Thank you for the chance to submit written testimony regarding the proposed rezoning of Governors Island. Regional Plan Association (RPA) is a non-profit civic organization that conducts research, planning, and advocacy to improve economic opportunity, mobility, environmental sustainability, and the quality of life for those who live and work in New York and the rest of the New York City metropolitan region. We are pleased to provide written comments in support of the proposed rezoning and creation of the South Island Special District (ULURP applications 210126 ZRM and 210127 ZMM).
Background
RPA played a major role in the transformation of Governors Island. Throughout the mid-1990s, RPA led and incubated the Governors Island Alliance, a coalition of more than 45 organizations dedicated to transforming the island from an abandoned Coast Guard Base into an urban park. The coalition’s idea of redeveloping the island as a great civic space was the basis for its transfer to NYC-control and contributed to the establishment of a 22-acre National Monument, the set-aside of an additional 40 acres for a public park, and adoption of design restrictions in the National Landmark Historic District.
Throughout the following decades, we continued to advocate and facilitate plans for Governor’s Island that would make it a space that is truly public in nature, which preserves open space, prioritizes educational uses, and adheres to sustainable development principles. Through workshops, panel discussions, and tours, we facilitated a process that ensured that the public interest determined the reuse of the island. In addition, RPA fought against overdevelopment and proposals that were not consistent with these goals, including Mayor Giuliani’s proposition to place a casino on the island.
The coalition also recognized the need to identify uses that would generate revenue for maintaining the Island as a whole, including its bulkhead and piers, parks spaces, its ferry system, and other infrastructure. Revenue for maintenance would come directly in the form of leases or other payments from for-profit uses and hosting uses that generate enough visitor traffic to support the ferry service and concessions. As such, the coalition identified potential uses and activities in four reinforcing program streams: Parks/Recreation, Art/Culture, Education/Institution, and Hotel/Conference Center.
After years of work, Governors Island opened for public use in 2005. Today the island hosts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and it’s a major attraction in the city and region. RPA celebrates these important milestones, but we also recognize that there is more work needed before completing the vision for the Island that was developed over a decade ago.
RPA supports Governors Island proposal to create the South Island Special District as described in ULURP applications 210126 ZRM and 210127 ZMM
The proposed rezoning would help fulfill the goals envisioned by the coalition. The proposal would expand the Island’s open space, increase public connections between the park and waterfront esplanade, and add an additional layer of protection for all open space on the South Island. Controls for connectivity, urban design, historic sensitivity, height and bulk are written into the zoning, as well as protections to preserve view corridors from the park. All buildings across the development sites will strictly adhere to flood-resistant construction methods.
The rezoning would offer development and leasing opportunities that would anchor a global center for climate solutions in the heart of the harbor. Consistent with the uses identified by the coalition over a decade ago, the zoning framework would allow for a mix of academic, commercial, non-profit, cultural, convening and hospitality uses, anchored by a climate research and educational center. As New York Harbor continues to become a flashpoint for the impacts of climate change, RPA applauds the Trust’s decision of initiating this process.
While we understand the desire to designate specific urban design and use considerations applicable to the proposed development zones (eastern and western subareas), an overly prescriptive set of rules might have the unintended consequence of impeding the type of research the center could perform when evaluating coastal resilience solutions. The new zoning should allow the research center to perform testing of construction techniques, evaluate structure typologies, and materials to investigate their effectiveness in climate adaptation and coastal resilience. Similarly, the zoning framework should ensure that the type of activities associated with prototyping and laboratory work are allowed and listed in the permitted use groups. These type of uses would allow for synergies and partnerships with local manufacturing facilities to flourish, particularly those located along Brooklyn’s waterfront in Sunset Park and in the Navy Yard. Given the goal of anchoring a research center for climate change solutions, we think it’s important to ensure that the zoning framework provides sufficient flexibility in terms of urban design and programming considerations.
With this zoning framework, Governors Island Trust is taking another bold step towards fulfilling the goals envisioned by the coalition over twenty years ago. RPA looks forward to supporting the plan throughout the land use review process.
