Open Letter: City Island Rising’s Comments for the NY & NJ Harbor & Tributaries Focus Area Feasibility Study

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Read our letter below, and leave your own comment for the study before 3/31:

https://www.nan.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Projects-in-New-York/New-York-New-Jersey-Harbor-Tributaries-Focus-Area-Feasibility-Study/

 

Mr. Bryce W. Wisemiller, Project Manager
Ms. Cheryl R. Alkemeyer, NEPA Lead
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District Jacob K. Javits Federal Building
26 Federal Plaza, Room 17-302
New York, NY 10278-0090

 

Dear Mr. Wisemiller and Ms. Alkemeyer,

On behalf of the City Island community of approximately 4,500 residents in the Bronx, New York, we are writing to you and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) with deep concern regarding the New York/New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries (NYNJHAT) Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study. While we appreciate federal efforts to address New York City’s vulnerability to climate change, the current proposals before you do nothing to address rising tides in our area or to protect the coastal communities of the Bronx, New York.
By creating storm barriers only for areas of lower Manhattan, Queens, and Brooklyn, USACE is essentially turning our borough and neighborhood into sacrificial lambs in the case of a natural emergency. Our area is already suffering from increased flooding and severe storms, issues that will only worsen in the coming years according to climate projections. Our community in particular is vulnerable as City Island has only one way on/off and the evacuation route goes through areas of Pelham Bay Park that flood regularly from normal rainfall and lack adequate drainage or natural irrigation. Several City Island roadways, from Minnieford Avenue to Ditmars and Tier Streets, suffer from nuisance flooding regularly. These issues will be exacerbated if we are left unprotected while other communities are fortified to withstand the elements.
Furthermore, from what we have seen and read from other community-based organizations, there is a need to fully review this entire plan to incorporate nature-based solutions, environmental justice principles, and take into consideration existing plans at the City and State level that are currently in motion. At the very least, we demand a proposal that would protect the at-risk communities of the Bronx that is built in collaboration with our residents and stakeholders.

Thank you for your time. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about this request and willing to meet with your agency to discuss this issue at greater length. Please reach out to John Doyle at (646) 469-8339 or via email at doylejc1@gmail.com. We look forward to working with you.

 

Respectfully Submitted,
City Island Rising

 

CC: Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, State Senator Nathalia Fernandez, State Assembly Member Michael Benedetto, Council Member Marjorie Velazquez, Bronx Community Board #10

 

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Bronx Times: Letter: Proposal for $52B storm barriers completely ignores the Bronx

Original: https://www.bxtimes.com/letter-52b-storm-barrier-bronx/

This letter is running as an open letter at the request of its author.

Dear Mr. Wisemiller and Ms. Alkemeyer, U.S Army Corps of Engineers

On behalf of the City Island community of approximately 4,500 residents in the Bronx, New York, we are writing with deep concern regarding the New York/New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study. While we appreciate federal efforts to address New York City’s vulnerability to climate change, the current proposals do nothing to address rising tides in our area or to protect the coastal communities of the Bronx, New York.

By creating storm barriers only for areas of lower Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is essentially turning our borough and neighborhood into sacrificial lambs in the case of a natural emergency. Our area is already suffering from increased flooding and severe storms, issues that will only worsen in the coming years, according to climate projections. Our community in particular is vulnerable as City Island has only one way on/off, and the evacuation route goes through areas of Pelham Bay Park that flood regularly from normal rainfall and lack of adequate drainage or natural irrigation. Several City Island roadways, from Minnieford Avenue to Ditmars and Tier streets, suffer from nuisance flooding regularly. These issues will be exacerbated if we are left unprotected while other communities are fortified to withstand the elements.

Furthermore, from what we have seen and read from other community-based organizations, there is a need to fully review this entire plan to incorporate nature-based solutions, environmental justice principles and take into consideration existing plans at the city and state level that are currently in motion. At the very least, we demand a proposal that would protect the at-risk communities of the Bronx that is built in collaboration with our residents and stakeholders.

Thank you for your time. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about this request and willing to meet with your agency to discuss this issue at greater length. We look forward to working
with you.

City Island Rising

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News 12 The Bronx: City Island and Pelham Bay Park residents: Several streetlights are in urgent need of repairs

Original: https://bronx.news12.com/city-island-and-pelham-bay-park-residents-several-streetlights-are-in-urgent-need-of-repairs

Residents in City Island and Pelham Bay Park say their pleas to repair streetlights are not being taken seriously.

They say several of the streetlamps by Orchard Beach and City Island are out. In other words, they are not turning on with their automatic sensors, which leaves a majority of Pelham Bay Park in the dark once the sun goes down.

Residents say this is and has been a safety hazard that dates back to 2015.

John Doyle and David Diaz are board members of the local nonprofit City Island Rising.

They say the area is prone to flooding, deers crossing in the night and dangerous road conditions. Doyle and Diaz say these occurrences coupled with pitch black roadways and pathways puts drivers and pedestrians at risk.

They say they have received several complaints from residents about the issue.

The duo has filed a 311 complaint as well as reached out to officials about making repairs. They tell News 12, however, that they feel their pleas are not being taken seriously.

They say while the lights have come on in a few areas of the park, more needs to be done.

“There are over 50 lights that are out. We’ve counted them, just it’s not right,” Diaz says.

“It will be tragic when somebody is hit and killed, but we can prevent that by fixing the lights,” Doyle says.

A News 12 crew drove around the area Saturday night and observed several lights that were out.

News 12 reached out to the New York City Department of Transportation but had not heard back as of Saturday night.

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Community Meeting, March 9, 2023

 

3/9/22 City Island Rising Community Meeting

 

  1. Opening, Call to Order

 

  1. Guest Speaker-
    1. Marianne Anderson, Administrator Pelham Bay Park
      • Park Maintenance, Garbage Collection
      • Friends of the Pelham Bay Park
      • Orchard Beach Reconstruction
      • Status of the Pelham Bay Landfill.
      • Volunteer Day in the Spring?
    2. Alina Downe Mayor’s Office

 

  1. Community Items

 

  1. Old Business
    1. MURAL DONE! Website UP! https://www.cityislandrising.org
    2. Flooding Symposium this month. Flood Sensor TBD.
    3. Hutchinson River Waterhed Meeting
    4. Bx29 “biggest customer journal time performance improvements”.
    5. Cell Phone Reception in PB Park- “The revised plans are still under Amtrak review with no definitive ETA. As of yesterday 3/6, two Amtrak engineering groups are preliminarily reviewing the proposed modifications to confirm they are acceptable. Our POC will let us know once the review is complete.”

 

  1. New Business
    1. Letter to the Army Corps.
    2. 663 City Island Ave Demolition.
    3. Clothing Drive/Dog Run
    4. Senator Fernandez at next meeting, April 13th.
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Mail to:
239 City Island Avenue
Bronx, NY, 10464
(917) 765-7968
cityislandrising@gmail.com

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