REUNION 2010! ISLAND RESIDENTS PROTEST New Bridge Design
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Periodicals Paid at Bronx, N.Y. USPS 114-590 Volume 39 Number 7 September 2010 One Dollar estimate for the cost of maintaining such a reconsider its present plans. ISLAND RESIDENTS PROTEST NEW bridge, but it is not likely to be a very eco- The high cost will undoubtedly require nomical proposition. As to time, new tech- the city to seek federal funding for the proj- BRIDGE DESIGN nology has made it possible for bridges to ect. This will require the city to obtain per- be constructed largely off-site and installed mits from the New York State Department By BARBARA DOLENSEK quickly. For example, the new bridge over of Parks, Recreation and Historic Pres- the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, a lon- ervation, which has deemed the existing ger span than City Island’s, is a causeway City Island bridge eligible for the National type of bridge and was constructed in less Register of Historic Places. In 2003, efforts than a year and came in under budget. were made to have the Landmarks Com- Because the temporary bridge proposed mission designate the bridge a New York by Gandhi Engineering, which designed City landmark in 2003, like the Macombs the cable-stayed bridge for DOT (their first Dam bridge, which has recently been reha- of this type), is seven feet narrower than bilitated, but the Commission would not the present bridge, residents believe that do so, at the request of the Department of should be used for as short a period of time Transportation. as possible, given the traffic issues that con- At this point, DOT has no plans to front City Island from May to September change the project, but as more residents every year. If it is possible to construct a learn about the scope of the new bridge, the new bridge in less than two years, the pro- sounds of protest may become loud enough testers argue, then the city should definitely that they have no choice but to listen. REUNION 2010! If the above headline doesn’t seem and the roadway, something that had not newsworthy, that is probably because it occurred for some years. However, most isn’t. Island residents have been protest- Islanders are now resigned to the fact that ing the new bridge design since it was the bridge will have to be replaced at some first presented by the city’s Department of point, although they do not see why the Transportation (DOT) in 2002. Although city considers this an emergency situation the original plans called for work to be requiring immediate replacement. started in November 2008, the city recently The basis of the current protest is the announced that work will begin on a tem- design of the new bridge, whose single porary bridge in March 2011 and that a tower will rise at least 270 feet above the request for bids for the replacement bridge roadway, some 15 times that of the exist- will be sent out in September next year. ing bridge, which measures 17 feet from Now that the time seems to getting closer the roadway. DOT has suggested that the for the demolition of the much-loved exist- bridge looks like a sailboat, but even in its ing bridge, residents are gathering their yacht-building heyday, City Island never forces yet again to try to get the city to built a boat that tall. The fact that Special change course. City Island District Zoning regulations, A new Facebook page called “City approved in 1977, call for no new struc- Island Bridge: Keep It Quaint” gathered tures to be built higher than 35 feet is nearly 200 members within a week, and evidence of the city’s recognition of the more than 600 signatures have been added Island’s low-rise character. to petitions protesting the new bridge. A The first bridge proposed to the com- letter-writing campaign alerting elected munity was, in fact, 450 feet high, and officials, especially Mayor Bloomberg, to a handsomer design, according to some the problems involved with the new bridge, since it was modeled after designs by the has recently gotten under way (see Box 6, renowned Spanish architect Santiago Cala- page 4). The purpose of all of these efforts trava. DOT conceded that it might be too is to alert residents of the city’s plans and high and decided in 2003 that the 270-foot to alert city officials to the reasons Island- (80-meter) bridge was what was going to ers object to the DOT plans. be built, in spite of those protesting the In 2002, when New York City hoped design. Since then, representatives of the to get the Olympics in 2012 and when agency have refused to discuss any changes Boston was about to unveil its new cable- with the City Island community. stayed bridge over the Charles River, New Since 2003, of course, much has York City’s leaders apparently decided changed, according to the bridge commit- that City Island would be the perfect tee of the City Island Civic Association, spot for a “state-of-the-art” bridge that which is working with the Garden Club would be unique in the city. Their stated and the Historical Society to mount the reasoning was that such a bridge would protest. New York City did not win its bid not need supporting piers in the water, for the Olympics, and the technology of which require maintenance, and that such cable-stayed bridges did not keep pace with a bridge would be more cost effective bridge-building generally. Several bridges over the long run. Modern cable-stayed of that type have been found unstable in bridges, which became especially popular high wind conditions, some have suffered in Europe during the second half of the corrosion from salt water; problems also Photos by RICK DeWITT and RON TERNER 20th century, were supposed to last at least arose with the Boston bridge two years An historic reunion was held on Aug. 21, 2010, at Ambrosini Field. The gathering of more a century, just as City Island’s existing after it was opened when ice fell off the than 500 residents, family members and friends was organized by former Islander Lynn bridge had done. cables during the winter onto the roadway, McCluskey, with the help of many volunteers, including Charlie DiMaggio and Bob Car- The residents of City Island said from putting automobiles at risk. mody. Clam diggers and mussel suckers of all ages attended, including two members the very beginning that they did not want The biggest changes, however, have from the P.S. 17 class of 1935, Bill Smith and Bob Branizza. Families reunited for the first the city to demolish its historic bridge, come in the areas of cost and time. Origi- time in years, and children participated in many activities, which helped make the event which was given a rating of “fair” by the nally, the new bridge was estimated to a huge success. Attendees also took time to help maintain the quality of life on the Island DOT in 2009 and has since undergone cost about $21 million; now the estimate by signing petitions to protest the new bridge design and by contributing to organiza- considerable maintenance to both the piers is more like $120 million. There is no tions like the City Island Nautical Museum. Almost everyone agreed that the reunion should become a regular City Island event. Page Two The Island Current September 2010 7/20 – On City Island Avenue and Hawk- BRIEFLY... 45 BLOTTER ins Street, a vehicle was scratched in an inci- dent of criminal mischief. TEMPLE BETH-EL CANNED FOOD DRIVE. The holiday canned-food 8/1 – A homeowner reported an attempted Complaints reported from City Island to drive will benefit the kosher and non-kosher community food pantry of the Jewish Community burglary on Ditmars Street. An unknown sus- the 45th Precinct during July and August Council of Pelham Parkway. Drop-off locations are Temple Beth-El of City Island, 480 City pect attempted to break into the house through 2010. Unfounded complaints are not in- Island Avenue between Beach and Bowne Streets from 7 to 7:30 p.m. before Sabbath services the window. cluded in the list. on Fridays; or Kaleidoscope, 280 City Island Avenue at Hawkins Street, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 8/4 – On a boat off Centre Street, a fe- every day. For more information, call Mike Eiron at 718-702-3709. 3 – CRIMINAL MISCHIEF male reported an assault after a fight with an 1 – GRAND LARCENY AUTO acquaintance at 11 p.m. THE CITY ISLAND POWER SQUADRON will offer the America’s Boat- 2 – BURGLARIES 8/5 – Unknown suspects broke into cars ing Course at the City Island Yacht Club, 63 Pilot Street, beginning Oct. 4, at 7:30 p.m. Topics 1 – ATTEMPTED BURGLARY parked in the Laurels complex at 152 Tier include fundamentals of safe boating, navigation rules and piloting techniques. The course 1 – RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT Street and removed stereo systems (grand lar- material cost is $75. Instruction is free. Please call Jim Duffy at 718-863-3855. (Please do not 1 – CRIMINAL POSSESSION OF A ceny). call after 9 p.m.). WEAPON 8/5 – Police are investigating a charge of 1 – UNLAWFUL IMPRISONMENT unlawful imprisonment when an off-Island 1 – ASSAULT female allegedly grabbed and robbed another spon- 12TH ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL BEACH CLEAN-UP, off-Island female at 9 p.m. sored by the American Littoral Society and the Ocean Conservancy, will take place on Saturday, Police report the following incidents for 8/6 – Two men were arrested on City Is- Sept.