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November 20 - December 3, 2013
Some advocates wary as Cuomo signs Hudson Park bill BY SA M S P O K O N Y On the same day that around 200 Lower West Side residents gathered to discuss their fears about a bill that would allow the transfer and sale of Hudson River Park’s air rights, Gov. Andrew Cuomo finally signed the bill into law. Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, had just finished his introductory speech at the Nov. 13 meeting, around 7 p.m., when word came that Cuomo had signed the bill. Most people at that meeting — at the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, on W. 14th St. — had understood that Cuomo probably wasn’t going to veto the bill, which in fact would have become law even if the governor had simply not taken any action on it by midnight. But there were still plenty of groans throughout the room. “We need transparency,” said Bill Borock, president of the Council of Chelsea Block Associations. “We don’t need legislation passed without appropriate input and feedback from the impacted communities.” Many residents in Tribeca, the West Village and Chelsea have been opposed to the legislation ever since it passed the state Senate and Assembly at the very end of the Legislative session in June. The legislation would allow an estimated 1.6 million square feet of Hudson River Park’s air rights to be transferred one block east the park. Madelyn Wils, C.E.O. of the Trust, attended part of the Nov. 13 community meeting, but neither she nor anyone else from the Trust chose to contribute to the evening’s discussion. Wils, a Tribeca resident and a former Community Board 1 chairperson, has supported the transfer of air rights, saying that it is the best way to save the park and keep it financially stable. Minutes after it was learned that the legislation had been signed into law, Wils was asked for a comment while she was leaving the room, but she declined. “We’re going to put out a press release on it,” was all she said to Downtown Express. In her prepared statement the next day, Wils said the Trust would be working “closely with our neighbors, our community boards, elected officials and the city and state to make sure the legislation fulfills its promise to the public to keep Hudson River Park one of New York’s truly great open spaces.” And although nearly everyone else in the room had been against the transfer of air rights, some were already looking on the bright side of the situation. “I’m optimistic about the future,” said Arthur Schwartz, the Village Democratic district leader and a Community Board 2 member, who cited the upcoming shift in
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Preservationist Andrew Berman spoke at Wednesday’s meeting about the Hudson River Park air rights bill. Minutes later, he informed the crowd the bill had been signed into law.
city government that will be led by Mayorelect Bill de Blasio. Schwartz explained his belief that Community Boards 1, 2 and 4 — all of which border parts of Hudson River Park — will actually have significant advisory input on a future city land use application known as ULURP or some other development process, since he thinks the city’s elected officials will at some point be open to negotiating with the community boards. “There’s a lot that’s going to change on this issue, and there’s also the fact that de Blasio is going to put five new people on the [Hudson River Park Trust] board, and [Borough Presidentelect] Gale Brewer is going to put three new people on that board,” said Schwartz. “I trust de Blasio and Brewer on this, and even though I know some people here don’t agree with me on it, I trust Madelyn Wils, too. She’s going to be committed to working with the community boards.” But after Wednesday’s meeting had finished, Berman stressed that while he, too, respects the city’s progressive politicians, he puts his faith in the neighborhood first. “Any elected official, no matter how great they might be, won’t be around forever,” he said. “We can’t take anything for granted, and this is really just the beginning of this process. What’s most important now is for residents to stay involved in the issue, because the real work on this begins within the community.” Other elected officials and politicos at the meeting included Assemblymembers Richard Gottfried and Deborah Glick, the law’s co-sponsors, Councilmemberelect Corey Johnson and Community Board 2 Chairperson David Gruber.
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