WaterWire 1-28-09

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Waterfront Alliance

SOLUTIONS FOR A HEALTHY SHARED HARBOR

eNewsletter from the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance

January 28, 2009

The Water Perspective
Reports and announcements

MWA WELCOMES CORTNEY WORRALL
NEW DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS
An avid open-water swimmer, Cortney Worrall, the new Director of Programs for the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, is passionate about the water environment. Fourteen years in the water-related environmental field have seen her designing and leading public involvement groups for watershed assessment programs in Georgia; forming a non-profit watershed organization, the Appoquinimink River Association, in Delaware; developing management strategies and outreach efforts on pollution prevention and public access programs at the New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program; and directing the conservation efforts of the Coastal Marine Resource Center in Brooklyn.

At the MWA, she is already knee-deep in plans for town docks, simplifying the waterfront permitting process, Harbor Camp 2009, Designing the Edge, Henry Hudson Quadricentennial commemorations, and much more! If you would like to contact Cortney, email cworrall@waterfrontalliance.org

FINE-TUNING WATERFRONT POLICY
As 2009 begins, the City Council is proposing comprehensive wetlands protection, the Dept. of City Planning has proposed an amendment to waterfront zoning and the State Dept. of Environmental Conservation is updating the Open Space Conservation Plan.

PROTECTING WETLANDS
A January 22 City Council hearing on protecting wetlands (and restricting construction permits in coastal zones) brought constructive testimony from environmental constituents and government officials alike.

Include wording on ground-disturbing activities such as excavations and sidewalk pavings, advised James Colgate from the Dept. of Buildings. Make sure to protect smaller wetlands, many of them unmapped, said Rob Pirani of the Regional Plan Association. Don't simply conserve what wetlands we have left; create new wetlands, urged Paul Mankiewicz, director of the Gaia Institute. Seek input from civic organizations so as to tap into the army of eager volunteers around the city, suggested Matthew Klinman from the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance.

Wetlands, defined as places where the land meets the water, are vital ecosystems important to urban and natural environments. They filter pollutants, protect the shorefront from storm surges and erosion, provide habitats for many creatures, and offer an abundance of recreational and educational opportunities.

Council Member James Gennaro, who hosted the hearing, reminded listeners that the metropolitan area once had 224,000 acres of freshwater wetlands, now down to 2,000 or 1%; and 100,000 acres of coastal wetlands, now down to 25%. The precious wetlands left, such as Jamaica Bay, pictured above, are threatened by pollution, development and sea level rise.

At the hearing, Rohit Aggarwala, director of the Mayor's Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability, which is mapping metropolitan area wetlands among other PlaNYC initiatives, promised Mr. Gennaro that the Bloomberg Administration would work with the City Council on wetlands protection. Appreciative, Mr. Gennaro replied that he wanted to merge "what you folks want to do and what we want to do to protect wetlands and fill in regulatory gaps."
SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS ON NYC'S WATERFRONT TEXT AMENDMENT
The City Planning Commission is updating design requirements for public access areas at the waterfront. Community boards around the city are now reviewing and discussing the proposal, which expands on waterfront zoning text adopted by NYC in 1993. The new requirements would not change the amount of required waterfront access, but would enhance the quality of the public space, requiring it to be greener, with high-quality seating, lighting and other design elements. A single set of flexible standards would promote a variety of landscape design, including edge treatments; would facilitate amenities such as docks, boat launches and play areas; and would improve connections between the water's edge and upland streets.

To read the CPC's waterfront text amendment, click here.

To read the MWA's White Paper on Aquatecture, which discusses these and other ideas, click on the image at right.

The deadline to comment on the amendment is March 2, after which the Commission will hold a public hearing. Following the Commission's vote, the City Council will have up to 50 days to review the proposed amendment.
SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS ON NYS'S OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION PLAN
The 2009 draft of the New York State Open Space Conservation Plan updates a strategy for preserving natural areas around the state. Put forth by the Dept. of Environmental Conservation, the plan encourages volunteerism and emphasizes the importance of forward-thinking local land-use and zoning regulations. The plan recommends the passage of the Bigger, Better Bottle Bill, with unclaimed deposits - currently kept by distributors and bottlers - turned over to the Environmental Protection Fund. It also recommends "broader use of the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund to finance state and local land acquisition involving watershed protection." The plan will be presented to Governor Paterson later this year.

Click here to review the plan. Email comments to Francis E. Sheehan, Assistant Director of the NYS DEC Division of Lands and Forests, at osp2009@gw.dec.state.ny.us. Public comment is accepted through February 27, 2009.

WORK AT THE METROPOLITAN WATERFRONT ALLIANCE
Love the water? Need a job? The MWA has three paid internship positions open.

Waterfront Permitting Internship: The intern will conduct research and compile reports on the regional permitting processes.
Waterfront Restoration Internship: The intern will coordinate restoration projects, help coordinate community groups, and manage information.
Political Mapping Internship: The intern will conduct research and develop a guide to local, state and federal political processes in NYC and northern New Jersey with a focus on procedural details, access to decision makers, and community organizing and community-level decision making.

Candidates for each position should have or be near completion of a BA, BS, or masters degree in a related field. To apply, please send a cover letter, resume, and 2 page writing sample to: mwaadmin@gmail.com

IOBY: ATTRACT DONORS AND VOLUNTEERS TO YOUR PROJECT
Helping to usher in President Barack Obama's vision of a new era of personal responsibility and citizen involvement, a novel initiative has bloomed in New York City that connects people to local environmental projects. Called Ioby, this online microphilanthropic initiative is a great way for environmental restoration, conservation or education projects to attract donations or volunteers. If you would like your project to be listed on the Ioby web site when it launches in mid February, click here and submit the application by January 30.