| High Tide 2:43am | Low Tide 9:02am | High Tide 3pm | Low Tide 9:39pm* |
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ADVOCACY ALERT
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Public Hearing, November 9
Subject: a draft agreement between the NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection and the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation that sets new citywide parameters for green infrastructure and control of combined sewer overflows. The proposal includes requirements for specific water bodies around the city, "so people with a particular interest in their local waterway should come and speak out at the hearing,' advises Larry Levine of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
The public comment period ends Nov. 18. Send comments to Gary Kline, NYS DEC, Division of Water, 625 Broadway, 4th Floor, Albany, NY 12233-3506.
Fax: 518-402-9029, E-mail:
The public hearing on Wednesday, Nov. 9 begins at 6pm at the NYS DEC Region 2 Annex Building, 11-15 47th Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101 |
Classified Advertising |
F R E E
HabitatMap is seeking a Curriculum Specialist to assist with curriculum
development, toolkit development, and co-teaching for a Maps-Based Research Methods course focusing on Newtown Creek that will be taught at the Green School in East Williamsburg this spring. For complete details visit http://habitatmap.org/topics/165
WaterWire welcomes water-related classified ads. If you would like to place a free classified ad in WaterWire, email
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Events on the Waterfront
Click on the links for more
information about these events.
A detailed calendar may be found at www.waterfrontalliance.org/calendar
| November 5
Tour: Four Freedoms Park
10a, Roosevelt Island
November 9
Public Meeting: Green Infrastructure and CSO Control
6p, NYS DEC Region 2 Annex Building, 11-15 47th Ave., Long Island City
November 15
Conference: Zoning the City: Addressing New York City's 21st Century Challenges
8:30a-5:30p, McGraw-Hill Conference Center, 1221 6th Avenue
November 18
Conference: Transportation 2030: A Five-Borough Blueprint
9a-5p, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 899 Tenth Avenue
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MWA Blue Bulletin Board | |
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| CONTENTS: November 3, 2011 |
International Waterfront Awards Go to Several Local Projects
The Waterfront Center bestows honors in New York and New Jersey
New Money Pledged to the Future of Jamaica Bay
Federal, state and city agencies join with philanthropies to plan the bay's future
Transportation Conference to Discuss the Sixth Borough
Borough President Scott Stringer sets up a discussion about utilizing the waterways
Undergrads Underwater: Harbor School is Accepted into Elite Academy
First public high school to join the American Academy of Underwater Sciences
Soundview Park, Where the Bronx River Meets the East, Gets a Clean-Up
Community effort pays off, with 50 trash bags filled
Meet Some MWA Partners!
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WATERFRONT CENTER HONORS LOCAL PROJECTS
| | International Awards Recognize Waterfront Excellence
Every year, the Waterfront Center, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, travels to a different city and convenes a conference that honors the best of the world's waterfront developments.
This year, the international conference came to New York City, and the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance was one of the co-sponsors. The theme was "Urban Waterfronts: 30 Years and Counting." Seven projects and two plans were selected in the 2011 Excellence on the Waterfront Awards program. Top honors went to a brownfield reclamation project called "CityDeck" in Green Bay, Wisconsin and the plan known as "Room for the River" in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Of the other awards, five went to projects and plans in the New York/New Jersey area. The award winners are:
- Port Imperial Ferry Terminal (below), Weehawken, NJ
Gruzen Samton * IBI Group, New Jersey Transit
Juror comments
"A unique, gracious, welcoming design."
"Functional, yet a destination in its own right."
"A great example of what a public works project can be."
"An enticement to travel by water."
Port Imperial - Queens West: Stage II, Long Island City, Queens
Abel Bainnson Butz, LLP, Queens West Development Corp.
Juror comments
"Exceptional park with fabulous views."
"A lovely palette of materials."
"The cove and the circular opening in the deck at the
northwest corner are interesting ways to engage the
water's edge."
"It's amazing that so much waterfront park land was made
available between the water and the buildings."
- Riverside Park South Waterfront, NY, NY
Thomas Balsley Associates, NYC Parks & Recreation Dept.
Juror comments
"Fun individual overlooks."
"A unique integration of conversation nodes."
"Provides a fun way to change elevations."
"Weaves a diversity of experiences along its length."
"Excellent planting design."
- Vision 2020; New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, NYC Department of City Planning
Juror comments "Most ambitious document reviewed."
"Great analyses."
"An enormously accessible document."
"A credible plan; some of this is already happening."
"A SMART (Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely)
plan that describes a very livable city."
"It actually addressed active living strategies."
The Clearwater Award went to the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative for its volunteer, grassroots waterfront work, and a student award was given to Leslie Batten of the University of Washington for her stormwater reclamation project in Coupeville, WA.
"I am very honored that the Waterfront Center has recognized Vision 2020, the New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan with this award," said Dept. of City Planning chair Amanda Burden. "Our water is the connective tissue between our boroughs and is, in effect, our Sixth Borough. We are now planning for our waterfront and waterways with the same intensity and passion that we have traditionally planned for our land. This 10-year framework reflects the hard work of the Department of City Planning and our partnering agencies, as well as the tremendous outpouring of enthusiasm from New Yorkers passionate about their water."
Jonathan Goldstick, an engineer at Halcrow who specializes in structures on the waterfront and who chaired the Waterfront Center jury this year, commented on the predominance of local winners, saying it reflected "both the high level of activity on the New York City waterfront as well as the presence of our conference here." "This annual international awards program is intended to highlight projects that celebrate waterfronts as a community resource, whether focused on the civic, commercial, residential, environmental, or some combination," he said. "It's about sound planning. It's about design. But it's really about celebrating waterfronts and their potential in renewing our communities." |
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NEW AGREEMENTS AND MONEY FOR JAMAICA BAY
| |  Master Plan to be Supported by Philanthropic Dollars
"Agreements with our Federal, State and philanthropic partners will have far-reaching benefits for what may be the greatest natural treasure lying within the borders of any city in the nation -- Jamaica Bay," Mayor Michael Bloomberg told a group of environmental advocates and officials gathered at the Salt Marsh Nature Center on October 27. He had just announced a formal partnership between the City of New York and the National Park Service that combines 10,000 acres of land to create a new entity: Jamaica Bay Parks. City, state and federal officials will collaborate in four areas: - Management of park lands
- Science and restoration of Jamaica Bay
- Access and transportation to park lands around Jamaica Bay
- Engagement of NYC youth with science programs and public service projects
A master plan with common objectives for management and restoration agreed to by all levels of government will be created in a joint planning process, partly funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and National Grid. As part of this coordinated effort to improve water quality in the Bay and parkland around its shores, the EPA has issued a "no-discharge" regulation for Jamaica Bay.
"As coastal cities throughout the world continue to grow and are increasingly susceptible to the impacts of climate change, the restoration of Jamaica Bay provides an incredible opportunity to build our understanding of resilience in urban coastal areas," said Judith Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation. "Jamaica Bay is a beautiful, but often overlooked pocket of our City's landscape, and The Rockefeller Foundation is thrilled to help give back to the community parkland that will serve as both a recreational and educational space."  The Mayor was joined at the Nature Center by U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar (right), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2 Administrator Judith Enck, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation Commissioner Adrian Benepe, Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability Director David Bragdon, National Parks of New York Harbor Commissioner Maria Burks, National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy Founder/Board Chair Marian Heiskell and President/CEO Marie Salerno.
"Gateway National Park and Jamaica Bay can and should be the central park for millions of residents in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau County and New Jersey, as well as a unique national resource," said Roland Lewis, co-chair of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Coalition and president/CEO of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. "The agreement to cooperate amongst agencies is a good first step. Getting the financial resources to implement a better park is a task the Harbor Coalition is determined to help make happen." Top photo courtesy of the NYC Dept. of Environmental Protection; bottom photo by NYC.gov photographer Edward Reed |
NOVEMBER CONFERENCE TO HIGHLIGHT NYC'S SIXTH BOROUGH
| | Transportation 2030: A Five-Borough Blueprint
 When Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer organized his first transportation conference five years ago, the event focused exclusively on Manhattan issues and yielded several innovative ideas -- pedestrian plazas, Bus Rapid Transit and car-free zones -- that have changed the way the city moves. There was not, however, much discussion about water transit options.
This year, the waterways have their own session at Borough President Stringer's second conference on transportation and infrastructure, taking place on November 18.
Widening his purview to the entire city, Mr. Stringer is calling the conference Transportation 2030: A Five-Borough Blueprint. Attendees will examine transportation challenges throughout New York City, including how to better utilize the region's waterways for transportation and increasing ferry ridership and routes (a session moderated by MWA's Roland Lewis), the financing of important infrastructure projects, eco-friendly innovations in transportation technology, the challenges of street design and the cost of traffic congestion on business and health.
Free and open to the public, Transportation 2030: A Five-Borough Blueprint is taking place Friday, November 18, 9am to 3pm at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice (899 Tenth Avenue, between 58th and 59th Streets). For more information, call 212-669-2094. Attendees may register at the event beginning at 8:30am, or in advance at www.transpo2030.eventbrite.com.
Photo by Robert Simko
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UNDERGRADS UNDERWATER: NY HARBOR SCHOOL DIVERS WIN SCIENTISTS' ACCEPTANCE
| | First Public High School Approved to Join the American Academy of Underwater Sciences
 The American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) is a consortium that oversees the standards and practices of underwater researchers. On Oct. 25, the Urban Assembly New York Harbor School was accepted as the first public high school member of the AAUS. The other 138 members are primarily major research universities, aquariums and consulting firms. A private boarding school in Hawaii is the only other high school member.
"On a practical level," wrote Joe Gessert, Harbor School's Dive Safety Officer and Dive Instructor in an email announcing the news, "this membership will help open new research opportunities and partnerships to our dive students (as well as possibilities for our marine science and robotics students), give them a strong addition to their college applications to major universities, give them a head start towards field work in the marine sciences, and hopefully bring in outside researchers for collaborative projects." |
| A BEAUTIFUL SHORELINE EMERGES AFTER BRONX RESIDENTS CLEAN SOUNDVIEW PARK | |  50 Trash Bags Filled with Detritus
WaterWire loves community waterfront clean-up stories. Here's a great one from the Bronx, courtesy of the Bronx River Current and The Bronx Ink, with photographs by Hazel Sheffield of the Ink.
"On September 24, 2011, about 60 people led by the Bronx River Alliance with help from Buildon.org and Bronxworks collected trash at Soundview Park. Volunteers climbed down steep slopes and reached into dense vegetation to remove bottles, plastic bags, food wrappers, building materials, diapers, clothing, toys and styrofoam.  Fifty bags of trash were collected.
The event was part of International Coastal Cleanup Day and National Estuaries Day, a celebration of the places where rivers meet the sea. Soundview Park, where the Bronx River empties into the East River, is an estuarine ecosystem where salt and fresh water combine to support a diversity of marine life.
The group collected data for the Ocean Conservancy's annual report, which identifies the most pervasive types of litter threatening the health of people and wildlife."
Click here to read The Bronx Ink's story.
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| MWA PARTNER SPOTLIGHT |
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Expanding every week, the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance is more than a coalition; it's a force. We are ferry captains, shipping executives, park directors, scientists, sailors, paddlers, swimmers, teachers, urban planners, architects and more. Together, we advocate for the best possible waterfront in the best possible city, a waterfront that is clean and accessible to all, with a robust maritime workforce and efficient, affordable waterborne transportation. Join us! Contact Louis Kleinman at lkleinman@waterfrontalliance.org. Meet some Partners of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance:
- Water For All Campaign http://www.citizen.org/cmep/Water/
Public Citizen's Water for All Campaign is dedicated to protecting water as a common resource, stopping water privatization and bulk water sales, and defending access to clean and affordable water around the world. - Watershed Agricultural Council http://www.nycwatershed.org/
WAC balances the economic viability of agriculture and forestry with protecting water quality. WAC advocates for natural resource conservation within the context of the working landscape. WAC promotes comprehensive natural resource planning and best management practices. - White Cap Marine Towing and Salvage Services http://www.whitecapmarine.net
White Cap Marine Towing and Salvage Inc. is a full service towing and salvage company engaged in marine casualty response, pollution control, wreck removal, towing and related activities. We have four fully equipped emergency response vessels to meet your needs in both the recreational and commercial sectors. - Works in Progress Associates http://wpa-works.com/
WPA works closely with clients in a comprehensive team and strives to build consensus among all stakeholders to create a solid structure for effective decision making and project execution. Our services include strategic planning, community outreach, agency liaison, project team assembly, contract negotiation and administration, procurement, design evaluation, design and technical review, construction supervision, project phasing, inspections, project close-out and quality assurance/quality control.(back to top)
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| WATERFRONT NEWSLINKS |
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The Lure of the TugThe Wall Street Journal, November 3, 2011 City fine will fund $7 million in green projects around Newtown CreekNY Daily News, November 2, 2011 Go flush somewhere else: Jamaica Bay named a No Discharge ZoneBrooklyn Daily, November 2, 2011 Japan Revives a Sea Barrier That Failed to HoldThe New York Times, November 2, 2011 Finally Cleaning Up Agent Orange in the Passaic RiverBaristanet, November 2, 2011 Revolutionizing the East River WaterfrontNew York Observer, October 31, 2011 Officials unveil $80M cleanup plan of Passaic RiverThe Star-Ledger, October 31, 2011 Fish Were Just the AppetizerThe New York Times, October 27, 2011 Borough Hall Conference Examines Brooklyn WaterfrontBrooklyn Daily Eagle, October 26, 2011 Community to Get Say in Creek CleanupGreenpoint Gazette, October 26, 2011 Seaport Museum Asks for Funds to Repair ShipDNAInfo, October 26, 2011
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