Pataki

Letter to Governor George Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg regarding the Port Authority's plan to renovate and expand its two stations on Christopher Street

June 1, 2002
Dear Governor Pataki and Mayor Bloomberg;

The Greenwich Village Block Associations is a community wide coalition of organizations dedicated to preserving and improving the "quality of life" for residents of Greenwich Village. We believe that the Port Authority's current plan to expand two Christopher Street stations with additional entrances is a defining crisis in the history of the Village and recalls Robert Moses ' threat to bisect Washington Square Park with an expressway.

As you will recall, the neighborhoods below 14th Street were placed under martial law following September 11th. Residents and local businesses were traumatized by the tragic events of that day. Many of us witnessed the collapse of the towers, and some of us suffered personal losses. We are a fragile community, recovering from grief and struggling to restore its equilibrium. This proposed disruptive construction may force local businesses to close and will add to the emotional distress of beleaguered residents. It will cause structural damage to treasured buildings in an internationally famed historic district; it will forever alter the character of Greenwich Village.

The PA has made no sincere attempt at community consultation and failed to obtain community consent for any such project. It has, indeed, tried to do work without necessary permits. Its failure to address legitimate safety concerns in a less invasive manner indicates that the PA lacks the creativity necessary to cope with future emergencies. What happens to Christopher Street has repercussions throughout the Village with ramifications beyond our borders.

The PA's "Clouseau" inspired plan permanently narrows Christopher Street near the proposed new entrances; thus, emergency vehicles would be unable to service the potential scenario the PA claims as its primary motivator. In its rush to construction, the PA ignores other options, including the possibility of minimizing the magnitude of possible disaster by running more frequent, shorter trains and maximizing emergency response by maintaining the present street configuration. Security concerns warrant the appropriate solution, not necessarily the quickest one.

Christopher Street is on the brink of an uncertain future. The streets, which intersect this historic market street -Greenwich Avenue, Bleecker Street, and Hudson Street - are on the way to fiscal recovery. With proper attention, Christopher Street can become an integral part of a thriving economic engine or, with the decline ensured by the PA plan, threaten the vitality of neighboring thoroughfares.

If we accept the PA's storm trooper tactics and impetuous planning as evidence, the World Trade Center terrorists have achieved part of their goal. Communities cannot be changed or unduly burdened by the cost of governmental, political and intelligence failures. The murderous hijackings of September 11th were successful, because government agencies failed to prevent a preventable occurrence. That government bureaucracy, that political establishment, and that intelligence network must adapt to future uncertainties.

Alternative means of transport to Manhattan should be conscientiously explored with the view of ending complete reliance on an underground, underwater rail system. If PA insensitivity toward the Village illustrates government response to a long-term threat, that authority and that government must be carefully evaluated. How can a controversial authority, which inspires little public confidence, be entrusted with the delicate development of the most sacred site in the world? How can an administration, which is responsible for that authority, retain public confidence? "The tragic cavern in lower Manhattan is not a design or a development problem, but a test of the spiritual and emotional depth of an entire nation…To honor a tragedy of this magnitude requires a response of comparable magnitude." The PA is proving that it should not be charged with this challenge.

The governor of New York can end the Port Authority's assault on Greenwich Village. We ask that you do so and enable its residents and business owners to return to the task of rebuilding their lives and their community.