Upper East Side Waste Transfer StationContested Sights_2011

Upper East Side Waste Transfer Station

New York City is and has constantly been outsourcing and displacing the infrastructure necessary for the city to function. This trend of hiding the required operations from the view of the inhabitants’ results in an uproar from said residents whenever these unwanted pragmatic elements make an appearance in the urban environment.

A predominately industrial and commercial zone in the early 1900’s, Yorkville was sited as a prime location for waste management in the form of a marine transfer station. Despite this prior use, the neighborhood transformed into a district dominated by high-rise residential towers in the 1960’s and 1970’s. This revitalization catered to a wealthier audience, with a current per capita income of $90,000 (the largest concentration of income in the country) versus $22,402 for NYC as a whole.

In 2006, the Bloomberg Administration passed the “Solid Waste Management Plan,” reopening four city owned marine transfer stations to increase the efficiency of managing the city’s solid waste and to decrease operation costs. These marine transfer stations would serve as nodes where solid waste is transferred from garbage trucks to barges and then disposed of outside the city. The re-opening and reconstruc-

tion of the former Marine Transfer Station in the Yorkville neighborhood of the Upper East Side has been the cause of fierce debate.

Given the upscale yet diverse atmosphere found tYorkville, residents are heavily opposed to the reconstruction efforts, initially stating that such a project has no place in a dense residential neighborhood surrounded by public amenities. Thus arose the issue of who should be subjected to waste management infrastructure, and a whole host of political and sociopolitical factors such as Fair Share, Borough Equity, NIMBY (Not-In-My-Backyard), and Environmental Justice.

In a dense city such as New York, who is responsible for dealing with its waste? Is it on a borough-by-borough basis? Is the subjugation of poorer communities to such infrastruc-ture fair? Ultimately this set of issues brings about the ques-tion of whether this contested issue in Yorkville is a battle of displacing infrastructure (opportunity versus availability) or that of racism and poverty versus wealth?

private community center and affiliated semi-private park, asphalt green, split by the station’s access ramp

with a 70% private, 30% public park ratio, this park is privately owned but not maintained by the city

tained by the city

Upper East Side Waste Transfer Station

public promenade for walking, running, biking and fishing along the waterfront

stanley isaacs and john holmes houses owned by the NYCHA - some of the only affordable housing for a diverse elderly population in the upper east side

the Barclay, owned by Glenwood Management offers one bedroom apartments at $2,695/month and two bedroom apartments at $4,695/month

with a 70% private, 30% public park ratio,

closed in 1999, former marine transfer station is slated for demolition and reconstruction as a 10-storey facility for handling solid waste

E. 91s

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Proposed MTS Reconstruction

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1. York Avenue

2. M.S. 114

3. Stanley M. Isaacs + John Holmes Houses

4. Asphalt Green + Aquatic Center

5. Municipal Asphalt Plant

6. The Esplanade

7. Marine Transfer Station

A Formerly commercial low-rise strip, York Ave. developed over time with the introduction of zoning codes in the 1960s. Construction by developer Leonard Litman of Glenwood Management transformed York Ave. into an avenue of high-rise residential towers. The significance of this road lies in its use as the main point of access for garbage trucks to the MTS 24/6 (coming from Community Boards 5, 6, 8 and 11). The trucks would line up in front of Asphalt Green in waiting their turn to access the station, causing issues for public transit to and from Asphalt Green,creating numerous problems for its summer camp programming including pollution and safety risks via the access station’s access ramp between the park and Aquatic Center.

One of many schools in the neighborhood, Ms 114 is unable to participate in the debate surrounding the MTS’s reconstruc-tion. Such entities are represented through community organizations such as the Gracie Point Community Council. Similarly, the relationship Between local schools and Asphalt Green will suffer in regards to its Recess Enhancement Program and Waterproofing Program. Students use Asphalt Green’s facilities for recess, school sport teams, and to learn to swim programs on a daily basis. These students are able to use A.G.’s facilites through its public-private partnership with the city and an allocated 30% of programmed time toward public functions.

Two of the only NYC Housing Authority projects in the Upper East Side, these developments provide affordable housing to a diverse elderly population. Of 2,200 residents, an average of 52% of housing is devoted to seniors between the two projects. The adjacency to the MTS introduces the issues of Fair Share and Borough Equity to the argument, referencing the A00919 Bill as a source of protection for affordable housing from Waste Transfer Stations (Essentially restricting construction of an MTS nearby Public Housing - Within about 300 Feet). Having a racially diverse population, the proximity of these projects bring about issues of race and equality more popular in areas surrounding Marine Transfer Stations in the Bronx or Brooklyn.

Sited on land formerly owned by the Parks Department, Asphalt Green entered into a licensing agreement with the city to operate and maintain its own facilities on the land. No guarantee regarding land use over time was made between the city and A.G. and now that the city wants to redevelop the neighboring MTS, A.G. is utilizing all possible political tactics to fight the proposal. Conflicted by issues of the mapping of the site and the Parks Alienation/Public Trust Doctrine (stating that no party may convert the use of a park), Asphalt Green failed to successfully contest this issue in a court of law. Because it is not considered a park, the physical conditions of the site may change in accordance with MTS construction.

Part of a larger Municipal Asphalt Plant System, the M.A.P. was part of the formerly industrial and commercial zone of yorkville. City Planner Robert Moses called it, “the most hideous waterfront structure ever inflicted upon a city,” whereas the Stanley Isaacs Neighborhood saved it from demolition prior to its closing in 1968. Now a landmark and converted into part of A.G.’s complex in 1996, it serves as additional space for A.G.’s complex serving as part of the company’s branded logo.

Similar to Asphalt Green, the Bobby Wagner Walk Esplanade along the water is not mapped as a NYC park, and therefore available for adaptation and renovation during the MTS construction process. This path is a public promenade for running, walking and fishing, and these amenities could be lost if the MTS re-opens. Friends of the Esplanade, a community organization, has been arguing to protect this public space for future renovation through a design compeittion to re-imagine the waterfront.

Currently in the Value Engineering phase, the proposed demolition and reconstruction of the MTS calls for a structure twice the height, with a 72,000 sq ft footprint, extending 100 ft North of its current position. This would put it directly in the line of sight from Stanley Isaacs and John Holmes. The re-opening of the station would infringe on the character and activity present on the Esplanade, as well as Asphalt Green. This facility proposes to be open 24 hours a day 6 days a week with Sundays off, and it is estimated to handle a total of 720 tons of residential waste per day.

"We're talking about hundreds of chil-dren playing on the field right next to that constant barrage of noise and stench! These stations were built at a time when this neighborhood was indus-trial. This is a completely inappro-priate space for a garbage facility."

Waste Station Collection, 2004 and prior Manhattan’s Waste Station Collection, Solid Waste Management Plan, 2006

“[The yorkville station] would greatly reduce the impact of the City garbage trucks on our communities by eliminating 3.5 million miles driven by these vehicles annually within city limits.”

COMMUNITY GROUPS FORM IN OPPOSITION

ADVOCATES

OPPOSITION

Gracie Point Community Council

The reconstruction will impede on Asphalt Green’s property, preventing much of their Recess Enhancement and summer camp programming on the field.

Tony Ard, GPCC Chairman

Carol Tweedy, Director of Asphalt Green

Community Board 8

Friends of the Esplanade

PTA

NYCEJA

Sustainable South Bronx

Red Hook Civic Association

Neighbors Allied for Good Growth

Uproads

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES SHOW SUPPORT

Mayor Bloomberg announces a new SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN

For the next 20 years, Manhattan must process and transport its own waste, but where on the island will this take place? E. 91st St. MTS

Existing MTS +Gansevoort

Recycling Station

W. 59th St. MTS

ASPHALT GREEN FIGHTS BACK

Principle that certain resources are preserved for public use and that the government is obligated to maintain them for such use - VOID because A.G. is privately operated and public access is restricted 70% of the time strictly to those paying membership fees.

Public Trust Doctrine

[18]

[5]

[7 stations]

[9]

[1]

“The GPCC maintains that any densely populated resi-dential neighborhood with public parks, historic landmarks, private and public housing, schools, reli-gious institutions, shops, and, of course, Asphalt Green, a city park used by thousands of children, the disabled and others who come from all parts of the city, including East Harlem is the wrong place to build and operate a Marine Transfer Station.”

GPCC

“While sensible in theory, ‘Bor-ough sufficiency’ does not take into account that locations for garbage disposal need to be chosen for their suitability.”

Seizing an opportunity to stifle MTS reconstruction efforts, A.G. director Carol Tweedy proposes an Exercise Science Center at the site for NYC’s 2012 Olympic bid. Bloomberg was on board, but the bid denied resulting in another failed attempt at stopping construction!

Politicians opposed sites on the west side because of their proximity to their own homes.

Hudson YardsBloomberg desired to maintain it as a place for large scale economic develop-ment.

Legal action taken by A.G. to appeal legislature

A. Gifford Miller, City Council

Jessica Lappin, City Council

Micah Kellner, NY State Assembly

Christine Quinn, City Council

Department of Sanitation Department of

Parks and Recreation

STANLEY ISAACS + JOHN HOLMES HOUSES

Micah Kellner

Rose Bergin, resident leader of the complex, asserts that a trash facility so close to public housing does not constitute environmental justice, especially having experienced its effects for 60 years - the stench, traffic and rat population.

“....a completely inappropriate place at which to construct a marine trans-fer station [Yorkville].... [while] The proposed site on Hamilton Avenue in Brooklyn has less than 4,300 people living within a quarter of a mile.”

Prohibits Waste Transfer Stations from being located near public housing projects - within a range of 300 feet.

Under the public trust doctrine, State legislative approval is required before parkland can be alienated or used for an extended period for non-park purposes.

Distributes frequently unpopular, decidedly necessary uses among the boroughs to lessen disparities among communities in their respective responsibility for facilities serving city wide or regional needs - not particular to neighborhoods within the borough.

Each borough should be self-sufficient to handle its own waste, especially Manhattan, which produces 40% of the city’s waste.

CITY OF NEW YORK

Bill 00919

Fought in favor of the lower-class to close the Ganesvoort recycling plant; followed Bloomberg’s example in an attempt to gain the vote of an untapped audience.

Park Alienation

“....the project will substantially encroach on parkland for non-park purposes.”

Borough Equity

Fair Share

“With upgraded emission controls, water contain-erization, sound barri-ers, and on-site space for truck queuing, the new MTS will have a lower environmental impact than the 18 waste facilities in operation in Greenpoint, Williams-burg and the South Bronx.

“Asphalt Green and the Esplanade do not constitute parkland subject to the public trust doctrine since neither have been mapped expressly as a park and therefore would not be alien-ated from construc-tion.”

"For decades, New Yorkers who live in communities of color have endured more than their fair share of our city's trash. This plan achieves greater equity and environmental justice for all New Yorkers."

Possible sites ruled out after politicial intervention and lack of in depth studies into sites’ potential.

E. 91st St. MTS

Existing MTSGansevoort

Recycling Station

Hudson Yards Station

W. 59th St. MTS

“[The yorkville station] would greatly reduce the impact of the City garbage trucks on our communities by eliminating 3.5 million miles driven by these vehicles annually within city limits.”

Red Hook Civic Association

Neighbors Allied for Good Growth

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ADVOCATES SHOW SUPPORT