East Side Storm Protection Project's Public Review Moves Forward

EAST VILLAGE, NY — The city released hundreds of pages of documents regarding Manhattan's east side resiliency project Friday — including possible mitigations for open space, recreation facilities and bike lanes while the East River Park is undergoing construction for the storm protection plan.

A draft environmental impact statement for the storm protection project was released Friday — moving forward the public review process for the $1.45 billion project aimed at protecting the east side from future sea level rise and the devastating impact from storms like Hurricane Sandy.

The East Side Coastal Resiliency project would protect the neighborhood in time for the 2023 hurricane season, according to the environmental review documents. An additional portion of the project to build a "flyover bridge" at a narrow pathway shared by cyclists and pedestrians dubbed the "pinch point" would be complete by 2025, the docs say.

Last October, after about three years of community engagement regarding a plan to build deployable and permanent flood walls along the FDR Drive, the city nixed 70 percent of the project for a proposal to elevate the East River Park with 8 to 10 feet of soil and rebuild the park on top. The city has argued it would protect the neighborhood from storm surges sooner and avoids construction noise and complications along the FDR Drive, difficulties posed under the previous project.

The proposal currently requires the park to be closed in its entirety for 3.5 years — a reality that has outraged East Village and Lower East Side neighbors and sparked intense community pushback urging the city to provide open space mitigations while the park is shuttered.

Friday's environmental review documents compare various project alternatives, but the preferred option is the plan to bury and rebuild the East River Park.

Here are a few highlights on mitigation efforts the city is considering during a 3.5-year East River Park closure:

• Accommodate field permit users, particularly youth leagues, at other existing Parks facilities. Permittees may have limited playing time.
• Working with other departments, including the Department of Education, to find other recreation space during construction.
• Assessing opportunities to open portions of East River Park as construction is complete.
• Providing programs like fitness classes, walking clubs, arts and greening programs
• Create an alternate bikeway to connect greenway users to the city's existing bike routes along First and Second Aves. Access to the Stuyvesant Cove Park ferry landing would have access through East 20th St. The city is looking into additional signage and markings along the alternative bike route.
• Parks is looking into a plan to plant 1,000 trees in parks and streets and create up to 40 bioswales — echoing a Community Board 3 ask from earlier this year.
• Possible purchasing of lighting to extend play time on fields at other neighborhood parks
• Exploring quieter construction methods to mitigate noise at the Asser Levy Recreation Center

The docs say a plan to tear down the LaGuardia bathhouse and replace it with open space is still in the works. New open space at Pier 42, Pier 35 and the East River esplanade project will bring 4.8 acres to the neighborhood and "could be considered a mitigation effort," the docs say.

Pier 42 is currently being redone, though it is unclear when it will be complete. Pier 35 partially opened late last year. An esplanade project aimed to increase access to a beachfront below Brooklyn Bridge is in the design process.

Whether the city can plan construction to avoid a full East River Park closure remains to be seen.

Access to the Corlears Hook and Stuyvesant Cove ferry landings would be maintained during construction, according to the documents. Some 600,000 cubic yards of fill would be required, averaging three barge trips per day, the docs say.

The project will go through the uniform land use review procedure, ending with a vote in City Council where local Councilmember Carlina Rivera will have a pivotal say in the project.

At a City Council hearing in January, she emphasized more communication and a thorough mitigation plan are her priorities. When asked for comment on Friday's released documents, her office said she is reviewing them.

The Parks Department deferred to the Department of Design and Construction for comment. DDC was not immediately available Friday afternoon.

To see the final scoping documents and draft environmental impact statement, click here.

Comments may be submitted until August 15.

A public hearing will be held by the City Planning Commission along with the Office of Management and Budget and the Parks & Recreation Department July 31.

For information on how to submit comments, click here.