
> York Harbor into a place of recreation> and education. The
> NYC Department of Parks and> Recreation's recently
> inaugurated NYC Water Trail> encourages soft shorelines
> for safety, ecology, and> aesthetics.> > To meet ADA
> access needs, perhaps the funds saved by> omitting the
> unneeded retaining wall could be used for> paving a
> perimeter path with NYC bedrock, recycled from>
> construction and tunneling. Not only does the use of>
> native stone (more attractive than typical concrete)>
> better respect the environment and serve to give visitors>
> a sense of ubiety, it symbolizes the profound role that>
> the Roosevelt family has played in the history of our>
> city's culture and civics.> > The monument itself can be
> made from the bedrock as well.> But instead of a confining
> room (which is also a dull spot> in the vista of those
> looking out onto the harbor),> perhap s have inclined
> slabs that allow visitors to read> the immortal quotations
> while enjoying the uplift of> openness all around. It
> would be ironic to have the Four> Freedoms speech carved
> into confining walls.> > I hope you consider this less
> costly, more environmentally> friendly, and less rigid
> alternative. To execute an> inherited plan without
> question would be contrary to the> central lesson taught
> by the lives of both Franklin D.> Roosevelt and Eleanor
> Roosevelt.> > Thank you for your consideration.> >
> Sincerely,> > Erik Baard> 917 687 0896>
> www.licboathouse.org> www.naturecalendar.com> Gina
> PollaraExecutive DirectorFranklin D. Roosevelt
> MemorialFour Freedoms Park66 West 35 Street, Suite 656New
> York NY 10001t. 212-615-3340f. 212-967-2702

Gina Pollara
Executive Director
Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial
Four Freedoms Park
66 West 35 Street, Suite 656
New York NY 10001

t. 212-615-3340
f. 212-967-2702