Historic-ships-letter-to-NYC-Council-Committee-on-Waterfronts
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PortSide
has a crisis: we have looked for a home
for 6+ years and had a real estate agreement fall through after 3+ years of
work.
We need a home confirmed by April 30th or we close and our historic ship, the tanker MARY A. WHALEN would likely be scrapped as there are few commercial uses for her.
We need a home confirmed by April 30th or we close and our historic ship, the tanker MARY A. WHALEN would likely be scrapped as there are few commercial uses for her.
Please help us by writing City Council members who are reviewing a city initiative that is supposed to make docking easier for historic ships.
The Mayor's office has declared a 2012 goal to created a uniform docking protocol for historic ships. This goal is embeded in the Economic Development Corporation’s Waterfront Vision and Enhancement Strategy (WAVES).
Friday, 3/16/12, the City Council Committee on Waterfronts will be holding a hearing on at 1:00 pm, 14th Floor Committee Room, 250 Broadway, Manhattan. Please attend and testify if you can; but PLEASE write the committee at the following email addresses:
Chair, CM Michael C. Nelson (mnelson1@council.nyc.gov)
CM Gale A. Brewer (gbrewer@council.nyc.gov)
CM Brad S. Lander (lander@council.nyc.gov)
CM Eric A. Ulrich (eulrich@council.nyc.gov)
For inspiration, here is a sample letter
< < < Date
re: March 16, 2012 Council Committee on Waterfronts hearing
The plight of the non-profit PortSide NewYork and their home, the historic tanker MARY A. WHALEN is of particular concern to me. I
want to see the PortSide’s innovative waterfront-themed programs
survive and grow and ensure that the MARY A. WHALEN is saved from being
scrapped. PortSide NewYork needs to get a homeport secured immediately
for these to happen.
I strongly urge you to help improve docking options for historic ships in NYC by creating a uniform landing protocol -- this will help PortSide and the MARY A. WHALEN.
Without
a clear set of rules and procedures that reflect the needs and
operations of vessels, historic ships will continue to have difficulty
finding usable berths and will be forced out of our waterfront.
I am writing now because there is a City
Council Committee on Waterfronts hearing on March 16 to follow-up on the
Waterfront Action Agenda (WAVES) of the Economic Development
Corporation (EDC). One goal of WAVES is: “Create uniform
landing protocol and application for City-owned properties to facilitate
docking of historic vessels (Mayor’s Office, 2012).”
NYC’s historic ships offer a diverse range of experiences I value: they
teach about the past of this port and waterfront city, they offer great
recreational, educational and workforce training opportunities for
youth, they run wonderful cultural programs for people of all ages.
Ships offer the most exciting and easy staycation options in New York
City; being afloat is like nothing else! Historic ships move around, linking and servicing service communities and boroughs in ways that land-based museums cannot.
Please make piers easier for historic ships
to use in NYC and historic ships
to bring NYC’s revitalizing waterfront to life!
They are THE embodiment of “Vision 2020,” the city’s new waterfront
plan.
< < < Add Any Additional Comments Here
Sincerely,
NAME
< < < Be sure to include this information
ADDRESS
< < < Be sure to include this information
ADDRESS