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The
Plan for the Brooklyn Waterfront, a part of New
York City's Comprehensive Waterfront Plan issued
in August 1992, presents detailed studies of the
borough's five reaches, or waterfront study areas.
Two of the reaches -- Newtown Creek and Jamaica
Bay -- are located in both Brooklyn and Queens.
They are presented in their entirety in this report.
The
two extremes of Brooklyn's waterfront typify its
enormous diversity. At one end, Newtown Creek
is heavily industrial -- replete with oil tanks
and waste facilities -- and, at the other end,
Jamaica Bay's creeks, wetlands and barrier beaches
form an intact ecosystem that is one of the city's
most valuable natural resources.
As
a result of historical development patterns, industrial
uses predominate along roughly half of the Brooklyn
waterfront, stretching along Newtown Creek and
the Gowanus Canal, and south along the East River
and Upper Bay through the Sunset Park area. Originally
part of New York's thriving port, these areas
once housed one of the largest concentrations
of maritime and industrial activity in the world.
Deep, near-shore waters and protected harbors,
combined with the availability of a large labor
pool, offered an ideal setting for 19th and early
20th century industrialization which relied on
water and rail for goods shipment. As a result,
the waterfront developed with cargo handling piers
and ferry terminals -- backed by upland industries,
warehouses and the residential communities where
many of the workers lived. These uses afforded
few opportunities for open space and public access
to the waterfront.
In
contrast, the southern portions of the Brooklyn
waterfront have abundant public access and recreation
and, in the case of Jamaica Bay, a remarkable
natural resource and wildlife habitat with an
estimated 4,000 acres of tidal wetlands. Public
parks and beaches connect upland neighborhoods
to the waterfront along most of the southern shoreline.
Waterfront parkland and the Shore Road Esplanade,
with magnificent views of the harbor and Verrazano
Bridge, extend along the Brooklyn Lower Bay to
Coney Island Creek. From Sea Gate to Brighton
Beach, shorefront beaches offer ocean bathing
and broad views of the harbor and ocean. Sheepshead
Bay's fishing fleet and waterfront walkways are
major regional attractions, and the Gateway National
Recreation Areaand a number of city parks along
Jamaica Bay offer New Yorkers respite from the
pace of city life.
The
Comprehensive Waterfront Plan designates Jamaica
Bay as one of three Special Natural Waterfront
Areas in the city where preservation of natural
coastal resources is a paramount goal. The reach
study recommends a number of measures to achieve
that goal. Adding further protection to Jamaica
Bay, the state has designated it a Significant
Fish and Wildlife Habitat. In contrast to the
resources of Jamaica Bay, some of the other Brooklyn
waterways -- Newtown Creek, Gowanus Canal and
Coney Island Creek -- are degraded and measures
are proposed to improve water quality in these
tributaries.
To
achieve the comprehensive plan's public access
goals for Brooklyn, the reach studies identify
opportunities to connect residents to their waterfronts,
particularly in those areas that presently have
little, if any, waterfront open space. Along the
industrial waterfront from Newtown Creek to Sunset
Park, where public open space is extremely limited,
the plan identifies several important opportunities
to create new waterfront open space, notably the
proposed Brooklyn Harbor complex near the downtown
civic and business district. The wealth of public
waterfront parks concentrated in the south can
be linked together to increase their use and accessibility.
Along Jamaica Bay, the plan suggests new opportunities
for active recreation such as boat launch locations,
as well as environmentally sensitive access to
natural areas.
Brooklyn's
working waterfront will continue to be concentrated
along Newtown Creek, the East River and the Upper
Bay. Despite the citywide decline in maritime
activity and manufacturing, these areas contain
substantial maritime infrastructure and significant
concentrations of industrial jobs. In recognition
of the importance of these areas, four of the
six Significant Maritime/Industrial Areas designated
in the comprehensive plan are located in Brooklyn.
These include Newtown Creek, the Brooklyn Navy
Yard, the Red Hook Marine Terminal and Erie Basin/Sunset
Park. Manufacturing zoning would be maintained
in these areas and a coordinated infrastructure
strategy would be developed. Throughout Brooklyn,
opportunities for new ferry service are identified.
Applying
the citywide criteria for identifying potential
waterfront redevelopment sites to Brooklyn, the
plan recommends redevelopment of 15 vacant and
underused sites. Six of these sites are located
in manufacturing districts and would require rezoning
to permit housing, commercial or recreational
development. Redevelopment of these sites would
expand the city's tax base, create new housing
and connect upland communities to the waterfront
open spaces required in conjunction with most
new development along the shoreline.
Public
dialogue has contributed importantly to the development
of the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. During the
past two years, more than 100 public meetings
have been held to elicit the views of public officials,
community boards, civic and neighborhood organizations.
A citywide Waterfront Plan Advisory Committee
worked with the Department to identify and discuss
issues and opportunities affecting the future
of the city's waterfront.
Community
boards, borough boards and local elected officials
have assisted with the reach studies at two stages
in their development: the issues identification
phase and, more recently, review of the preliminary
reach recommendations summarized in the Comprehensive
Waterfront Plan. The final reach studies contained
in this report reflect modifications in response
to public comment. Public participation in the
waterfront planning process will continue over
the coming months and years as elements of the
local plans move toward implementation.
Return
to the Borough Waterfront Overview Page
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