Guide to Rebuilding Activism
Getting our voices heard can be difficult,when officials don't
want to hear it or newspapers don't find it editorially congenial;
but we must not be silenced.
Print,Sign,and Fax This Document
to Mayor Bloomberg at 212-788-2460 NOW and Encourage All Your
Friends to do the Same!!
THROUGH NOVEMBER 11th 2008,
THIS
is a critical comment opportunity...make clear you don't WANT
"progress" with the current plans,you want those plans SCRAPPED
and the WTC RESTORED to its former scale and style!
Who to Send Comments To:
The main mailing address for what's now officially the
"Lower Manhattan Development Corporation" but we tend to call
the "Leave Manhattan Destroyed Committee" based on their track record
is
One Liberty Plaza,20th floor
New York,New York
10006
Fax number 212-962-2431 or -2433
They want plan comments only sent to that office,
to the email address wtcenvironmental@renewnyc.com,
to Kate Millea at kmillea@renewnyc.com,
or by webform on their site.We recommend mail or fax.
The Port Authority can be reached at
115 Broadway,10th Floor (office that takes comments)
New York,New York
10006
and at
225 Park Avenue South (current general headquarters)
New York,New York
10003
The City Council committee on Lower Manhattan Redevelopment
was as of March 2006 taking comments at 250 Broadway,14th Floor,
New York,New York 10007 (Attn:Arthur Schiff).
Past Commentary Timeline
The public comment period for the six stunted "Phase I" design
options ended September 30,2002.
The comment period on the nine team designs that
effectively replaced Phase II ended February 2,2003.
Comments on the Draft Scope GEIS document for the Libeskind plan
were accepted only until August 4,2003.
Comments on the
Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement were accepted
until March 15,2004.
Every voice we have must be heard in favor of the "Restoration Alternative"
and against the "Proposed Action"!
The
FINAL GEIS became available April 15,2004
and the comment period ended May 24,2004.
After one round of comments on the "Amended General Project Plan"
(which they continue to change all the time while denying changes need
outside approvals) ended March 19,2004,A NEW COMMENT PERIOD ENDED
MARCH 10,2005,with the usual promise to ignore any
received after that date!
Even though the FGEIS comment window has long closed,
a little guerrilla action can be useful:
Print,Sign,and Fax This Document
to 212-962-2431 NOW and Encourage All Your Friends
to do the Same!!
Tell them the plan is useless..."END IT,DON'T AMEND IT!"
On June 20,2006 a ONE-WEEK comment period for a set of recommendations
on the memorial was opened apparently instead of promised public
hearings.
The latest comment window ends September 28th 2006!
It concerns
this PDF document on "Proposed Further Refinements" but they need
to be CLEARLY told to scrap the ENTIRE plan!
The Port Authority accepted comments on the WTC PATH Station
"scoping" until October 29th 2003.The Draft Environmental Impact
Statement was open for comment until July 21st 2004,and the
Final Environmental Impact Statement open for comment until
June 15,2005.
Interactive Chat With Officials?
The
Gotham Gazette Java-Chat Room is the occasional scene of interesting
(moderated) conferences with relevant personnel,that we are not always
able to keep current on.For example,Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff,
a man who said there was "zero chance" of the Twin Towers returning,
cancelled an August 15th 2002 conference two days in advance,and "picket
fence" team architect Charles Gwathmey cancelled a January 31st
2003 conference just one day in advance.On April 24th 2003 they planned
a conference with activist and official memorial jury planner Julie
Menin but she was ordered to cancel it by the development
corporation on April 23rd.
Where possible,we'll keep you posted on the chats.
Friday,December 5th 2003 was a chat with anti-Towers architect Rick Bell
and officially-rejected memorial designer Fred Bernstein.
WTCRM Rallies
October 11th 2002 the WTCRM held a rally near City Hall.
It was scheduled for 10AM to 2 PM.
Keynote speaker was 77th-floor survivor Jonathan Hakala,
a vocal champion of rebuilding tall towers who lost close friends
in the attacks.A pro-rebuilding message was read from famous
tightrope walker Philippe Petit,who walked between the Twin
Towers in 1974 and wants to see them rise again.
Other speakers addressed the arguments for rebuilding in various
ways.
We got some press coverage in El Diario.
For more information see our press release.
Another rally was held November 2nd at 11AM at the same place.
The next rally
took place there July 26th 2003
Among the speeches was this one by columnist
Deroy Murdock.
Watch this space for any future rallies or events.
We held a press conference and media event AT THE WORLD
TRADE CENTER SITE SOUTH OF THE PATH TERMINAL ENTRANCE.
On September 11,2004 we were present ON LIBERTY STREET
AT TRINITY PLACE to advocate proper rebuilding.
The most recent rally,held with the Twin Towers Alliance,
was September 10,2006 in Central Park.
Timeline Guide
Upcoming events and milestones on the road to bringing back
tall towers...
See the comment deadlines above.
Public pressure to increase the building height available in the
remaining options is needed,both on the architects and the planners.
The officials have now endorsed a plan by
Studio Daniel Libeskind,
though Mr. Libeskind,a museum specialist,has never designed office
towers before.Modifications of his concepts are certain and we must
make sure they are in the right direction even as we proceed to hold
our own design competition in parallel.Libeskind accepts
email.He has lately made
agreements with leaseholder
Silverstein Properties whose email addresses include those
here,
here,and
here.
It will still be subject to modification after public comments and
hearings as design and engineering firms are chosen to execute it.
Planner Roland Betts,however,is against further hearings...we
may need to push just to hold them!
The February 18th 2004 hearings were as unpublicized as they legally
could be.The January 26th 2005 session was the same.KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN.
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.