To: The Board of Directors of Hudson River Park Trust; Diana Taylor, Chair. The proposal from Related Companies for an intensively developed entertainment center is not right for Pier 40 or for a neighborhood that needs more parks and schools to accommodate a growing population of families with children. * Moving the wonderful courtyard fields to the roof would harm the community and family character of the children\'s sports activities. * Transporting large numbers of people by car and taxi to the pier for shows, dining, cinemas, and events would add a significant traffic burden to Route 9A and our neighborhood streets that are already congested with evening rush hour traffic. The pier is not well enough served by subway to support this activity in a sustainable way. * Disrupting the flow on the popular bikeway with thousands of new vehicular crossings would endanger cyclists, skaters, and runners. * Crossing West Street to the park would be even more difficult and dangerous for pedestrians than it is now, especially for the park\'s youngest and oldest visitors. * Adding large venue nightlife will encourage more of the same in the adjacent neighborhoods, an undesirable trend for nearby residential areas. * Reducing the number of long-term parking spaces available for community residents will add increased demand for street parking and harm air quality. Please do not turn the pier over to private control on January 31st. Instead create a clear path for low-impact and park-friendly development of the pier. Please choose a course that encourages lower impact uses of the pier and does not diminish the quality of current uses. * Secure the future of the pier and long term income for the Trust by redeveloping with new low impact uses that are attractive to residents of the city and tourists alike. * Embrace the willingness of the community to participate and to support a good project that does not create more traffic and pollution. * Feel confident that once current proposals are out of the way, elected officials will support the right project for the pier, private groups will cooperate with the Trust and competent city and state agencies, and working as engaged partners our efforts will succeed. * Channel the passion and energy of our community in a productive direction that will benefit the future of the Pier 40 and the entire Hudson River Park.

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