Greenacre Park's Testimony to the Manhattan Borough

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GREENACRE PARK’S TESTIMONY TO THE MANHATTAN BOROUGH BOARD AND PRESIDENT GALE BREWER REGARDING THE PROPOSED MIDTOWN EAST REZONING PROPOSAL GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LOIS CREMMINS. I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GREENACRE FOUNDATION. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK PRESIDENT BREWER AND THE MANHATTAN BOROUGH BOARD FOR HOLDING THIS VERY IMPORTANT HEARING ON THE GREATER EAST MIDTOWN REZONING PROPOSAL AS PUT FORTH BY THE CITY OF NEW YORK. ABBY ROCKEFELLER MAUZE CREATED THE GREENACRE FOUNDATION IN 1968 WITH THE INTENT TO BUILD A VEST POCKET PARK ON EAST 51ST STREET (BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD AVENUE) AS A GIFT TO THE CITIZENS OF NEW YORK CITY. THE PARK OPENED 1971. MRS. MAUZE GIFTED AN ENDOWMENT TO THE FOUNDATION TO ENSURE THAT THE PARK WOULD BE MAINTAINED AT A HIGH STANDARD IN PERPETUITY. HER DECENDENTS CONTINUE TO BE ACTIVE MEMBERS OF THE GREENACRE FOUNDATION BOARD. IN ADDITION TO THE PARK, THE FOUNDATION HAS SUPPORTED OVER A HUNDRED PARKS, COMMUNITY GARDENS AND ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN GREEN SPACE IN MANHATTAN. THE PARK PROVIDES A SMALL BUT IMPORTANT OPEN SPACE FOR A COMMUNITY WITH A SCARCE AMOUNT OF PARKLAND. THE PARK SITS IN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4. ACCORDING TO NEW YORKERS FOR PARKS’ CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4 PROFILES, THE DISTRICT ONLY HAS 2 PERCENT OF ITS TOTAL ACREAGE DEDICATED TO PARKLAND THOUGH THE CITY AVERAGE IS 19 PERCENT. THE PROFILE FURTHER NOTES THAT DISTRICT 4 RANKS 49TH OUT OF 51 COUNCIL DISTRICTS FOR PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS PER 1000 RESIDENTS. ACCORDING TO RECENT SHADOW MODELS COMMISSIONED BY THE FOUNDATION, THE PROPOSED REZONING WILL RESULT IN 6 DEVELOPMENT SITES PLACING ADDITIONAL SHADE ON THE PARK AND THUS CAUSING SIGNIFICANT ADVERSE IMPACTS TO THE PARK. SPECIFICALLY, THE HONEY LOCUST TREES WILL BE SEVERELY IMPAIRED; THE VARIETY OF PLANTINGS WILL BE FURTHER LIMITED; AND WE COULD SEE A REDUCTION OF PARK USE. GREENACRE PARK ARGUES THAT THE DEIS: INCORRECTLY ASSUMES THE HEIGHT OF THE PROPOSED BUILDINGS. NEW BUILDING HEIGHTS IN THE AREA ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE HEIGHTS ASSUMED FOR NEW DEVEVELOPMENT IN THE DEIS. INCORRECTLY ASSUMES THAT THE PARK WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE SUFFICIENT SUN FOR THE HONEY LOCUST TREES AND PLANTINGS TO FLOURISH UNDERESTIMATES THE ADDITIONAL HOURS THAT THE SHADOWS CAST BY THE NEW BUILDINGS WILL COVER THE PARK. WE HAVE SUBMITTED A DETAILED LETTER TO COMMUNITY BOARD SIX OUTLINING OUR CONCERNS AND ASKING FOR SPECIFIC ACTION BY THE CITY. I CAN SUMMARIZE THOSE COMMENTS AND REQUESTS NOW AS FOLLOWS. THE FEIS AND REZONING MUST ADDRESS THE SHADOWS CAST FROM AT LEAST 6 IDENTIFIED PROPOSED SITES BY THE GREENACRE SHADOW STUDY. o A. LIMIT THE HEIGHT OF THE 6 PROPOSED SITES; OR o B. REQUIRE FURTHER STUDY AND MITIGATION ON THOSE 6 SITES AT THE TIME OF DEVELOPMENT SIMILAR TO THE WAY IN WHICH THE CITY ADDRESSES FUTURE AIR, NOISE AND HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE IMPACTS WITH AN E-DESIGNATION IN CONCLUSION, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD FOR HOSTING THIS IMPORTANT HEARING. GREENACRE PARK WILL BE SUBMITTING WRITTEN TESTIMONY WITH MORE DETAIL FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE MANHATTAN BOARD AS WELL AS TO PRESIDENT BREWER. .

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