Bucking the Tide

Goldman, State Environmental Agency Push Army Corps to Revise Flood Plan

U.S Congressman Dan Goldman: “To ignore flooding threats that endanger our region would be an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars.”

U.S. Congressman Dan Goldman is leading a coalition of elected officials and activists in pushing back against a controversial flood protection plan by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE), known as the New York-New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries [HATS] Focus Area Feasibility Study. The $52 billion HATS plan (the most expensive such plan in the nation) proposes storm surge barriers across waterways around the metropolitan region, and miles of walls and berms at the coastline. The plan, however, does not protect against more frequent types of flooding, such as tidal and river flooding, heavy rainfall, groundwater emergence, erosion, and sea level rise.

“To ignore these flooding threats that endanger our region would be an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars,” Mr. Goldman said.

In September, Mr. Goldman and a bipartisan group of 13 other members of Congress representing New York and New Jersey wrote to Assistant Army Secretary Michael L. Connor, who oversees the ACE, expressing concern that the plan did not comply with federal laws and policies. In particular, they voiced objections that the anti-flooding measures proposed by the HATS analysis “address flood risk insufficiently” because the focus was primarily on extreme-weather events, and noted the legal requirement that the plan “protect New York and New Jersey against multiple varieties of flooding.”

The coalition of legislators also noted the statuary requirement that ACE prioritize “natural and nature-based features and nonstructural approaches over barriers.” This touches upon a local concern, as the initial version of the HATS plan for Lower Manhattan calls for a 12-foot-high seawall running through Hudson River Park, wedged between the bikeway and the pedestrian promenade. The preliminary plan calls for the structure to begin in Tribeca (where it will link to the Battery Park City Authority’s North/West Resiliency plan) and continue uptown at least as far as West 34th Street.

Above: A rendering of the intersection of West and Christopher Streets, shown with a 12-foot-high wall running through Hudson River Park, wedged between the bike path and the pedestrian promenade, as proposed in the federal HATS plan. Below: Gaps in the wall allowing access to the shoreline would contain deployable flood-protection measures that can be closed during times of rising waters.

Community Board 1 enacted a resolution last year advocating for “increased consideration of nonstructural, natural, and nature-based solutions,” rather than a stark concrete wall. The Board also urged ACE to conduct greater outreach to local residents and allow for an extended period of public comment, and called for “robust public engagement, especially with frontline communities impacted by the project, to facilitate collaborative project planning and decision-making.”

The September letter from the coalition of House of Representative members prompted New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Basil Seggos, in mid-November, to notify ACE of similar concerns. This letter from the State’s top environmental official triggered a federal requirement that ACE conduct a “multi-hazard” assessment of all measures included in the HATS analysis, and that it evaluate all sources of flooding, rather than focusing on storm surge. The letter also triggers a statutory mandate for ACE to create a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (along with opportunities for public review and comment) that must feature new analyses and new or modified plans. Finally, the law prohibits ACE from finalizing a plan for New York and New Jersey waterfronts until it has completed these steps.

“I am thrilled that the DEC formally requested that ACE revise their flood protection plan to include a comprehensive approach to flood risks across the New York and New Jersey harbor,” Mr. Goldman said in response to Mr. Seggos’s notice to the Army Corps. “While the initial proposal failed to sufficiently address the flooding risks faced by our communities, I am encouraged at the hope for a revised plan that will protect New York and New Jersey’s coastal communities.”

Matthew Fenton

Amps Ahoy

Federal Grant Will Fund Charging Infrastructure for New Hybrid Ferry to Governors Island

The federal government has allocated $7.5 million to support the project to bring a hybrid-electric ferry to Governors Island next summer. The block of funds announced on Friday by Mayor Eric Adams will help build out the rapid-charging infrastructure at the Governors Island end of the 800-yard ferry route, at Soissons Ferry Landing. Read more...

DOWNTOWN CALENDAR

Wednesday, December 6

12pm

Holiday Harmonies

Brookfield Place

Musical performances of seasonal favorites. Free.

2:30pm

Yi Zhou and Yimin Miao

Perelman Performing Arts Center lobby

China Institute presents performances led by acclaimed pipa soloist Yi Zhou and woodwind virtuoso Yimin Miao. Free.

4pm

Tower in Tribeca Town Hall Meeting

Independence Plaza Senior Center, 310 Greenwich Street

A new tower twice the height of existing Independence Plaza buildings has been proposed. At this community meeting, Council Member Christopher Marte’s office will share information to help residents prepare for a Community Board 1 meeting on Monday, December 11, where the developer will be present.

6pm

Community Board One's Transportation & Street Permits Committee

Livestreamed

Agenda

1. Landmarked Historic Districts; request for guideline development
2. Green Rides rule vs. capping number of for-hire vehicles
3. Daylighting corners for pedestrian safety
4. Int 0758-2022 requiring that every bicycle with electric assist, electric scooters and other legal motorized vehicles be licensed and registered
5. Congestion pricing: release of Traffic Mobility Review Board recommendations on a tolling structure

Thursday, December 7

6pm-7:30pm

Holiday Lights

Rockefeller Park (north end)

Kick-off the holiday season and celebrate the first night of Hanukkah at Rockefeller Park. Free.

6pm

Female Gaze: Peng Wei’s Feminine Space

China Institute, 40 Rector Street

Lecture about the world of Peng Wei, an artist renowned for her unique approach to representing the diversity of female perspectives. $10.

6pm

Fresh Prints

South Street Seaport Museum, 211 Water Street

Open house at Bowne & Co. the letterpress print shop established in 1775. Advanced registration is required for this free workshop but walkups will be accommodated as possible. Anyone ages 12 and up is welcome.

7pm

Tracy K. Smith presents To Free the Captives: A Plea for the American Soul

McNally Jackson, 4 Fulton Street

With lyricism and urgency, poet Tracy K. Smith, in conversation with Imani Perry, draws on several avenues of thinking—personal, documentary, and spiritual—to understand who we are as a nation and what we might hope to mean to one another.

7pm

Unconventional Wisdom

St. Paul's Chapel

Trinity and TENET Vocal Artists present Unconventional Wisdom, a concert celebrating music from 17th century Italian nuns. Ticketed. Free.

2018 © Robert Simko