Issues:
- Location:
- Regardless
of when it will actually begin or how long it will take, the EPA mandate
dictates that the construction of the basin is non-negotiable, while its
location on the island is more flexible.In the early community meeting that took place in February 2005,
the location of the retention basin was at issue.Three choices were presented, with a
fourth alternative resulting from community discussions, although no final
location has been specified by the Philadelphia Water Department.
- Recreation
& Greenspace:
- No
matter where the retention basin is located, construction would require
the demolition of all of the current recreational facilities located on
this portion of the island in addition to the displacement of the over
300 existing parking spaces.
- With
widespread development taking place in Manayunk and Roxborough, access to
green and recreational space is already threatened.
- While
many of the recreation facilities on the island are in disrepair (due in
part to their location in the floodway), the Manayunk Sports and Social
Club hosts some 3,500 people from the 19127 and 19128 zip codes alone
with an additional 7,500 people participating from zip codes outside of
the local area.Turning more
recent community discussions to concerns regarding where these recreational
facility needs will be met during the approximately 2 years while the
basin is being constructed and during the time it will take on top of
this to build new facilities.
- The
big question always came back to ….who is going to pay for building new
recreational facilities?The Water
Department, in an attempt to work collaboratively with the community (a
first effort of its kind in Philadelphia),
has promised $3 million for the
construction of a new recreation center and of new recreational facilities.The details remain to be fleshed out.
- Parking:
- But,
if you replace all of the recreational facilities existing on the island
now and add a new, larger recreation center, there is not enough space to
provide the area and Manayunk Main Street
businesses in particular, with much needed parking.The solution as the Andropogon Master
Plan lays it out is to create a two story structure from Cotton
Street to Lock
Street that has parking throughout the
ground level.
- In
this plan, recreation facilities (including street hockey, basketball,
playgrounds, recreation center and performing arts space) would be on the
second floor as well as a greened roof top to address the need for
greenspace.
- The
idea is that by raising the recreation facilities to the second story
they will be out of the floodway’s potential dangerous and heavily
wearing high, turbulent waters.
- The
southern tip of the island, under this plan, is left at ground level,
greened, and has docks added to allow for waterfront access.
The idea is to try to get the community to come to a
consensus so that the community can then work to leverage the political support
it needs to see that its best interests are taken into account in upcoming
development.
For more information on the
project or to get on the mailing list regarding upcoming meetings, please
e-mail us at fmc@manayunkcanal.org.
