Manhattan BP Wants To Stall Resiliency Hearing By 2 Months

EAST VILLAGE, NY — Manhattan's borough president wants the city to further delay a hearing on a massive storm protection project on the Lower East Side by 60 days for more community outreach.

BP Gale Brewer wants City Planning to postpone the hearing for the $1.45 billion East Side Coastal Resiliency project — a storm flood protection plan that has been a source of controversy in the neighborhood since it will shutter the East River Park for 3.5 years.

"We need to take bold action in response to the urgent risks of extreme weather driven by global climate change," Brewer wrote. But, "the affected community must be a key partner in the project's development and implementation."

Under the city's review process, the resiliency plan would go through a hearing and vote by City Planning later this year.

Brewer wants the commission to postpone it by 60 days for more community engagement and an independent expert review. She is also urging that a 2022 spending deadline for hundreds of millions of dollars of federal cash be extended.

City Planning deferred to City Hall for comment on Brewer's request for a 60-day delay.

"When it comes to protecting New Yorkers from the next Sandy, every day counts," said mayoral spokesperson Freddi Goldstein.

"That's why we re-designed our plan to provide life-saving protection for 100,000 New Yorkers a year ahead of schedule," Goldstein said, referencing the updated plan announced last fall that the city has emphasized will provide storm protection one hurricane season sooner than the old design.

"We've received the Borough President's letter and are reviewing," Goldstein said.

For months, neighbors have blasted the east side resiliency project as poor planning — angry the park would shutter for 3.5 years with few alternatives for green space.

Some want the review process halted altogether. Others have kept focus on pushing for staged construction to prevent a full East River Park closure. Many have called for independent experts to review the plan, which DDC has responded by saying it would hire an outside consultant for a review under resiliency and sustainability guidelines known as Envision. CB 3 has supported the plan, but with a laundry list of outstanding concerns.

Brewer will hold her own public hearing July 17, 6 to 8 p.m. at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in the Bernstein Pavilion, at 10 Nathan D. Perlman Place. Those who cannot attend in person can submit written testimony to info@manhattanbp.nyc.gov.

Read Brewer's full letter below:

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's Letter To City On The East Side Coastal Resiliency Project by Sydney Pereira on Scribd