Rendering of proposed flood resiliency infrastructure./Image Credit: DDC, Parks, DOT, DEP, and Mayor’s Office of Resiliency/CPC
The agreement was announced two days before the City Council’s approval of the project’s land use applications. On November 12, 2019, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Council Member Carlina Rivera, Council Member Margaret Chin, and Council Member Keith Powers reached an agreement on community investments and commitments relating to the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project, the City’s flood protection plan for Lower Manhattan. The agreement addresses the concerns raised by local elected officials and the community throughout the public review process for the project’s two land use applications. Following the announcement of the agreement, the City Council approved the project’s land use applications on November 14, 2019. For CityLand’s coverage on the land use applications, click here.
The East Side Coastal Resiliency Project agreement outlines investments and commitments that address the concerns local elected officials and the community had with the project’s construction, park closures and the lack of open space during construction, park improvements, and community outreach and transparency.
Investments and commitments that address concerns about the project’s construction include:
- An evaluation for interim flood protection measures along the project area while the flood protection infrastructures are being constructed;
- Air monitoring, soil testing, and noise reduction measures for an environmental monitoring plan during the project’s construction; and
- Minimal overnight construction, with residents receiving at least two weeks’ notice before the beginning of any overnight construction.
Investments and commitments that address concerns about park closures and the lack of open space during construction include:
- Phased construction of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project to ensure parts of East River Park remain open;
- A study to determine whether installing protected bike lanes on Avenues A, B, or C can be an alternative while the East River Esplanade bike lanes are closed for construction; and
- A plan for local youth sports leagues to continue to use East River Park or have priority at nearby alternative recreation sites during park closures.
Investments and commitments that address concerns about park improvements include:
- Repairs and upgrades of East River Park’s flyover pedestrian bridges; and
- New amenities such as a comfort station, dog run, and electrical hookup for a scoreboard for Murphy Brothers playground.
Investments and commitments that address concerns about community transparency and outreach include:
- The creation and facilitation of a Community Advisory Group made up of local community members to provide input on the East Side Coastal Resiliency project throughout the construction process; and
- On-the-ground, in-person community liaisons from the Department of Design and Construction to share construction updates and respond to questions from the community.
Council Member Rivera stated that the East Side Coastal Resiliency agreement “includes nearly every commitment our community requested” and the agreement has led to community members who were initially skeptical of the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project to support the project.
Council Member Powers and Chin both stated that the agreement will not only ensure flood protection for the area but will also ensure preservation of neighborhood amenities during construction and long-term investments in the local community.
In response to the agreement, Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer stated that “while this agreement checks off many of the boxes that we had fought for, there is still more to do to make sure this is the best project that we get for [East River] Park’s future.”
The announcement of the agreement led to the City Council’s approval of the project’s two land use applications on November 14.
After the Council’s approval of the applications, Mayor de Blasio stated that “with the rising prevalence of coastal storms in the era of climate change, the passage of the East Side Coastal Resiliency project takes a critical step forward in protecting 110,000 New Yorkers from dangers this city knows all too well.”
Construction for the East Side Coastal Resiliency Project will begin in the spring of 2020 and is expected to be completed at the end of 2025.
By: May Vutrapongvatana (May is the CityLaw Fellow and New York Law School Graduate, Class of 2019).