Westway hero backs Pier55
To The Editor:
Re “Pier pressure: Diller ‘arts island’ still under partial stop-work order” (news article, thevillager.com, July 21):
The Villager’s article on the Pier55 lawsuit interprets a comment by Tom Fox that identifies me as a member of the City Club of New York and implies that I support the City Club lawsuit against Pier55 and regard the Diller plan negatively.
The opposite is the case. I urged the City Club not to pursue the case and the appeal. More importantly, I support the “Diller Island” project. I believe it will provide New Yorkers with exciting new recreational opportunities and expand their chances to interact with the Hudson River. I also think that it will draw tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of new visitors to the park and bring new life to this currently derelict section of the waterfront. Having had long experience with the habitat question, I do not believe Pier55 will have a negative impact on the aquatic and marine resources of the area and it could well have a positive effect.
Further, while I recognize that fees will be charged for many events (a practice that is common to many parks), what is left largely unsaid is that the pier will be open to the public for free the majority of the time. Finally, I do not believe in looking a gift-horse in the mouth. Mr. Diller’s and Ms. von Furstenberg’s incredible largess should be celebrated by all New Yorkers, not criticized, and I, for one, am happy to add my thanks.
Albert K. Butzel
Butzel was a principal attorney in the fight against Westway. As chairperson of the Hudson River Park Alliance and president of Friends of Hudson River Park, he helped secure the political and financial support that has allowed the Hudson River Park to be built.
‘Old lions’ are in the way
To The Editor:
Re “Pier pressure: Diller ‘arts island’ still under partial stop-work order” (news article, thevillager.com, July 21):
Many in our community have been wondering: Who exactly are these people fighting to keep a beautiful public park from being built?
After reading Tom Fox’s comments in The Villager, we now understand: The City Club just thinks it knows better — than the community board that voted overwhelmingly in favor of Pier55, than the hundreds who supported the plan at public meetings, than the millions who love Hudson River Park and will one day enjoy this incredible new section of it.
We can plainly see what Fox and his small band of “old lions” really embodies: out of touch obstructionism that reeks of stale self-righteousness.
Time to give it up.
Mike Novogratz
Novogratz is chairperson, Friends of Hudson River Park
Not a party to Pier55 row
To The Editor:
Re “Pier pressure: Diller ‘arts island’ still under partial stop-work order” (news article, thevillager.com, July 21):
The board of directors of Village Community Boathouse wishes to make it very clear that Rob Buchanan is acting entirely on his own in his legal action with City Club against Diller’s Pier55 group and does not represent V.C.B. We at V.C.B. take no position on the Pier55 project. We are tenants and partners of Hudson River Park Trust and rely on our good relationship with the Trust to offer our programming to the public. We introduce hundreds of new rowers to the Hudson River every year absolutely for free. We also build traditional wooden boats in a large space inside Pier 40 that the Trust graciously makes available to us. Village Community Boathouse strives to serve the Hudson River Park Trust’s mission of providing free public access to the water. As an all-volunteer, donation based nonprofit organization, we could not do this without Trust.
Sally Curtis
Curtis is president, board of directors, Village Community Boathouse
Pier plan wasn’t secret
To The Editor:
Re “Pier pressure: Diller ‘arts island’ still under partial stop-work order” (news article, thevillager.com, July 21):
In its suit against the Hudson River Park Trust, the City Club of New York, through its attorney, Richard D. Emery, claimed that the project was “born in secrecy,” when in fact it was presented at a public meeting of Community Board 2 that was attended by nearly 100 members of the community, including me, who were given ample opportunity to weigh in. I didn’t see Mr. Emery there.
The community board voted at a public meeting to support the new Pier55, which is to replace Pier 54, where the liner Carpathia brought the survivors of the tragic sinking of the Titanic.
There is now no Pier55 shown on any existing or historic map that I know of. Moreover, Pier55 is not Barry Diller’s project, but one conceived wholly by the Hudson River Park Trust, but which Mr. Diller and Diane von Furstenberg generously agreed to fund, so as not to drain the Trust’s scarce resources.
Without the generosity of Ms. von Furstenberg, we probably would not have the world-famous High Line park. The Hudson River Park Trust desperately needs vision and money to complete the park. Pier55 will be a gorgeous green island rising out of the Hudson River.
Barry Benepe
E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 1 Metrotech North, 10th floor, Brooklyn, NY, NY 11201. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel. Anonymous letters will not be published.
