‘Vision 2020’ Calls For Esplanade Repairs, Easier Waterfront Access

By [Megan Finnegan] An East Side with easier waterfront access, a refurbished esplanade and improved pedestrian bridges are some of the recommendations in Vision 2020: The New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, released last week by the Department of City Planning. The new draft recommendations come after seven public meetings and working with local community boards, and encompass a master waterfront plan for the city"s 500 miles of shoreline, as well as specifying what will be done within individual neighborhoods. According to Vision 2020, the recommendations for area 1, which encompasses the UES as well as East Harlem, highlight four areas for improvement: the East River Greenway in its entirety; the Queensboro Bridge Area; Randall"s and Ward"s islands; and Roosevelt Island. Earlier this year, when the city held its first public meetings on waterfront development plans, Upper East Side residents rallied around repairing the dilapidated East River esplanade, citing its narrow construction and areas of disrepair that make biking and walking potentially hazardous. The planning department apparently heard these concerns. In their current iteration, the recommendations address the esplanade, calling for major improvements, including â??a long-term management strategy to design, fund and maintain the East River esplanade, and to â??improve the quality of existing esplanade (widen where possible, provide noise barriers, seating, lighting, dedicated paths, drainage, ADA access) and improve maintenance and current conditions. The recommendations also make specific reference to Community Board 8"s plan for the Queensboro Bridge area, to â??facilitate pedestrian upland access to the waterfront from E. 59th to E. 60th Streets. Other recommendations include improving pedestrian bridges to increase access to the waterfront along several points, building boat-launch areas on the islands, and evaluating the ecological impacts from and effects on the waterfront. The plan will also address ways to make the waterfront area between East 73rd and East 75th streets accessible for the public while remaining a viable site for the active ConEdison steam plant. Tori Gilbert of East River C.R.E.W, a non-profit organization that promotes responsible use of East Side waterways, worked closely with the planning department to craft the recommendations. â??It"s wonderful that they"re doing it, she said of the development process. â??It"s unusual for the government to go into the longer vision and to this degree of involvement. Gilbert said that her group has pushed for easier access for boats and recreational uses of the river, as well as educational programs to let the public know that the East River is an estuary and needs care and protection. A public meeting will take place 6 p.m., October 12, at Rosenthal Pavilion in the NYU Kimmel Center for University Life, 60 Washington Square, to discuss the draft recommendations and other topics such as expanding public waterfront access and green technology for maritime operations. The Department of City Planning must submit a final draft of the waterfront proposal by the end of this December. â??I was so impressed and excited that hundreds of knowledgeable and passionate New Yorkers attended our workshops, and I hope everyone who cares about the City"s waterfront continues to work with us to finalize these important recommendations, Amanda M. Burden, City Planning Commissioner, said in a statement. For more information, visit www.nyc.gov/waterfront.