How to stop the city from demolishing East River Park with an environmentally disastrous, climate damaging flood control project that is needed, paradoxically, because of climate change.
East River Park ACTION and 15 other community groups along with some 75 individuals filed suit Feb. 6 to force the city to pursue Alienation from the state. It gives us a chance to get a do-over that won’t kill our park–and we’re demanding interim flood protection so we don’t drown in the meantime.
Here’s the filing including including the Petition, East River Park Action vs. City of New York, New York County Supreme Court, Feb. 6, 2020, and supporting material–ULURP Public Hearing Transcript from July 2019
Here are photos from our press conference Thursday. Scroll down for a video of the entire press conference (a rousing presentation!) and the news articles that came out of it.
Press Conference announcing Alienation Lawsuit
All the reasons we need to sue in a passionate, well-reasoned presentation. Feb 6, 2020, from Harriet Hirshorn, Woman at the Reel on Vimeo
East River Park flood project opponents sue NYC in bid to stop it
By Melissa Klein, February 8, 2020, NY Post
The lawsuit seeks to void the vote and send the proposal to the state Legislature. Pat Arnow, head of the East River Park Action group, said they wanted “a revision of the plan that will cause minimal destruction of the park.”
Local Groups Sue City Over Plan To Overhaul East River Park
BY SYDNEY PEREIRA, FEB. 7, 2020, Gothamist
“We don’t really have much more we can get the city to negotiate with,” said Charles Krezell, a plaintiff on the lawsuit. “For one thing, we don’t believe that they’re going to be able to complete this is in five years.”
(Ignore the trolls who comment at the end of Gothamist articles. They like to criticize protesters for being old people. We have to remember we’re aiming to help our neighborhood and city, and if the lives of trolls end up being better also because of our actions, well, that’s collateral damage for us.)
Lower East Side flood protection plan threatened by lawsuit
Several community groups are suing over the East Side Coastal Resiliency project by Caroline Spivack, Feb 7, 2020, Curbed
“It’s a bittersweet move for park advocates, who say they want flood protections for the vulnerable area but point to a laundry list of concerns about the project, including an abrupt change that requires the East River Park to be razed and rebuilt.”
More photos, thanks Veronica Olivetti:
