JYA/URBAN DEADLINE 251 WEST 89TH ST SUITE 6E NEW YORK NY 10024
212-873-8700 F 212-799-4003 jy@jya.com www.jya.com

__________________________________________________________________

December 5, 1997

Peter A. Sneed
Senior Program Analyst
Portfolio Management Division
General Services Administration
26 Federal Plaza, Room 1609
New York, NY 10278

Re: EIS, Governors Island Excess Property Disposal

Dear Mr. Sneed,

In response to the Federal Register announcement today of GSA intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for excess property disposal of Governors Island, we suggest for potential scope of alternatives and potential impact:

1. The property be transferred to a public/private authority, and redeveloped under the joint auspices of private interests, local and state government, and the Interior, Education, Commerce, Defense and State Departments (with select participation of all federal agencies) as a public educational laboratory and home base for distributed projects which would provide interactive information on the United States from 1947 to 2047 for three purposes:

> 1.1 To educate on the historical transition from a national security culture to one of economic security (1947-97);
> 1.2 To inform on current and near-term defense conversion and dual use programs rapidly transforming competitive political and commercial economies worldwide;
> 1.3 To demonstrate the prospects for evolving from a culture of single-nation economic security, based on insular competitiveness, to one of global ecological security and interdependence (1997-2047).

2. The planning and development of the project be successively carried out by an evolving United States, North American, Inter-American and international advisory team as time passes (say, a change every ten years) so that the project evolves in response to diminution of national borders and increasingly wider participation of the citizenry and cultures affected.

3. Ownership of the property and funding for the project would evolve with its transformation from a geographically isolated, bastion-like, local island to a national then a global seaport of embarkation for educational exploration, of rapidly changing information, and eventually become a launch pad for an interplanetary cultural venture paralleling the trajectories of government, science, technology, commerce and art.

4. Interactive information technology, exemplified today by the Internet and tomorrow by a more universalizing hardwired and wireless infrastructure, would play a primary role in shaping the transformation of global cultures from landscape dependency and insularity (national borders and property development policy) to one of global information sharing on ecologically interdependent cooperation. Governors Island would thus be perhaps one of several global communications hubs for land, sea and space, and, should optimism prevail, succeed the international security hubs of espionage, secrecy and suspicion set in motion in 1947.

We request to be placed on the project mailing list to receive future or further information.
Sincerely,
John Young
JYA/Urban Deadline

    [Federal Register: December 5, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 234)]
    [Notices]
    [Page 64383-64384]
    From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
    [DOCID:fr05de97-69]

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------

    GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

    Public Buildings Service

    Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
    (EIS)

    SUMMARY: The General Services Administration (GSA) hereby gives notice
    it intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the
    requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969,
    and the President's Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40
    CFR Parts 1500-1508), as implemented by GSA's Order PBS P 1095.4B to
    dispose of excess federal property known as Governors Island in New
    York, New York.
        The EIS will evaluate the proposed project, the no-action
    alternative, and any other reasonable alternatives identified through
    the scoping process. Scoping will be accomplished through direct mail
    correspondence with interested persons, parties, and organizations and
    through Public Scoping Meetings to be held in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
    GSA will publish a Public Notice of these meetings and all subsequent
    meetings in local newspapers approximately seven to ten days prior to
    each event.

    WRITTEN COMMENTS/FURTHER INFORMATION: As part of the Public Scoping
    process, GSA solicits your written comments on the scope of
    alternatives and potential impacts at the following address: Peter A.
    Sneed, Senior Program Analyst, Portfolio Management Division, General
    Services Administration, 26 Federal Plaza, Room 1609, New York, NY
    10278. Written comments should be received no later

    [[Page 64384]]

    than January 2, 1998. Requests for further information may also be
    forwarded to this address.

    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The GSA is anticipating the preparation of
    an Environmental Impact Statement on a proposal to dispose of excess
    federal property in New York, New York. GSA will serve as the lead
    agency and scoping will be conducted consistent with NEPA regulations
    and guidelines.
        GSA invites interested individuals, organizations, and Federal,
    State, and local agencies to participate in defining the reasonable
    alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS, and in identifying any
    significant social, economic, or environmental issues related to the
    alternatives. During scoping, comments should focus on identifying
    specific impacts to be evaluated and suggesting alternatives that
    minimize adverse significant impacts while achieving similar
    objectives. Comments may also identify issues which are not significant
    or which have been covered by prior environmental review. Scoping
    should be limited to commenting on alternatives and the merit of the
    proposal rather than indicating preferences. There will be an
    opportunity to comment on preferences upon completion of the Draft
    Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).
        Mailing List: If you wish to be placed on the project mailing list
    to receive future or further information as the EIS develops, contact
    Peter A. Sneed at the address noted above.
        Project Purpose, Historical Background, and Project: On October 16,
    1995, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) announced it would close
    Governors Island by the end of summer 1997. The decision to close
    Governors Island was made in response to the Presidential mandate to
    meet the goals of the National Performance Review and the Government
    Performance and Results Act. The present organization of Governors
    Island will transition to a 60-person Caretaker Detachment that will
    provide security, fire protection and facility maintenance. Disposal of
    the Island is the responsibility of the General Services
    Administration. On August 5, 1997, President Clinton signed into law,
    legislation for the sale of Governors Island. This special legislation
    incorporated as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 directs the
    Administrator of General Services Administration to sell Governors
    Island at fair market value. The State and City of New York have right
    of first offer to purchase all or part of the Island at fair market
    value.
        Alternatives: The EIS will examine the short and long term impacts
    on the natural and built environment. Potential impact assessment will
    include but not be limited to changes in land use and zoning, changes
    to air and water quality, changes to traffic patterns, and impacts to
    historic and cultural resources.
        The EIS will also examine measures to mitigate significant
    unavoidable adverse impacts resulting from the proposed action.
    Concurrent with NEPA implementation, GSA will also implement its
    consultation responsibilities under Section 106 of the Natural Historic
    Preservation Act to identify potential impacts to existing historic or
    cultural resources.
        The EIS would consider a no-action alternative and an action
    alternative which would identify several reuse options. The no-action
    alternative (no-sale) would keep Governors Island in Federal ownership.
    The preferred action alternative is the sale of Governors Island.
        Procedures: The Draft EIS will be prepared at the completion of and
    based upon a scoping report. The Draft EIS will then be made available
    for public and agency review and comment with a public hearing being
    held during this comment period. A Final EIS would be prepared
    following conclusion of the comment period to address issues raised on
    the Draft EIS.

        Dated: November 28, 1997.
    Robert Martin,
    Acting Regional Administrator (2A).
    [FR Doc. 97-31858 Filed 12-4-97; 8:45 am]
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