TESTIMONY
by Kathryn Wylde, President & CEO
PARTNERSHIP FOR NEW YORK CITY

New York, New York
September 15, 2004

PDF 86K

Testimony before the New York City Council Committee On State & Federal Legislation On the MOU Related to the Proposed Water Filtration Plant in Van Cortlandt Park

The Partnership for New York City urges the City Council to approve the Memorandum of Understanding that will enable the City to build a new drinking water filtration plant for the Croton water supply system.

This plant will provide an essential improvement in our water supply system and is the best alternative to comply with a federal order aimed at keeping water from Croton clean and safe. These improvements are also vital to ensuring the economic growth of New York City. If the City is to thrive as a global center of commerce, culture and innovation in the years to come, it must have a sturdy and reliable infrastructure for its water supply. While most residents and businesses take it for granted, a safe and reliable water supply is one of those public goods that makes New York City such a desirable place to live and work.

The City has determined that the optimum location for the filtration plant in terms of cost, security and engineering feasibility is under a segment of Van Cortland Park in the Bronx. The plant will be built underground so as not to intrude on park space. Keeping this project—and the jobs it will bring—in the City is important to our economy and makes sense for the Bronx and for the City as a whole. It also means the City will not have to make Payments in Lieu of Taxes to a another community if a plant were built outside the City.

As part of this project, the City has agreed to spend $200 million in improvements in parks and recreational facilities in the Bronx. These improvements are laid out in the MOU now before you. We recognize that this project will be a burden, in terms of congestion and temporary loss of parkland, to the people of the Bronx for the duration of the construction. For that reason, it is appropriate for the City to dedicate $200 million to improve the quality of life in the Bronx and help minimize the impact of the project on the borough.

A new filtration plant is an important priority for our entire city. We understand that neighborhood residents have issues with the proposed plant. In many land use decisions, our city accords significant weight to parochial concerns of the immediate affected community. When it comes to ensuring the safety and reliability of the city’s water supply, however, we hope the Council will agree that local opposition cannot be allowed to delay or derail your approval of this project. We urge you to approve the Memorandum of Understanding.

The Partnership for New York City (www.pfnyc.org) is a network of business leaders dedicated to enhancing the economy of the five boroughs of New York City and maintaining the city’s position as the global center of commerce, culture and innovation.