PROTECT SNAD! PLEASE ATTEND THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING

[COGGINSS]

PROTECT SNAD!
PLEASE ATTEND THE CITY PLANNING COMMISSION  PUBLIC HEARING
Re: BOROUGH OF THE BRONX Nos. 1, 2 & 3 /
Bronx Special District Text to make changes to the existing Special Natural Area District zoning regulation.
Location: Hearing Room, Lower Concourse, 120 Broadway, New York, NY
Date:          Wednesday, August 14, 2019 at 10:00 A.M.

 * Community Board #8 refused to vote on the proposal, declaring it illegitimate.

 * Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. voted “No” to  the proposal, on the basis of an unfair process.

 * And now the proposal continues to move forward with a vote by the Board of the City Planning Commission,
before advancing on to the NYC Council.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO IN ADDITION TO  ATTENDING?
These four things will only take a few minutes but have BIG impact!!!

1) Send an email to the Board of the City Planning Commission voicing your opposition to this SNAD proposal by filling out the CPC Comment Form: https://a002irm.nyc.gov/EventRegistration/RegForm.aspx?eventGuid=fa206f3d-6400-4a95-8b3987b1bfa975ef.

2) Tell Council Member Andrew Cohen that WE SAY NO! to Secret Zoning Changes and to SAVE OUR SNAD! Email him at district11@council.nyc.gov

3) Tell Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz to stand behind his constituents in their opposition to the substance and process of this SNAD proposal. Send him an email: DinowiJ@nyassembly.gov.

4) Share this email with your neighbors and encourage them to do the same!!!

You can send follow-up emails to any of these parties, even if you sent emails at previous points during this process.
It is not a vote and you are entitled to follow-up comments.
Please cc:  goodneighborsofriverdale@gmail.com so we can track responses, or for more information.
Thank you!

[ndembowski]

Normally, this is not these forums are not the place for politics but weakening the SNAD protection in Riverdale would very clearly allow development to run rampant in a part of the neighborhood where the rock outcroppings, natural slopes, and tall old trees give a sense of the natural history of the area.

When I taught at P.S. 24, we used the rock outcroppings and boulders of Fieldston as a means to teach/learn about geology.  From the sidewalks you can see evidence of plate tectonics and the movement of glaciers.  We also used neighborhood trees as specimens for study (the students were intrigued to learn that the spiky thorns of Black Locust trees were very likely an evolutionary adaptation to prevent the tree from mastodons).  SNAD protections have been helpful in preserving these natural elements, which are a part of the neighborhood’s character and natural history.

https://www.riverdalepress.com/stories/neighbors-quiver-over-citys-scheme-to-dismantle-snad,67934?

[COGGINSS]

I love your response Nick. I hadn’t thought of it in terms of natural history, and you’re absolutely right.

But besides the procedural issues, SNAD provides environmental protections to our Greenbelt which ensures that trees, slopes, and other elements of the natural environment are preserved, and prevents new developments and expansions from overwhelming our public facilities and streets. Our SNAD Greenbelt provides an effective tool to hold off the ravages of climate change by providing a “cool belt” of green space, shading and low density. The health of the land environment impacts the health of the Hudson, in terms of water temperature, algae blooms, toxins etc. And we must remember that our Hudson River empties into the Atlantic ocean. So preserving SNAD is more than maintaining an attractive setting in which to live (or to live nearby), it’s impact is global.

Thank you for thinking outside of the box, and seeing the bigger picture.

[Author]

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