OCULUS JANUARY 1966 NEW YORK CHAPTER THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS CHAPTER AND CITY ON STATEN ISLAND: TWO ISSUES In a series of statements to the Consistent with its efforts to im­ the contemporary concepts of urban daily press and through its repre­ plement a major crash program planning." If anything, these hard­ sentatives appearing this past for the planning and development ships underlined the urgent need month before the Mayor, the City of Staten Island, the New York for such a crash program as advo­ Planning Commission, the City Chapter continued to press for a cated by the New York 'chapter. Council, the Board of Estimate and series of immediate emergency the State's Joint Legislative Com­ measures designed to protect prin­ Local Law 820 now pending in mittee on Housing and Urban De­ cipally the Island's open lands from the Council is a new attempt by the velopment, the New York Chapter premature programs such as the City to correct the inadvertent re­ AIA defined the position of its pro­ proposed Richmond Parkway and moval of the mapping requirement fessional membership on four vital from further abuses of speculative when the General City Law was issues currently confronting the developments. Specifically aimed at amended in 1963 at the urging of city. the latter was the Chapter's sup­ Staten Island home builders. Actu­ ally sought by the builders was the 1. In a letter to the New York port of a local law by the City Council to prohibit new construc­ elimination of the street improve­ Times, Chapter President Max Ur­ ment requirement for building per­ hahn continued to press for a mora­ tion on unmapped or unimproved streets. mits. The argument was that any torium on the sale of city-owned street improvement prior to build­ land in Staten Island and a one­ ing would be undone during the year crash program to develop a course of construction, thus doub­ comprehensive master plan by a BUILDING PERMITS ling the street improvement cost. Staten Island "Task Force" or "Authority" especially created for Testifying for the New York Chap­ In 1964 the city attempted to this purpose (OCULUS Novem­ ter at a special hearing of the Coun­ amend the General City Law to ber, 1965). cil's Building Committee last De­ restore the mapping requirement cember, Executive Director Charles as a pre-condition to the issuance 2. To implement this program, Thomsen urged the early enact­ further restriction of speculative of building permits. This bill ment of Local Law Int. 820 now passed both Houses of the State developments on Staten Island was pending in the City Council. If en­ advocated by Executive Director Legislature, only to be vetoed by acted, the law would require official the Governor. While conceding the Charles Thomsen testifying before mapping of a street as a pre-condi­ the Building Committee of the City desirability of such legislation, the tion for the issuance of building Council. The Chapter urged the Governor indicated that it should permits. It would also continue the passage of a local law which would be pursued through local law. present legal requirements of suit­ withhold the issuance of building able street improvements before a permits on unmapped or unim­ certificate of occupancy can be is­ RICHMOND PARKWAY proved streets. sued by the Superintendent of 3. At a City Planning Commis­ Buildings. Similar controls should The urgency for an all-out top pri­ sion hearing on December 7, the be exercised, Mr. Thomsen asserted, ority program for the planning and Chapter recommended the de­ "where inadequate sanitation and development of Staten Island was mapping of West Broadway, south other facilities make new construc­ forcefully driven home this past of Washington Square Park, to its tion improvident at this time." month when plans for the first sec­ original 75 foot R.O.W. tion of the Richmond Parkway Recognizing the burden placed were rushed through to meet the 4. The Chapter also urged the on private owners and their prop­ deadlines and qualify for federal Board of Estimate, at a public erties "placed in the limbo created and state aid. In spite of last min­ hearing on December 16, to ap­ by such a law," Mr. Thomsen added, ute personal efforts of Mayor Lind­ prove "without further delay" the "we are confidGnt that these tempo­ say and against the stated opposi­ map submitted by the Commis­ rary hardships would be rewarded tion of civic groups and the New sioner of Parks establishing a 260- a thousandfold by the sound devel­ York Chapter AIA, Superintendent acre addition to Breezy Point Park. opment of the Island according to John Burch McMorran of the State 2 STATEN ISLAND ISSUES of this open space is much more A COORDINATED RICHMOND PARKWAY restricted than is generally real­ TRANSPORTATION PLAN (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1J ized. For instance, the newly ac­ quired High Rock Nature Center is Plans for the Richmond Parkway, Department of Public Works pro­ only 60 acres, as compared with being implemented notwithstand­ ceeded as scheduled on the contracts Central Park of 840 acres, and its ing indications by the City that to build the first section of the Park­ widest point only 1450 feet across. they should be delayed, pinpoint way estimated to cost $16 million. The minimum width for the park­ the difficulty in achieving a possible The concern of the Chapter over way is 300' or twice as wide as Park . collaboration between the city and the serious effects that this north­ A venue. The virgin woodland, semi-autonomous or quasi-public south artery would have on the through whose entire length the agencies, despite lip service to the future of the island were expressed parkway is projected, varies in desirability if not imperative neces­ by Chapter President Max 0. Ur­ width from 500' to 3000' for a dis­ sity for such a collaboration. hahn in a telegram to Transporta­ tance of 4 miles. The parkway re­ tion Council Chairman Arthur E. quires considerable cuts and fill due Methods for achieving this needed Palmer on January 26th. Recom­ to the rugged nature of the terrain control and collaboration were sug­ mending that the bid opening date through which it will pass. Hence, gested to Mayor Lindsay by Chap­ for section 1 of the parkway be the swath through the heart of the ter President Max 0. Urhahn and delayed beyond the prescribed 45 Greenbelt will change the charac­ by Urban Design Committee Chair­ days, Mr. Urhahn questioned the ter on the adjacent lands: the man B. Sumner Gruzen in a letter validity of the proposed route "par­ camps to the west, the nature cen­ dated January 26th: ticularly in the northern sector of ter to the east, and Latourette Park "In these crucial early days of the island where the parkway woodlands on both sides will be left your administration's bold under­ would cut through the heart of the as thin strips of open space." taking to frame a new direction Staten Island greenbelt." He urged The alternate route proposed and a new pattern for the City and that serious consideration be given by the Citizens' Planning Commit­ its future, we urge your attention to alternate routes which would tee was rejected by both the Tri­ to one particular problem which preserve the natural features of borough Bridge and Tunnel Au­ has created a very serious obstacle the open land area now used as thority and the State Department to the development of a sound and parks and camps. of Public Works because of the coordinated comprehensive master In this last minute effort to delay "fantastic additional funds ( 11 mil­ plan for this City. the premature project, Mr. Urhahn lion) for the construction of a road recommended the thorough review which is grossly inferior to the "Our City Charter has charged of the possibilities offered by mak­ original route in every respect, in­ the preparation of this comprehen­ ing the proposed artery an express­ cluding scenic appeal ... a route sive plan to the City Planning Com­ way. "As you know," he stated in which would needless dispossess 83 mission. It is obvious that a major his communication to Mr. Palmer, families." element in any city plan is the organ­ "the City Planning Commission has The report by the Staten Island ization and mapping of streets, recommended that Richmond Park­ Citizens' Planning Committee was highways, bridges, and tunnels. way be made an expressway. We instrumental in the Chapter's joint Such work is the legal responsibil­ support this proposal." In view of statement with 13 civic organiza­ ity of the City Planning Commis­ the Chapter reservations Mr. Ur­ tions of New York City and the sion. The function of a Traffic hahn concluded, "We strongly urge Island urging a review of the trans­ Department is to establish ways of that the receipt of bids be post­ portation plans for the Island gen­ moving traffic along the route es­ poned." erally, and of Richmond Parkway tablished by the City plan. "There­ fore, our professional opinion is : The proposed route of the Ex­ in particular. (OCULUS, Novem­ pressway was criticized by Staten ber 1965). "1. That no proposals for map- Island groups, including the Staten ping of building circulation Island Citizens Committe on Plan­ 99th DINNER DANCE routes in our city should be ning, which issued a report in No­ Thursday, February 24 made except by the City Plan­ vember 1965 recommending an M/ S Europa • Pier 88 ning Commission, alternate route. The main obj ec­ 6:25 -12:30 tion advanced by the committee 2.