Waterfront Management Advisory Board

The eleventh Waterfront Management Advisory Board (WMAB) meeting began with a presentation of the soon-to-be-released Comprehensive Waterfront Plan (the Plan) by Brendan Pillar, Deputy Director of DCP’s Waterfront and Open Space (WOS) Division. The presentation offered an overview of the Plan’s 10-year vision for NYC’s waterfront and highlighted key initiatives and projects in the Plan’s six topic areas: Climate Resiliency and Adaptation, Waterfront Public Access, Economic Opportunity, Water Quality and Natural Resources, Ferries, and Governance. After the presentation, the WOS team took questions and comments from the WMAB. WMAB members shared their feedback on the Plan and expressed support for continuing public engagement on it. 
 
Climate Resiliency and Adaptation
WMAB members commended DCP for including Strategy 3.3 in the Plan. Strategy 3.3 supports the creation of housing mobility services including housing counseling, grants and low-interest loans, rental assistance, real estate brokerage services, estate planning, and moving assistance to serve both property owners and renters in flood-vulnerable areas.  It also encourages affordable housing production and the production of a diversity of housing options citywide to enable housing mobility. At its previous meeting, the WMAB encouraged DCP to strengthen the emphasis on this topic.

One member also noted that the Plan, importantly, takes NYC’s short-term and long-term resiliency into consideration.

Economic Opportunity
Members noted the importance of maintaining and expanding deep-water access to support growing industries such as offshore wind while also balancing the need for docking space for intermediate size boats, which is limited and may be preventing NYC’s waterfront from realizing its potential as a tourism destination. One member stated that the tourism industry has room to grow on NYC’s waterfront and can provide NYC with many jobs.

Ferries
One member expressed concern about the potential for additional ferry services to increase water turbidity and impact the marine environment. In response, another member offered that these impacts have already been and will continue to be mitigated as much as possible.

Additionally, members highlighted their hopes that NYC’s ferry fleet can continue to become more energy efficient. They cited San Francisco’s hydrogen-powered ferries as something NYC could consider as it looks to improve the efficiency and sustainability of its ferry services.

Governance
Members were very pleased to see that DCP added the Governance topic area to the Plan. The WMAB recommended adding this topic area to DCP at a previous meeting.

One member suggested that the New York State Department of Transportation create a marine transportation division, noting that such an entity could help move cargo throughout the New York region in the most economical way possible.

Moving Forward: After the Plan’s Release
Members asked about DCP’s plans for post-release public outreach and expressed interest in continuing to be involved in the process and advocating for the ideas within the Plan.

After releasing the Plan, DCP explained that it will continue public outreach efforts to increase awareness of the Plan. Outreach efforts may include general presentations geared to a wider audience and more in-depth forums that focus on a particular topic area. DCP will provide the WMAB with an update on post-release outreach at its next meeting.

The focus of the tenth Waterfront Management Advisory Board (WMAB) meeting was the Department of City Planning (DCP)’s recently released Draft Goals and Strategies for the NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan (the Plan). The meeting began with a brief presentation by Brendan Pillar, Deputy Director of DCP’s Waterfront and Open Space (WOS) Division, to provide context and background on the process of developing the Plan, including timeline, phases of public outreach, the 2020 Framework document, and the Draft Goals and Strategies. After the presentation, the WMAB had an opportunity to share feedback on the Draft Goals and Strategies.

The Draft Goals and Strategies were discussed in order of its six topic areas: Climate Resiliency and Adaptation, Public Access, Economic Opportunity, Working Waterfront, Water Quality and Natural Resources, and Ferries. Afterwards, feedback regarding several topic areas was solicited.

Climate Resiliency and Adaptation

• Members suggested that DCP include more in the Plan on climate change mitigation strategies to reduce carbon emissions, such as advancing green energy deployment and increasing energy efficiency.
• Members discussed the role of resilient design guidelines. Some members suggested that guidelines should not become requirements, expressing concerns that resiliency requirements would potentially deter private investment. They suggested finding ways to measure the success of guidelines before requiring them. Other members recommended that the City create pathways to codify resilient design guidelines in order for them to become legislation and encourage higher building standards, adding that including more examples of innovative projects built to resilient design standards in the Plan could help shape policy and encourage innovation.
• Members inquired about the City’s decision to use the 2050 New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC) projections rather than 2100 projections for future flood risk.

• Members indicated a need for the Plan to address managed retreat.

DCP’s response:

• In response to WMAB’s question about the City’s decision to use the NPCC’s 2050 sea level rise projections, DCP clarified that the City uses the high-end estimate of 30” for the 2050s, making it very conservative. DCP elaborated, noting that the 2050 projections are used in zoning and land use planning in part because of the greater certainty and smaller ranges between the low- and high-end projections. The gap between the projections for the 2100s is much more substantial, reflecting less certainty. DCP added that the City looks towards both the near- and long-term projections when making decisions.

• In response to WMAB’s suggestion for the Plan to cover managed retreat, DCP noted that the Plan will include the concept of housing mobility to support residents in improving their housing conditions through new or improved policies and programs that offer financial, technical, or counseling assistance. Housing mobility, DCP added, speaks to the necessity of residents being informed and empowered to make choices to improve their housing stability, including by having a variety of housing options over the long term to move out of harm’s way as the climate changes.

Public Access

• Some members contended that areas of the working waterfront that utilize heavy machinery may be unsafe and/or inappropriate for public access. In response, other members offered that providing public access in suitable areas of the working waterfront can be done safely and with sensitivity to the operation of waterfront industrial sites. These members noted that doing so can expand access in waterfront communities that are currently underserved by open space, such as Hunts Point.
• Members suggested that the City provide more guidance regarding bike access along the waterfront and build out and/or improve the waterfront greenway network.
• Members discussed the importance of close coordination between partner agencies on expanding public access and the need for including local community groups in the processes and discussions regarding public space design and access to the water.

DCP’s response:

• In response to comments on the safety of public access within the working waterfront, DCP noted that not all waterfront industrial areas are used for maritime industrial activities, adding that the draft strategies that are recommended in the document for maritime areas are different from those in non-maritime areas, to recognize the distinct uses and needs along NYC’s industrial waterfront. 

Economic Opportunity

• Members noted the importance of attracting offshore wind, renewable energy developers, and renewable energy jobs to NYC, highlighting the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. They discussed the City’s role in facilitating this through investments in waterfront infrastructure.
• Members suggested adding more information about building the waterfront workforce of the future through youth education and partnerships with NYC’s public schools. Staff with NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) suggested highlighting NYCEDC’s work with the New York Harbor School to promote the educational programs that are already underway.
• NYCEDC staff also recommended highlighting the maritime sector’s potential to reduce traffic congestion and make NYC’s supply chain more resilient in the final Plan.

DCP’s response:

• In response to comments about educational initiatives and the maritime sector’s contribution to traffic reduction and resiliency, DCP noted that these topics are addressed in the Working Waterfront topic area in the Draft Goals and Strategies.

Working Waterfront

• Members suggested including more on potential renewable energy opportunities in the Plan, such as geothermal projects, tidal energy, and education efforts to attract young people to work in emerging renewable energy industries.
• Members also requested that the final Plan include more non-industrial economic opportunities that the waterfront offers, such as tourism.
• Members discussed the difficultly of accurately measuring the amount of cargo passing through the port and suggested that collecting more data would increase the accuracy of measurements and enable the NYC waterfront to access more federal funding to support the movement of goods.
• Members suggested that all economic projects should consider the triple bottom line of social, economic, and environmental costs, not just those advanced by City capital agencies.
• NYCEDC staff suggested adding a fourth “Working Waterfront” goal to advance programmatic, operational, and capital needs to promote marine and rail solutions and reduce our reliance on trucking while strengthening the city's supply chain network. 

Water Quality and Natural Resources

• Members highlighted the need for additional interventions to mitigate risks to water quality and natural resources due to climate change. Restored areas, including salt marshes, were highlighted by members for their vulnerability to sea level rise. Barriers to salt marsh migration, such as NYC’s already built-out environment, were noted by these WMAB members as a key issue.
• Members recommended that the Plan include more information on in-water interventions, such as the potential to use clean dredged material in ecological restoration projects. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)’s reuse of dredged materials to support the restoration of Jamaica Bay’s marsh islands was highlighted by members as an example of where this was done successfully.
• New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Staff noted that the “Water Quality and Natural Resources” topic area is an opportunity to think holistically about the connections between ecological health, the working waterfront, and climate resiliency.

 

Ferries

• Members suggested including a transition to clean, zero carbon, electric ferries as an eventual goal.

• Members discussed a need for increasing the reach of ferry services to lower income neighborhoods and a need to keep fares low to ensure equity.

Cross-Topic-Area Comments

• Members suggested including more information about education opportunities on the waterfront for New Yorkers, especially for students and young people.
• Members noted the challenges posed by the intersection of environmental justice and marsh migration as the climate changes and suggested that the Plan cover mapping and defining wetlands.
• Members suggested that the Plan highlight waterfront transportation, such as ferries and cargo ships, as a low carbon alternative mode of transportation and advocate for federal funding to support improvements to these systems.
• Members expressed interest in exploring ways to keep the Plan on the City’s list of priorities over the next 10 years. Members expressed interest in the Plan highlighting the role of governance in NYC’s waterfront and advancing the ideas within the Plan. Staff with NYC Small Business Services (SBS) added that it should be made clear which agencies will be responsible for implementing the Plan’s initiatives.

DCP provided a brief update on its progress on the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan (the Plan) at the beginning of the meeting, noting that during this time, DCP, along with its agency partners were working on the Plan's draft goals and strategies, which would be shared for public comment before the release of the final Plan. Much of the meeting was devoted to continuing the brainstorming process for the Plan vision statements. Because the previous meeting was largely spent exploring the issues and opportunities for each topic area, this meeting focused on conveying a new direction or ambition for each topic area. Waterfront Management Advisory Board (WMAB) members were asked to share the first word or phrase that came to mind for each of the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan’s topic areas and then vote on the top key words for each. Top key words for each topic area are indicated below in bold, as well as overarching themes pulled from the brainstorming session.

Public Access

• A waterfront that delights
• Accessible
• Connected
• Equitable access
• Boating and fishing
• Universal access
• Driver of economic development
• Provide a moment to enjoy the views
• Visually accessible
• Safe access
• User friendly
• A secure waterfront
• Welcoming
• Resilient to flooding
• Reads as public
• Respect for private property
• Green
• Thoughtful consideration of surrounding context
• Not just one kind of access
• Get down
• Engaging the water
• Getting out of the water
• Allowing for emergency response

Water Quality and Natural Resources

• A living environment
• Biodiversity
• Swimmable – not just the beaches
• Living shorelines
• Habitat
• Healthy ecosystem
• Education
• Balance
• Public health benefits
• Addresses combined sewer overflow
• Green and gray infrastructure
• Pump out stations

Working Waterfront

• Jobs
• Construction
• Safety
• Deep water access
• Vulnerable to flooding too
• Workforce development
• NYC is the east coast’s largest port
• Needs investment
• Limited funding for dredging
• Permitting challenges
• Requires regional coordination
• Permitting coordination/predictability
• Resilient
• Maintenance
• Use waterways to reduce roadway congestion/wear and tear on NYC’s streets
• Support wind farms
• Needs an education strategy
• Public communication strategy to highlight role/importance of maritime industry
• NYC has an opportunity to lead the nation in the bluetech sector

Ferries

• Multi-modal
• Connected on the land side
• Key link for cut off areas of NYC
• Integrate transit systems
• Sustainable form of transit
• Needs to be accessible
• Needs to be equitable
• Electrification
• Multiple routes
• Supports transit resiliency/redundancy
• Nimble system
• Ready for change
• Potential to measure water quality
• Expansion

Climate Change and Adaptation

• Low carbon
• Resilient neighborhoods
• Intertidal habitat
• Coastal squeeze
• “Design edge for the norm not the storm”
• Scalable strategies for different communities and contexts
• Align state and city policies to encourage the development of living shorelines
• Focus on environmental justice communities
• All-encompassing/universal issue
• Equity in adaptation

Economic Opportunity

• Green energy
• Jobs
• Land use and economic planning
• NYC as base for offshore wind support services
• Need to plan ahead
• Needs a lot of space
• Housing/commercial development/mixed-use
• Building resiliently
• Green space/open space can drive economic opportunity
• Triple bottom line
• Job training
• Plan for the jobs of the future
• Food security
• Distribution done on the waterways

The focus of the eighth Waterfront Management Advisory Board (WMAB) meeting was public outreach on the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, including a report out on recently completed virtual public workshops.  DCP shared a summary of what we heard from New Yorkers during these workshops and how this feedback will be used to shape the goals and strategies of the plan.  After this discussion, the WMAB participated in a brainstorming session to the begin crafting vision statements.  The purpose of the vision statements is to lay out the broad aspirations for each of the plan’s topical areas. 

Virtual public workshops

During the fall of 2020, DCP hosted 12 virtual public workshops to discuss the preliminary issues and goals within the CWP Framework.  Each of the virtual public workshops focused on a different geography of NYC, but topics and discussions often spanned across the city and its waterways. Over 1,000 people registered for the virtual workshops from all five boroughs. Small breakout rooms were effective at encouraging participation and moving discussions from one topic to another.  Many participants expressed interest in increasing public awareness and education on a range of waterfront topics, including climate risk, ecology, public access, water quality, and water safety. 

Topic-specific feedback

Public Access

• Participants often spoke about the physical and mental health benefits of having access to the water, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Many spoke of public access as an environmental justice issue with participants calling for public access to be prioritized in historically marginalized communities.
• Emphasize equitable access to the waterfront.
• Foster a better relationship to the water through educational programming.
• Connect the waterfront to upland communities and increase its visibility.
• Provide more amenities at the waterfront.
• Increase funding for stewardship and maintenance.

Water Quality/Natural Resources

• Participants were interested in improving the perception of how clean New York's waterbodies are for certain activities, noting that poor perception can affect the public's interest in advocating for things like recreation, stewardship, and restoration.
• Promoting stewardship and access to the water will help make people care about water quality.
• Improve water quality with green and grey infrastructure. Strong emphasis on reducing CSOs.
• Improve governance of the natural waterfront and promote best practices.

The Working Waterfront

• Conversations about NYC's working waterfront generally focused on the need to preserve and support the working waterfront while raising public awareness about its importance to the city's economy.
• Advocate for the maritime industry and articulate a clear vision for its future.
• Invest in the green economy and connect job seekers, especially those in historically marginalized communities, to emerging job opportunities.

Ferries

• Many participants expressed support for continuing the operation of the NYC Ferry service. 
• Some participants favored taking ferries during the COVID-19 pandemic as an alternative to other forms of mass transit.
• Support for the expansion of ferry services where feasible, especially to communities that are underserved by other forms of mass transit.
• There is a perception of conflict between the different kinds of boats that use the city’s waterways.

Resilience and Climate Change

• Flood risk and resiliency were often at the forefront of discussions at the virtual workshops. Workshop participants wanted to know what NYC's plan is to adapt to climate change, sometimes expressing frustration at the pace of planning while also calling for more public engagement.
• Equity was also a frequent theme of discussion. Many participants spoke about climate justice and the need to engage BIPOC communities in resiliency and adaptation efforts.
• Improve public engagement processes, focus on better understanding the risks associated with climate change and the ways that risk can be reduced.
• Develop planning tools to guide decisions about development.

Economic Activity

• Workshop participants saw opportunities to promote economic activity on underutilized areas of the waterfront. For example, some saw potential for commercial development on existing piers and boardwalks as a means for spurring economic activity and a way to help cover the cost of repair waterfront infrastructure.
• Use the waterfront to drive equitable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Embrace new opportunities for job creation on the waterfront, such as wind energy and eco-tourism.

Brainstorming Session
Public Access
Challenges: Inequitable access; a need to keep people away from certain uses on the waterfront for security reasons; being in the water poses risks to life safety including, temperature, currents, and maritime traffic; waterfront public spaces can be vulnerable to sea level rise; not everyone feels welcome at the waterfront; need for swimming education programs; poor perception of water quality may detract from use and interest in the water.
Opportunities: there are many ways to expand access to the waterfront; visual access can be meaningful when physical access to the water isn’t possible or prudent; there is potential for public access and industrial uses to coexist (e.g Sims, Newtown Creek WWTP); opportunity for co-benefits with public access and new or restored habitat (e.g. Hunters Point South)

Water Quality and Natural Resources
Challenges: lack of space for wetland migration; waterfront regulations and permitting can limit creative design solutions; despite improvements, CSO are still an issue in certain areas, especially in the South Bronx; water quality improvements are not uniform across the city; constrained waterbodies require creative solutions to improve water quality, beyond upgrading water pollution treatment plants; lack of commercial pump offs for ships.

Opportunities: stewardship opportunities; co-benefits, restored habitat can open up public access (Hunters Point South); promote fishing from piers; natural features may help reduce CSOs and improve water quality; requirements for green infrastructure such as green roofs, bioswales, etc. will help to absorb stormwater; East Kolkata Wetland is a good example of using fish and agriculture to manage CSOs; wetlands for water quality improvements (bio/phytoremediation).

The Working Waterfront
Challenges: aging infrastructure; redevelopment along secondary channels; dredging is cost prohibitive; need to protect waterways with deep drafts and hardened edges for maritime use; permitting challenges; lack of State level ‘Marine transportation plan’; need for education in NYC public schools to create maritime jobs pipeline.

Opportunities: elevate visibility; freight ferries for last mile distribution; marine mammals as working waterfront ambassadors; port is very well-positioned to be a hub for offshore wind.

Ferries
Challenges: Financially constrained; need to increase efficiency/reduce costs; poor connections to onshore transportation.

Opportunities: expand to underserved communities; safer than other modes of transit during COVID-19 (open air); electric ferries to promote sustainability; increase public education, signage; potential to increase public access at ferry sites; ferries promote connection to the waterfront; potential to offer whale watching/ecotourism.

Resilience and Climate Change
Challenges: Increasing risk of flooding; perception that only Manhattan is being protected from flooding; other communities have unique challenges that require locally-specific solutions; prioritization of resiliency funding is unclear and not guided by equity.

Opportunities: Work with communities to understand risk; improve public education so that communities understand risks and can advocate for solutions; identify pilot projects to test creative solutions (these can be applied across boroughs, with a focus on the most at risk areas or environmental justice communities); create incentives to engage the private sector; wetlands and other natural infrastructure as natural flood barriers.

Economic Activity
Challenges: NYC is facing a severe fiscal crisis; high unemployment rate in NYC related to COVID-19 pandemic.

Opportunities: leverage investment along the waterfront; further promote NYC as hub for maritime industry; economic activity is related to public health (promote healthy communities by creating waterfront access to improve health outcomes and support the economy); improve environment and stimulate the economy by training New Yorkers in emerging fields. 

The focus of the seventh Waterfront Management Advisory Board (WMAB) meeting was the Department of City Planning’s recently released Framework document on the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. The Framework outlines the initial goals of the plan, which will continue to evolve through public outreach and collaboration with partner agencies and organizations.  The Framework is organized under six topical themes: public access, water quality and natural resources, the working waterfront, economic activity, ferries, and resilience and climate change. During this meeting, WMAB members shared their general thoughts on the Framework and took deeper dives into several of the topical themes. Due to time constrains, the group did not discuss all six topics. 

General Comments on the Framework

• WMAB members highlighted equity as an important principle for the plan and planning process, and shared their ideas for promoting inclusivity along the waterfront. For example, the Billion Oyster Project has been working on a “safe space agreement” with their partners to help address concerns about access to oyster reef sites. This type of agreement helps to establish a set of shared values for working with diverse groups of students and property owners along the waterfront.
• The CWP could present an opportunity to highlight pilot projects that illustrate best practices for balancing multiple waterfront interests.
• WMAB members encouraged DCP to include vision statements for each topic in the plan.  The vision statement could help boost excitement and attention about the plan by declaring where we want to be in the next 10 years.

Water Quality and Natural Resources

• Climate change and sea level rise threatens coastal habitat, such as salt marshes. These habitats need to be considered in how the city’s shoreline is adapted in light of such risks.
• Although NY harbor is the cleanest its been in over 100 years, it often suffers from an image problem, and people don’t always recognize the progress that has been made. The return of whales, and other marine life to New York harbor is a great way to raise awareness of waterfront issues, and shift perceptions of water quality. The plan is an opportunity to put a spotlight on these efforts and opportunities.

The Working Waterfront

• Members recommended that DCP look into zero emissions vessels and the role they could play in meeting the city’s sustainability goals.
• Members also noted a need to dredge secondary waterways to promote the use of ships to move goods and materials.  Such a switch would help reduce truck traffic on the city’s roadways.

Public Access

• Some members recommended the creation a public access plan that would establish criteria for evaluating the suitability of public access alongside water-dependent uses. This would help to support the goals of supporting the working waterfront, while also providing safe waterfront public access in areas where we may currently have gaps.
• DCP explained that it is in the process of analyzing waterfront public access across the city. The plan will discuss some of the larger issues related to access, such as equity, and assess where and why certain areas are underserved. DCP explained that the plan could also highlight the strategies that would improve and expand public access to the waterfront.

Resilience and Climate Change

• It is important to design waterfront parks and public spaces with different types of flooding in mind, including coastal flooding and stormwater.
• Members discussed the importance of infrastructure investments, zoning, and the potential for buyouts to support the city’s flood resiliency goals. The CWP should articulate a resilient land use policy to help guide decisions about development in flood-prone areas based on risk and other land use factors.
• Members acknowledged the need to recognize equity in coastal resiliency decision making processes.

The focus of the sixth WMAB meeting was Management, Governance and Regulation on the waterfront. Members discussed how the regulatory process could be improved to support better outcomes as part of the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. Members also discussed how the recommendations of the previous Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, Visions 2020, were tracked and how success could be measured after the next plan is released.

Waterfront Regulations – Current Challenges and Opportunities for Improvement

• • Members discussed how “Pilot Project” framing and programs could help minimize risks and uncertainty with waterfront projects by enabling them to work within the existing regulatory framework while advancing more innovative shoreline design. The “Saw Mill Creek Pilot Mitigation Bank” and the “Randall’s Island Living Shoreline pilot project” were cited as two examples of successful pilot projects. Members, however, noted that pilot projects can be stymied for many reasons, including monitoring requirements, which can be expensive to maintain for the duration of the pilot project.
• Members suggested that regulatory agencies need to be better equipped to consider the “big picture” rather just focusing on site-by-site review. Members also noted that there can be a lot of overlap between regulatory agencies, which can create confusion and redundancy.
• Members also suggested rethinking what waterfront access means, noting a preference for more in-water access. They acknowledged that doing so could require changes to current regulatory and legal frameworks. Members noted that if access were to include boat ramps and tie ins it would open up opportunities for recreation, education, and stewardship. Members also cited wayfinding and a broader public information campaign as ways to improve awareness of existing waterfront resources and improve the connection residents have to their waterfront.
• For industrial areas, where waterfront access may be limited or prohibitive, members suggested identifying opportunities for access with a lighter touch such as visual access to the waterfront and educational programming. Both, members suggested, would help increase public engagement and awareness of the working waterfront. (e.g. Sims Recycling)
• Members also noted a need to design waterfront public spaces to be floodable in the short-term and sited with future sea level rise in mind.

The Working Waterfront

• WMAB members highlighted some of the emerging challenges and opportunities facing the maritime industry in NYC, including the development of offshore wind and other renewable energy infrastructure. Members stressed the importance of planning for waterfront infrastructure, especially given spatial needs for these emerging uses and the spatial needs of other uses including dry docks, shipyards, and other vessel maintenance facilities. Members noted that the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan has a 10-year vision that may align with the growth of offshore wind and should consider how this could affect the maritime industry in NYC.
• There was also interest in promoting more freight movement by barge rather than by truck. A member suggested that this could be achieved by dredging port facilities and maintaining navigational channels to meet port growth projections. This member suggested that secondary channels such as Newtown Creek, Gowanus Canal, Westchester Creek should also be dredged to increase their potential for transportation.
• Members also expressed interest in a uniform maritime construction code to ensure that continuity and consistency can be achieved through rules and regulations. Members suggested that the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan could start by advocating for local code that aligns/cross-references with State/Federal standards to support the development of a range of typologies (energy storage, floating structures, permanently moored vessels) to inform the design and construction of shoreline and in-water projects.

Improving Government Oversight

• The meeting concluded with a brief discussion about how government oversight could be improved. Some members suggested that the way to do so was for the City to create a dedicated agency or office to lead, manage, and coordinate all waterfront plans and projects. These members suggested that such an office would help address the many waterfront coordination challenges that plans and projects can face. Other members questioned the need for a dedicated agency or office, indicating a preference for maximizing the unique skill sets and capacities of the existing city agencies involved in waterfront plans and projects and empowering them to work across multiple levels of government regulations.

Meeting #5 was Coastal Wetlands and Ecology. Members heard presentations from wetland scientist, and WMAB member, Dr. Judith Weis, and Chief of Natural Resources at NYC Dept. Parks and Recreation, Marit Larson. They discussed the state of wetlands in NYC, and what can be done to protect and restore them in the face of increasing climate risks and development pressure. WMAB members then discussed ways to further support the preservation and expansion of waterfront habitats.

Presentation by Dr. Judith Weis on the Sustainability of Salt Marshes

• Salt marshes provide many essential functions, including acting as breeding grounds for fish, a stopping place for migratory birds, water filtration, and flood control and storm surge reduction.
• Salt marshes are also incredibly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. There are limited options for salt marshes when faced with sea level rise; they can move inland, increase in elevation, or be submerged by the rising waters. While some marshes may be able to migrate inland, many do not have the space to due to the presence of roads, parking lots, and buildings. However, through planning, we can find ways for marshes to migrate inland. The tools that would allow for such migration include conservation easements and buyouts/land acquisition.
• Salt marshes may also not get enough sediment to keep up their elevation with the pace of sea level rise. To mitigate this issue, it is possible to add sediment onto the marsh surface to help it elevate. This approach will be required every few years to maintain the marsh, which can be resource and cost intensive.
• Invasive phragmites can provide some benefits, including promoting faster marsh elevation due to their root structure. In the context of climate change and sea level rise, this raises the interesting question of whether to keep Phragmites in place for resiliency purposes or remove them for ecological purposes.
• The economics of marsh restoration, and the limits of conventional cost benefit analyses in capturing the nuanced benefits of these ecosystems was also discussed. Members suggested that there needs to be a better understanding of the benefits associated with storm surge reduction, increased biodiversity and improved public health. The value of an existing wetland compared to a newly constructed wetland also needs to be better understood and communicated. Members also noted that having a better sense of the quantitative value of wetlands could help improve the existing regulatory framework for water quality credits.
• Living shorelines with oysters or mussels at the water edge help to reduce erosion and can provide protection from coastal storms. Living shorelines with oysters or mussels do not typically protect against sea level rise, though living shoreline pilot projects are exploring of ways to incorporate sediment accretion into their design.

Presentation by NYC Department of Parks and Recreation on the draft Wetlands Management Framework (WMF) for NYC

• The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) owns 50% of NYC’s wetlands [720 acres of freshwater wetlands, 66 miles of streams, 1,483 acres of salt marsh], and is developing a framework for how to improve wetland management over the next few decades. Wetlands provide a plethora of ecosystem services, from flood protection to public access and recreation, and water quality improvement. However, they are also threatened by filling and fragmentation, sea level rise, pollution and debris, storm water runoff and invasive species.
• The draft Wetland Management Framework (WMF) for New York City lays out a comprehensive roadmap for the preservation, restoration and management of all wetlands and streams in New York City with a focus on those under the jurisdiction of DPR.
• The draft WMF is informed by three decades of restoration experience and new information about the condition of our wetlands. A matrix of ‘condition’ and ‘vulnerability’ of these resources helps to determine priority sites for protection and restoration.
• On the positive side, wetlands have seen an incredible increase in their regulatory protections since the 1970s. Federal and state laws limit direct destruction from filling and development of most wetlands and unavoidable direct impacts to wetlands require mitigation. However, there is potential to improve the quality and extent of mitigation activities. The regulations also do not address on-going loss or ensure future opportunities for conservation, through marsh migration, for example.
• The draft WMF is also a tool for communicating the importance of wetlands and streams in NYC, and provides an overview of past restoration efforts, and current conditions. It also articulates a vision for the future of no net loss of existing wetlands and improving the health of wetland systems that support the people and wildlife of NYC. The draft WMF recommends management and policy actions for each of our wetland types: salt marshes, freshwater wetlands, and streams.
• It seeks to prevent net wetland loss and plan for new wetland areas. It also recognizes the integrated nature of improving wetland health through watershed and storm water management.
• The framework also outlines the funding, maintenance and stewardship requirements associated with maintaining and restoring the health of NYC wetlands.

Resiliency was the focus of the 4th WMAB meeting. The Mayor’s Office of Resiliency (MOR), the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), and the NYC Department of City Planning (DCP) presented high-level overviews of the City’s resiliency strategies and major initiatives.  The subsequent discussion touched on how the City uses the NYC Panel on Climate Change’s (NPCC) projections for the purposes of land use, open space, and infrastructure planning and the City’s vulnerability to and strategies for addressing different types of climate-related events.

Coastal Flood Risk and Land Use Planning – DCP

• The City uses a strategy of multiple layers of defense to support coastal flood resiliency. This entails pursuing coastal defense strategies to protect from storm surge and sea level rise, as well as retrofitting and upgrading infrastructure systems to withstand climate hazards. This strategy also includes preparing residents and business for future events, and promoting the flood-resilient design of buildings, so they can better withstand flooding and therefore be reoccupied faster after a disaster.
• There are over 400,000New Yorkerscurrently living in the FEMA-designated 1% annual chance floodplain, a population roughly the size of the Minneapolis, Minnesota. Given the population and geographic scale of the 1% annual chance floodplain in NYC, retreating from the floodplain in its entirely is not feasible or practical.
• The areas of the City that could be inundated regularly by tidal flooding is comparatively small. Some neighborhoods are already experiencing “sunny day flooding” due to high tides and sections of the city’s coastline could be subject to twice daily tidal flooding by the 2050s. The City’s approach for land use planning in such areas is to support investment in resilient buildings while also limiting future density so as to not increase the population of  these vulnerable areas. New Yorkers can use the DCP’s ‘Flood Hazard Mapper’ to better understand their current and future coastal and tidal flood risk. This mapper is intended to enable more informed decision making by all New Yorkers.
• DCP also discussed the City’s approach to building scale resiliency.  This includes updates to the Building Code and Zoning Resolution to incorporate resilience into the design of buildings.  DCP recently released preliminary recommendations for ‘Zoning for Coastal Flood Resiliency’ (ZCFR) to promote resilient buildings and reduce damage and disruption to current and future coastal floods.  Public review of this city-wide text amendment is expected in the first half of 2020.

Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines – MOR

• MOR’s presentation focused on the importance of ensuring that City capital and infrastructure projects consider resiliency.
• MOR released an updated ‘Climate Resiliency Design Guidelines’(CRDG) in March 2019. These guidelines are a collaboratively developed standard for using forward-looking climate data in the design and implementation of City buildings, infrastructure, and public spaces. The guidelines help ensure that City capital projects can withstand extreme weather and a changing climate to serve New Yorkers, minimize additional O&M costs, and maintain an uninterrupted useful service life.

Design and Planning for Flood Resiliency – DPR

• DPR manages about 160 miles of NYCs 520 miles of shoreline - 74% of City owned waterfront, and 30% of the shoreline overall.
• DPR has developed guidelines and best practices, such as Design and Planning for Flood Resiliency (2017)  to protect facilities and infrastructure from all types of flood events. According to DPR, this speaks to a broader pattern of looking holistically at-risk management, rather than focusing only on sea level rise and storm surge. DPR’s work is also informed by a comprehensive manual for the design and construction of sustainable parks and open space, captured in the High-Performance Landscape Guidelines (2010)
• DPR’s presentation also provided updates on two major projects in their portfolio: NYC DPR Rockaway Beach Boardwalk Reconstruction and East Side Coastal Resiliency (ESCR)

General Announcements:

• There is Commissioner-level involvement in terms of understanding waterfront projects throughout the city, to help provide necessary context and data for the upcoming Comprehensive Waterfront Plan.
• In January 2019, NYC EDC released their NYC Ferry Feasibility Study 2018/2019, around the time of the Mayoral Announcement of the NYC Ferry expansion.
• Modification of the Astoria Route include Brooklyn Navy Yard (May 2019)
• Launch of the St. George Route (2020)
• Launch of the Coney Island Route (2021)
• Extension of the Soundview Route: Throgs Neck/Ferry Point Park (2021)  
• Modification of the South Brooklyn Route (2021)

Waterfront Public Access Implementation
DCP WOS presentation

• Building off the momentum created at the first WMAB Meeting (9/2018) regarding the importance of waterfront public access, Allan Zaretsky of the DCP Waterfront and Open Space (WOS) Division briefed Board members on early phases of the Waterfront Public Access Implementation (WPAI) study to identify opportunities for increasing waterfront public access.
• The study will identify gaps along the City’s waterfronts and waterways, and propose strategies for expanding access, particularly in areas historically underserved by waterfront open space. Since 1993, NYC has been a national leader in utilizing local zoning regulations to create new waterfront public spaces -known as Waterfront Public Access Areas (WPAAs)- as a condition of development on applicable waterfront lots.
• (Check out these WPAAs and more on the Waterfront Access Map)
• Waterfront zoning requirements do not apply to industrial uses.         
• This was initially due to the general incompatibility of public access and historic waterfront industrial activities.
• However, since the 1993 initial adoption of waterfront zoning regulations, industrial uses in NYC have changed over time, and DCP is recognizing that rules regarding Waterfront Zoning may need to be updated as well.
• The WMAB board discussed frameworks for assessing compatibility between uses and public access to ensure that maritime uses – industrial or otherwise- will not be inhibited from effectively function and expanding, while also recognizing opportunities for expanding waterfront access where appropriate.
• The goal is to create new waterfront public areas and maximize public access in areas that are potentially being underutilized currently.
• There are also opportunities to think more creatively about design and flexibility for public spaces that can activate waterfronts without encumbering surrounding uses. 
• The Newtown Creek Nature Walk is an excellent example of how waterfront public access can be compatible with and enhance surrounding industrial areas.
• There were also board member discussions regarding the importance of visual access for waterfront communities, especially industrial communities (since other types of access may not be feasible).
• This potential visual access could also help foster community/ industry ties.
• (Is it possible to calculate waterfront viewsheds to determine straightforward opportunities to reconnect communities with the waterfront through visual access?)
• The discussion of the compatibility of waterfront public access and industry is part of a larger, broader analysis of where we have / do not have waterfront access in NYC.  
• Since it is meant to be an overview, all types of access are treated the same.
• (What are helpful ways of qualitatively distinguishing types of access?)
• The WPAI study is supported through the NYS Department of State (DOS) Environmental Protection Fund (EPF).

• During the second WMAB meeting, presentations by NYC EDC provided insight to the success of NYC Ferry, as well as the process for expanding to new areas of the city. (93% of riders rated NYC Ferry a 7+/10!)
• Ferry locations are determined through a combination of extensive public outreach, and working with physical & navigational site constraints. Water depths need to be able to support both the size of the vessel and the necessary infrastructure.
• Many ferry lines are linked to areas conventionally underserved by other means of transportation. (The Soundview ferry helped to cut typical commutes in half!)
• The potential for NYC Ferry to collaborate with local institutions to collect valuable marine science data was also discussed. Can NYC Ferry collect water quality samples during its regular trips, for example?
• Also on the agenda was the Port of NY & NJ- an incredible economic engine that pro- vides about 400,000 jobs in the region- and the huge potential for the maritime industry to support NYC’s sustainability & equity initiatives.
• Inland barging emits 90-95% less carbon than trucks per mile (80x50), and also helps to reduce truck traffic (Vision Zero).

• However, activating the full economic and sustainability potential of our waterways re- quires maintenance dredging of both primary and secondary navigational channels; which must also be balanced with ecological considerations and best practices.

• The importance of waterfront access, for both physical and mental health, was unani- mously supported as a key priority to address; from creating access in neighborhoods that have been historically underserved, to expanding access on underutilized sites.
• Increasing maritime employment opportunities, especially for those who live near or on the waterfront, but may currently feel disconnected from it, was also an important goal. This goal was coupled with support for increasing vocational training opportunities for maritime industries, potentially even in NYC schools.
• Opportunities for affordable waterfront housing was also brought up multiple times, though how these goals can be brought together is a topic that needs further discussion.
• While everyone agreed that increased safe, public access, and a working waterfront are important, others noted that these goals should run parallel to ecological restoration, and in conjunction with opportunities for increasing resilience.