Sustainable Community Solutions to Save a Pier in Peril
a letter to the New York Times in response to their September 17, 2012 editorial “A Pier to Pay for a Park”
September 24, 2012
A Pier to Pay for a Park highlights the plight of a structurally neglected Pier 40. However, the call to “liberalize the law,” a nod to opening the governing park Act to extend lease terms to allow for mega-development and luxury housing, is in direct violation of the original vision of the park as a place for public enjoyment.
Solutions for Pier 40 must meet immediate challenges and invest in sustainable community space that prioritizes the needs of park users. HRPT and state legislators must seriously consider multiple options, such as an influx of public funding or commercials solutions that strengthen park users access to the pier.
FIERCE has been working for over 12 years to counter the displacement and criminalization of LGBTQ youth of color who access the piers for safety, and we are one of many community stakeholders that will be negatively impacted by over-development on this public space. In saving a pier in peril, we must not also leave the communities who live, work and spend their time there in peril.
John Blasco
FIERCE Lead Organizer
