Submitted by Scott Baker, Apr 12, 2007 11:44

I attended the CB6 meeting with Dr. Doctoroff's assistants as well. Although members of CB6 stressed the need for a park space comparable to the space that would be lost if Robert Moses Park is converted into U.N. office space, they, and the electeds, made it clear that they also want and expect the esplanade to be completed as well. I also reminded the participants that the esplanade is a commitment to completing a Greenway around Manhattan that was made over a decade ago and has nothing to do with the current issues directly. It's good to see that the Mayor's office is finally starting to look at the development of Midtown East as a challenge calling for an integrated solution, but disquieting to see that, again, the only part of the solution that sounds like it might happen is building on Robert Moses park - not coincidentally, the only activity which would generate revenue for the city. The city still needs to realize the goal of redeveloping Midtown East is not just how many people can be stuffed into a given area, but also the quality of life those people will have. I hope the city will honor its prior commitments to completing the esplanade to connect the upper and lower east side neighborhoods, and also increase usable park space. As was pointed out at the meeting, CB6 is dead last in park space in Manhattan, and nearly last in all five buroughs.

At the same time, CB6 and the electeds have to be open to innovative and workable solutions to the current amenity and recreational shortages. "No" change is not a solution. We all hope the Mayor's office will come to the next meeting with more development details.

Note: Comments are screened, and in some cases edited, before posting. We reserve the right to reject anything we find objectionable.