Reports from the BCEQ 2015 Water Conference Plenary Session

April 15th, 2015 Posted in Communications Work, Front Page News, Harlem River BOA, Harlem River Working Group, Membership Committee, Pier 5 Pop Up Wetland - first of its kind, Water Committee

Part 1 – WATER QUALITY AND STORMWATER ON THE HARLEM RIVER & THE HIGHBRIDGE OPENING

Based on her article “Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) impact on water quality and environmental ecosystem in the Harlem River” :  CSO Harlem River

  • Stormwater quality at the Pier 5 Pop-Up Wetland” based on provisional 2013-14 sampling data – Presentation by Shawn Fisher of the USGS.   2015 Harlem River Pier 5_USGS

Part 2 – BCEQ’S HARLEM RIVER BOA PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

 

The Workshops:  Following these topics the groups broke out into workshops to provide opinions, comments and visions for the use of the water and the land along the Harlem River in the Bronx.

Bronx Community Board 4 and 5 – Dart Westphal

The table considering the portions of the BOA area in Community Boards 4 and 5 reviewed several possibilities for Strategic Site designation.

The first was Pier 5. Community planning processes undertaken and resulting plans created up until now have always concluded that this site should be developed as open space for active recreation.

It has come to our attention that other uses are being considered by government stakeholders. If portions of the site were to be developed in other ways, the group thought that additional open space should be provided on the site of the current parking lots A and B controlled by EDC just south of the Macombs Dam Bridge. Creating some open space on those lots would facilitate extension of the greenway under Macombs Dam Bridge to the 161st Street pedestrian bridge to the Highbridge neighborhood.  Further discussions concerning Pier V will be undertaken with local stakeholders.

North of the MTA rail yard, the DOT property below depot place was highlighted along with the sites now controlled by Parks identified as The Promenade in the BOEDC report by Starr Whitehouse.

North of Bridge Park the State owned property just below Roberto Clemente State Park should be added to the Park along with the lot north of Roberto Clemente State Park. It was not clear to the group if designating those particular state controlled parcels would be appropriate.

 

Highbridge and the Greenway – Chauncy Young

The table discussed the opening of the Highbridge in the summer and what the community can do to participate.  The also discussed how people from the Bronx would get to the festivities.

 Community Board 7 and 8 – Karen Argenti

The Table at the Water Conference considering Community Board 7 and 8 areas of the Brownfield Opportunity Area was clearly defined.  There was no objection to applying for Designation of the areas as a Brownfield Opportunity Area, a new program offered by the State of New York Department of State.

The conversation for CB 7 included the need to replicate the work of Columbia University, which did not include housing.  They are interested in parkland and recreation.  They are not interested in the pedestrian bridge as they want people to enter from Fordham Road/207th Street.  Several Community Board 7 Members were in attendance, and were all in agreement.  Unsolicited they offered support to Community Board 8 area concerning the Putnam Trail from Van Cortlandt Park to their area in CB 7 south of 225th Street.  They are in favor of it extending the greenway to the whole area north of the 207th Street Bridge to 225th Street.

The conversation for CB 8 did not have any plans for the area west of the Broadway Bridge to Spuyten Duyvil.  They supported our addition of the land along the Putnam Rail Trail from 230th Street to 225th Street, and the land adjacent known as the Dairy.  Several Community Board Members and Community Members were in attendance, and all were in agreement.

All wanted to remain informed of our studies.                                                                 May 2, 2015

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