LOUIS KAHN FDR MEMORIAL AT SOUTHPOINT PARK? VERY BAD IDEA!!!

THE NEW YORK SUN HAS AN ARTICLE TODAY ABOUT THE LOUIS KAHN DESIGNED FDR MEMORIAL PROPOSED FOR THE SOUTHERN TIP OF SOUTHPOINT PARK. THE MEMORIAL IS INTENDED TO BE PLACED AT THE LOWER RIGHT SIDE OF THE ABOVE PICTURE. THE ARTICLE STATES:

Although the institute is nearly $35 million away from its target, the executive director of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial Four Freedoms Park project, Gina Pollara, said she is confident the money will be raised in time. "It's going to happen," she said yesterday, after poring over digital renderings of the memorial in her office near Herald Square. "We're kind of in a now or never situation."

THE ARTICLE INCLUDES STATEMENTS FROM RIRA OFFICIALS OPPOSING THE MEMORIAL AT SOUTHPOINT:

The president and CEO of the Roosevelt Island Residents Association, Matthew Katz, said he is concerned that the memorial will cut off views to the east and west. A survey of residents found that most want "the greenest thing possible" in that space, he said.

"The Roosevelts were gods in my house, growing up," Mr. Katz said. "Whether this is the appropriate memorial is another question."

The association's secretary, Sherie Helstien, said that by resisting Kahn's memorial design, residents are trying to "save the last big community park" in the city. "I think a lot of us are just hoping they don't get the money," she said. "We don't want that thing here."

I AM ALSO STRONGLY OPPOSED TO THIS MEMORIAL BECAUSE THE STRUCTURE IS A HUGE OBSTRUCTION BLOCKING VIEWS OF THE EAST RIVER, MANHATTAN, EAST RIVER BRIDGES AND BROOKLYN FROM SOUTHPOINT PARK. THIS PROJECT MUST BE STOPPED AND I WILL BE POSTING MORE ON THIS SUBJECT SOON. I THINK THE FUTURE OF SOUTHPOINT PARK MAY BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES FACING THE FUTURE OF ROOSEVELT ISLAND AND IT DESERVES A FULL AND FAIR DEBATE ABOUT THIS PROPOSED MEMORIAL.

ROOSEVELT ISLAND FERRY SERVICE UPDATE (CON'T)

TOM FOX OF NY WATER TAXI SENDS THE FOLLOWING UPDATE ON ROOSEVELT ISLAND FERRY SERVICE:

... service to Roosevelt Island is not impeded by strong currents or vessel traffic in the West Channel. There have been ferries traveling back and forth between the Island & Manhattan for over a century and the waterway was more heavily used back then. Ferries are important for transportation, recreation and emergency preparedness. If elected and appointed officials, involved agencies and community organizations work together we can insure that there is a service both to Octagon and the Transportation hub to the Island in a year or two.

FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS UPDATE

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RIOC PRESIDENT STEVE SHANE PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION CONCERNING MY FIRST POST QUESTIONING THE NEED TO CHARGE $18 TO VIEW THE FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS DISPLAY AT SOUTHPOINT PARK. MR. SHANE PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION IN A PDF FILE WHICH I WAS NOT ABLE TO DIRECTLY UPLOAD YET TO THE BLOG SO I TRANSCRIBED INFORMATION MYSELF. ANY MISTAKE IN TRANSCRIBING THE NUMBERS IS MINE AND WILL BE CORRECTED IF NECESSARY.

RIOC JULY 4, 2007 BUDGET
BOARD APPROVED BUDGET:80,000

DAY OF EVENT RIOC STAFF COSTS $12,576.58
TRANSPORTATION SOFT COSTS $11,243.00

OTHER THAN PERSONAL SERVICES (OPTS)
PUBLIC WORKS* $41,625.00
FOOD AND BEVERAGES $8,870.12
OTHER $4,298.61

TOTAL OTPS + STAFF +
TRANSPORTATION COSTS $78,613.31

TOTAL REVENUE: $77,102.00

*CHAIRS, TOILETS, SIGNAGE, TICKET CHECKERS, CLEANUP CREW, ENTERTAINMENT (FACE PAINTERS, JUGGLERS, MIMES, BAND)

ALTHOUGH IT IS APPRECIATED THAT RIOC PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION, IT STILL DOES NOT EXPLAIN WHY THESE COSTS HAVE TO BE MET THROUGH PAID ADMISSIONS WHEN OTHER SIMILAR PUBLIC VENUES DO NOT CHARGE FEES TO VIEW THE FIREWORKS. IF ADDITIONAL REVENUE IS NEEDED WHY NOT TRY TO LICENSE SEVERAL CONCESSIONAIRES TO PROVIDE FOOD AND OTHER SERVICES AND HAVE THE CONCESSIONAIRES PAY A LICENSE FEE FOR THAT RIGHT?

MOVING DAY

I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LACK OF POSTS THIS WEEK BUT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING AND DID NOT HAVE MUCH TIME TO POST NOR WAS I ABLE TO CONVENIENTLY ACCESS THE INTERNET. I AM SURE YOU ALL KNOW WHAT A LOVELY EXPERIENCE MOVING IS AND GETTING RID OF YEARS OF ACCUMULATED JUNK.

RELOCATED WITHIN ROOSEVELT ISLAND TO SOUTHTOWN AND AM LOOKING FORWARD TO REMAINING ON THE ISLAND. I HOPE TO ASSIST IN DOING WHATEVER POSSIBLE TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS AMONG THE VARIOUS ISLAND CONSTITUENCIES RESULTING IN A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL WHO LIVE, WORK AND VISIT ROOSEVELT ISLAND.

I WANT TO USE SOME SPACE HERE TO THANK EACH AND EVERY PERSON WHO HAS BEEN READING THIS BLOG FOR THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS AND PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED THEIR OWN VIEWS AND QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION TO EACH POST. MY VIEW IS THAT THE MOST VALUABLE PART OF THIS BLOG WILL BE THE COMBINED DEDICATION AND WISDOM OF ALL THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTE THEIR THOUGHTS, IDEAS AND QUESTIONS.

ROOSEVELT ISLAND FERRY UPDATE FROM RIOC

STEVE SHANE, PRESIDENT OF RIOC, PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING RESPONSE IN REGARD TO ROOSEVELT ISLAND FERRY SERVICE INQUIRY:

RIOC has been supportive of ferry service proposals for a long time.
The owners of the Octagon are well down the road in the permitting
process with the Coast Guard, Army Corp. of Engineers and the City for
the dock and future route approval. RIOC has supported the application
and arranged for the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management to support
also as an additional means of egress for disaster planning purposes.
A ferry terminal at the transportation hub (tram and subway stations)
would be ideal, but faces large hurdles with Coast Guard, Army Corp.,
etc. West channel currents make service very dicey.

TOM FOX, PRESIDENT OF NY WATER TAXI, HAS ALSO RESPONDED SAYING THAT COUNCILWOMAN JESSICA LAPPIN IS A CHAMPION OF THE PROPOSAL TO PROVIDE FERRY SERVICE TO ROOSEVELT ISLAND.