Group Sign-On Statement Signee Comments

Comments from Signees to the Governors Island Community – Group Sign-On Statement

  • A pattern of first gardens, then development has to cease. Governors Island is uniquely suited as a center for the environment and for the arts. – New York Permaculture Exchange
  • I go there every summer with my family to ride our bikes and enjoy summer events. Not every sq ft in nyc needs to be covered in huge glass buildings! – Halley Ramroop, student
  • A natural area or a historic site or a park should never be considered “unused land” or “underused land,” yet that’s what developers see and what most of them call it. They should not have the power to destroy parks, historic sites or natural areas. Infrastructure for the wealthy is not something our taxes should ever pay for. A place where Harbor Seals haul out and that is a staging area for migrating birds should not be destroyed. How dare the City Council even consider such a thing for a second. Real Estate runs the City to too much of a degree already and that should be dialed back! – Ken Gale, Eco-Logic, WBAI-FM
  • Climate university should be in an accessible urban living laboratory such as Sunset Park or other industrial area. Keep Governors Island as a unique beautiful refuge . – Martha Sickles, Urbecon Sustainable Solutions
  • Trees not towers! – Adrienne Kapstein, Pace University educator
  • Like to emphasize the amazing climate fighting organizations that call Governors Island home, they should not be replaced by any development scheme. – Christine Datz-Romero, Lower East Side Ecology Center
  • Keep it green. Plenty of buildings NYU can buy for this purpose. Make Governors Island a permanent Park. – Aresh Javadi, More Gardens! Fund
  • The value to New Yorkers of having this relatuvely pristine place to visit, the wildlife that inhabits it, to the air and water of the entire city to have this expanse of vegetated land is incalculable and irreplacable, No amount of short term revenue can replace the long term damage of development. – Aviva Rahmani, artist
  • Hotels are asked office buildings are sitting EMPTY in Manhattan, we NEED the green space that is governors island! – Yvette Yasui, Hudson River Park Mamas
  • Governors Island is a vital community resource for all New Yorkers. It’s an invaluable retreat in a city where far too many of us don’t have access to safe, quality, outdoor spaces. At the height of COVID-19, New Yorkers who didn’t have the option to decamp from the city, quickly learned that public spaces such as Governors Island were a lifeline to nature and outdoor space. I urge our city’s elected officials to reconsider the rezoning of Governors Island and instead let t continue to be a space where New Yorkers can receive respite from the hustle and bustle of city life. – Tiffany Winbush, Candidate, New York City Council
  • New York Climate Action Group, which successfully collaborated with the Bloomberg administration to ban the use of rainforest timber on city boardwalks and park benches, and which was also instrumental in expanding net metering on a state-wide level, stands firmly with the Metro Area Governors Island Coalition (M.A.G.I.C.) in its stance on preserving the ecological value of Governors Island and in opposition to high-rise development, gaming casinos and other uses contrary to the general public good. Building limits should be limited to four stories; areas for bird life should be preserved; waterfront access and landing areas should be in keeping with the overall peaceful and non-commercial ambience of this jewel in the harbor. Thank you. New York – JK Canepa, Climate Action Group
  • This absolutely has to stop. If anything there should be a RESTORATION of the ecology here . I just can’t with this foolishness. This island was a paradise once with Chestnut trees. Go read Island in the Center of the World to understand Manhattan and its environs. We cannot keep pressing on this direction of Tar and Cement. – Erika Chamberlin Carroll, Volunteer – Sane Energy Project
  • In a city as densely populated as NYC is, an asset like the open space at Governors Island should be protected at all costs. And at a time when so much office space across the city is unused there is absolutely no justification for this development. – Laura Gagnon, Fixer Production, Inc.
  • I am an an artist (watercolor painter) and resident of Lower Manhattan for more than 30 years. I too believe Governor’s Island was meant for all New Yorkers, an oasis, a getaway from the bustle and discomforts of New York City. I am presently completing a three-month artist residency at the Governor’s Island Arts building which is sponsored by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. I appreciate that daily life on the island is uncomplicated and without stress , which is the way it should be remain. I recall the former administrator of the Governor’s Island Trust allowed for concerts and other private events to be held on prime areas of the island in the middle of the summer season in exchange for financial benefits, that supposedly supported operations and public programs and activities. Unfortunately these events were loud, intrusive, overly crowded and in their aftermath caused garbage pollution on the island. As these events were considered private, pubic visitors were denied access to the bucolic areas of the island for many weekends. And the people who paid to attend these private events came with unrealistic expectations and attitudes. They overwhelmed the gentle ferry system, behaved badly after consuming too much alcohol and caused disturbances and delays with visitors waiting on line to board the ferries. These private ‚”fundraising events‚” upset the delicate balance of nature, exploration, recreation, quiet reflection and unobstructed spectacular views of Lower Manhattan and New York harbor. Such large noisy and disturbing events should be banned or severely curtailed. The same for ridiculous proposals for hotels and casinos. GI is not a Disney theme park and all efforts should be geared to preserving the island’s unique utopia as a free public amenity with open green space and unique architecturally significant infrastructure that is from another time. – Selwyn Garraway, artist
  • Green spaces need to be protected and strengthened not destroyed for the financial gain of a few driven by the greed of companies that do not care for the well being of the people or the planet as a whole. We stand in the protection of Mother Earth for our children and future Generations. Indigenous communities and Indigenous organizations should be granted these spaces as stewards and rightful caretakers of Mother Earth – #Landback. – ProtectTheSacredNYC
  • Our city has enough built space. We need to preserve any and all available open space and to salvage all we can for our own health and for that of the rest of nature. – Rita DeCassia, NYC Tourist Guide & Board Certified Reflexologist
  • Save our green space! No building over Gov. Island. – 8 Saint Marks Place Tenants Association
  • Do not open Governors Island to private development. Have some respect for the New York City public and preserve this land for everyone’s accessibility, recreation, expression and education. – Michael Hawley
  • we need to save available patches of nature, trees and parks for our city residents and their children. – NYC Grassroots Alliance
  • Governors Island is a treasure. We need to protect it and keep it GREEN! – Ralph Farris, Musician
  • Destroying quality park space for hotel and dormitory development is totally irrational and clearly development greed with the new Executive Director of the Governor’s Island Land Trust leading the way as one who never saw a development she had a problem with ever. – Jonathan Rubin, NYC Friends of Clearwater
  • Live Muzic Mondayz hosts a stage in the Porch Stomp festival every summer. The open space and quiet of the island is the most precious aspect of the setting for live, acoustic, unamplified music to be heard by listeners. Even last year during covid we were able to socially distance and manage it in such a way that everyone was safe, spread out, and audible! This would not be possible with a change in population on the island and a loss of open space. This festival and so many other activities on the island are valuable because of the current state of the island. People need this. The city needs this. It’s a gem. Destroying it will devalue the city overall. – Kathryn Lewis, Live Muzic Mondayz
  • Governors Island is a precious resource providing completely unique educational and inspirational opportunities for New Yorkers – children and adults alike – in a beautiful green space. It would be a crime to destroy it in favor of senseless overdevelopment. – Patricia Melvin, artist
  • Developers are destroying our city, with political help. We must stop them from ruining Governors Island. This will be a start to saying NO to pointless “development”. It will build momentum for defeating Corey Johnson’s Intro 2186-2020, and prevent the creation of another Robert Moses. Save Governors Island for the people of New York! – Climate Reality Project, NYC Chapter
  • Public space must remain for all, not be sold off to the highest bidder and privatized. The M.A.G.I.C. plan makes sense, and should be adopted. – Occupy Bergen County (New Jersey)
  • Tall and new buildings on Governor’s Island would likely impact existing biodiversity. – Loyan Beausoleil, Washington Square Park Eco Projects
  • As a resident of Chelsea and living adjacent to the High Line for 43 years, I can say there is no longer much sunlight along the High Line park. Big buildings to the south of me. Big buildings to the north of me, and to the east as well. All new. I used to see the Hudson River and the WTC back in the day. No more. Developers develop to profit, not to make life enjoyable to anyone else. Governor’s Island should be saved from that savagery of stealing the sun and the sky. Leave Governor’s Island alone. – Patty Heffley, High Line Park Renegade Cabaret
  • The Friends of Liberty State Park are fighting another battle against Liberty State Park privatization after decades of battles and we wish this Governor’s Island Coalition success in stopping this obscene plan for our priceless sister harbor public open space. Thanks for fighting this important fight on behalf of future generations! – Friends of Liberty State Park
  • Even though we’re based in Jersey City we support our sisters and brothers from NY in their efforts to keep public open space from privatization schemes and out of the hands of those whose only real goal is profit. We have fought and won similar battles in Liberty State Park and we stand in solidarity with you. – Bike JC
  • As a climate and innovation focused real estate developer and consultant who’s lived in NYC for 19 years, I stridently object to the economically and ecologically irresponsible upzoning and re-development of Govenor’s Island (i.e. in its current so-called “Climate Lab” guise). It’s antithetical to climate science and ruins one of the city’s last natural environments. – David Friedlander, The Change Order Group
  • Governor’s Island should belong to everyone, not just those who can pay for a luxury hotel. A Casino will introduce a less than child-friendly environment. I have regarded Governor’s Island as one of the hidden gems of NYC since it shifted from Military Residences in a state of decadence to space for art, exercise, and public play. I hope NYC will make the right choice. Already Hustlers and Hooters have taken over upper hudson yards. Very few spaces are kid-friendly and family friendly. Please keep Governor’s Island on track and prevent a casino and luxury hotel from taking over. – Laura Lomas, Professor, English – Rutgers University-Newark
  • Though a small amount of development on GI could be beneficial to the island, the current proposal calls for too much privatization and would cause the loss of too much park and waterfront space. GI belongs to all New Yorkers, and such fundamental changes to the nature of the island should not happen without public approval, or at all. – Lucia Hartray, Resident of the LES
  • Green space can be used for unique projects and essential gatherings. So much changes once residential needs must be considered and prioritized. – Susan Brennan, WnderWord
  • Please allow Governor’s Island to stay accessible to all New Yorkers. – The People’s Own Organic Power Project
  • Yikes!! Attempts to wreck our city are endless… But we will persist!! – Sarah Gallagher, President – Upper Green Side
  • Please save Governors Island from such overwhelming development. We need more thoughtful use of public land – the plans we see will ruin a rare space available to all New Yorkers. After this past year it is clear how much open space and parkland is needed by all, not more huge high rises. – Tessa Grundon, artist
  • Apart from our obvious environmental, ‘human’ needs, we are needy of venues for cultural (musical) expression including performance, rehearsal, library, and musical workshop space(s). Having occasionally performed outdoors, we also are in favor of limited cultural year-round accessibility. – Sigmund Rosen, The Renaissance Chorus Assn Inc
  • This development is unneeded and unwanted. There are empty offices all over Manhattan right now. The most environmentally sound choice would be to use existing office space. This plan stinks and takes much needed parkland away from the citizens of NYC. Governors Island is a gem and we must fight to preserve it. – Christine LeBeau
  • Please do not develop on governors island. Building high rises is no way going to help prevent climate change. – Cody Umans, artist