Jul
19th

NYC DOB: DEP states building permit is not required for the CWTP

Talk about tunnel vision! The City has decided that they don’t need a permit to build the THREE BILLION DOLLAR filter plant, because it is attached to the tunnel. See post below on July 10.

The memo from 1989 describes some exempt use at the Jerome Avenue Pumping Station. For almost thirty years I would ask, what are those ugly white trailers doing at the pumping station; and no one could answer me. We knew they were not from the MTA, but that they had something to do with the third water tunnel. Someone should find out exactly who is in the trailer park at Jerome and Van Cortlandt Avenue. Anyhow, here it is:

The “white trailers” at the Jerome Avenue Pumping Station do not fit the explanation; they are offices on city property. Curiously, the DOB retains jurisdiction over the trailers at the CWTP, but not at the Jerome Avenue Pumping Station???? Moreover, the CWTP does not fit the explanation; if it did, they would never have had to do ten years of Environmental Reviews!

The attached Objection Sheet is advising the “withdrawal” of the application, but I requested the actual list of objections that the plan examiner wrote up. Apparently that is not kept at the DOB, and the plan examiner no longer works at the DOB. In addition, Marshall’s explanation (see below) excludes trailers, which there are trailers. No consistent actions have been taken.

The City Charter § 643 states that “the Department [of Buildings] shall enforce … such provisions of the building code, zoning resolution, … as may govern the construction, … of buildings or structures in the city,” but that, with certain stated exceptions, “the jurisdiction of the department … shall not extend to waterfront property … or to bridges, tunnels or subways or structures appurtenant thereto.” (§ 643 [7].) The statute’s language clearly limits the exemption to a tunnel or structure appurtenant to a tunnel, not a filtration plant !

  • Dated July 15, 2008. This is the statement that was sent out by DEP: “Under the New York City Charter § 643(7), a building permit is not required for the Croton Water Treatment Plant because it is appurtenant to an underground tunnel. Permits for other aspects of work are required, and the Department of Environmental Protection will comply with these requirements.”

More Documents of interest:

Finally, this appurtenant decision was not listed and/or described in the 2004 FSEIS, and is arbitrary and capricious!

Filed under Jerome Park Reservoir

Jul
19th

Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz writes to the Mayor about blasting at JPR and no building permit required for CWTP

See

Assembly Member Jeff Dinowitz’ letter of July 18, 2008 re blasting at JPR and exemption from needing a new building permit.

Cites Borough President Adolfo Carrion’s letter of July 11, 2008

Filed under Jerome Park Reservoir

Jul
11th

Comments & Things from friends of Jerome Park Reservoir about Blasting

Jul
11th

Joint CB 7, 8 and 12 meeting on Blasting at JPR

Community Boards 7, 8 and 12 will hold a meetingto hear from the public on whether or not the New York City Department of Environmental Protection can or should using blasting in work they propose to do in and around the Jerome Park Reservoir.

Tuesday, July 15, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Lehman College’s Music Building, Faculty Dining Room

250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, at Paul Avenue and Bedford Park Blvd

The Final Environmental Impact Statement (issued by then DEP Commissioner Chris Ward in 2004) stated that they would be no impacts at the Jerome Park Reservoir based on the work method proposed. Now they want to switch in mid-stream. If they want to do this, they will have to do a supplemental study. The trucks associated with the blasting method will be driving through our streets!

Jun
26th

Norwood News: Editorial - The DEP Strikes Again

Published in the June 26, 2008 Edition

Editorial

The DEP Strikes Again

An annoying tendency regarding the filtration plant project is that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is inclined not to listen to the ratepayers and citizens who are funding all of this.

Concerned residents, some of whom have become experts on the issue, turn up at hearing after hearing and tell the DEP important things.

Agency officials don’t really listen; they just “explain” why they’re right, as if all it would take for the community to agree is to have it explained in words we poor foolish citizens can understand.

Click on the link below to continue to read the article and comment to their blog, and/or return to our page for more chances to comment.

http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/?id=641&story=the+dep+strikes+again

Jun
26th

Norwood News: Reservoir Blasting Plan Bashed

Reservoir Blasting Plan Bashed

by ALEX KRATZ
NORWOOD NEWS, June 26, 2008

Local residents came out in force last week to vigorously oppose a city plan to blast away rock with explosives at the Jerome Park Reservoir.

The controversial plan is the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) contentious Croton Water Filtration Plant project currently under way in Van Cortlandt Park. The project has been plagued by massive cost overruns, federal fines, construction delays and contractor turnover.

Click on the link below to continue to read the article and comment to their blog, and/or return to our page for more chances to comment.

http://www.norwoodnews.org/story/index.cfm?s=e&id=635

Jun
16th

Public Access & the Outdoor Urban Ecology Lab (OUEL)

Broken Promises of the NYC DEP to the Jerome Park Reservoir community.

Some reports to the CFMC for June 19, 2008:

Jun
16th

Blasting at Jerome Park Reservoir? NO WAY!

Friends of Jerome Park Reservoir say:

Blasting at Jerome Park Reservoir?

NO WAY!

Thursday, June 19, 2008 beginning at 7 pm at Vladeck Hall,

(74 Van Cortlandt Park South at HIllman Avenue)

Our precious reservoir, as well as our peace and quiet, is in jeopardy!

In documents explaining the construction of the water filtration plant in the Mosholu Golf Course, the City’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) indicated that there would also be significant construction necessary at the Jerome Park Reservoir on Goulden Avenue right in front of the Bronx High School of Science. Unfortunately, in 2004 that project was approved by the City Council anyway.

But now that the work at the reservoir is about to commence, the DEP has come up with a dangerous new wrinkle. Rather than dig their holes using a “mechanical” method, DEP documents indicate that on Thursday night they are prepared to tell our community that they will be conducting BLASTING to dig the hole instead!

Aside from the noise and dust this will cause, this will mean they will be sending 45-90 trucks through our community each week in order to remove the 9,000 cubic yards of residual dirt. Please note that these trucks will not be necessary if they stick to their already-approved drilling method.

Needless to say the disruption to our community, the affect on all the schools along education row, in particular to the Bronx High School of Science, as well as the traffic congestion this will mean for our entire region is not acceptable. The timing of this proposal raises questions. Also, to conduct this sort of change to their original Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) without significant review or even issuing another study is not permitted.

Please join your neighbors at the Croton Facilities Monitoring Committee meeting that is to take place this Thursday, June 19, 2008 beginning at 7 pm at Vladeck Hall, (74 Van Cortlandt Park South at HIllman Avenue) to let the DEP know that we are united and strong against this nightmare. This meeting will include other items, such as local job opportunities, and public access to the reservoir. Please come.

For more information visit: www.waterblogged.org under the Friends of Jerome Park Reservoir category, or email: JeromePark@aol.com

May
31st

Planning for the Jerome Park Reservoir pathway

This scoping session was held in the rain on March 22, 2007. Guess we are never going to get any one from the NYC DEP to help us with public access and/or maintenance.
What happened to all the promises? Can we walk inside the fence? Will we ever have the Outdoor Urban Ecology Lab, aka the OUEL?

May
31st

April 2008 FMC meeting and a tour of JPR

This starts with Anne Marie telling the NYC DEP Facilities Monitoring Committee on April 17, 2008 about a letter from the DEP Commissioner to Amalgamated explaining the security reasons for not allowing people to walk inside the fence. We will find that the reasons were not true. The walking tour of Jerome Park Reservoir on April 18, 2008 to check for security and quality of life issues. It was a bright sunny day so I decided to go for a walk.