Friends for Our Riverfront

Have a Voice in Future of Greenline

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:34:00 +0000

Plans continue for the Greater Memphis Greenline, and public meetings are scheduled to discuss design and management of the greenway that will run from Midtown to Shelby Farms Park.

Meeting Dates:
* July 6 (Mon.) 7-9pm, Benjamin Hooks Central Library(3030 Poplar)
* July 7 (Tues.) 6-8pm, Agricenter (7777 Walnut Grove Rd.)

Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, Shelby County Government and Greater Memphis Greenline ask for your input.

Red, White, & Blues for the 4th

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:44:00 +0000

Celebrate the 4th of July Memphis-style.
* Music in WC Handy Park (Beale & 3rd) starts at 5 pm.
* Fireworks on the Riverfront in Tom Lee Park start at 9:30pm.

From Rome to Memphis - FfOR Website the Link

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:51:00 +0000

She travelled the farthest to attend The Delta - Everything Southern conference at University of Memphis.

Laura Sanderson Healy was in Rome when she read about the conference on this website and flew to Memphis to attend. Healy, who grew up in Memphis, now lives in Los Angeles, but the lure of the MS River and this area are in her blood.

Healy’s parents Bob and Jane Sanderson lived in a neighborhood on the riverfront along with Shelby Foote and other artists in the 1950s. It was there that Foote wrote his novel September, September. The book was made into a 1992 TV movie "Memphis" directed by Larry McMurtry
starring Cybill Shepherd.

The Delta conference was huge success. Speakers included (pictured left to right): anthropologist Sam Brookes, attorney Bill Luckett, journalist Curtis Wilkie, and art history professor Carol Crown. Filmmaker and author Willy Bearden, Blues pianist and singer Edent Brent, and oral historian Owen Brooks rounded out the list of fascinating, entertaining speakers. Click HERE for their short bios.

It’s an annual event, so next year, whether you’re in Memphis, Clarksdale, New Orleans, or Rome, put the conference on your calendar.

Tom Lee Park on Father's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:30:00 +0000

The sprinkler was working, people were there to enjoy Father's Day, but Tom Lee Park wasn't in the best shape. A "friend" sent these photos as a plea for quicker park repair.

Hot, but Fun & Beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:53:00 +0000

It was HOT, but fun and beautiful at Randolph for the Sunset Cook-Out yesterday.

Special thanks to Nancy and Tom Ream of the Sierra Club Chickasaw Group for manning the grill and making sure things ran smoothly and to TN Parks and Greenways Fdn. for sharing the site with all of us.

Councilman Strickland e-mails Tax Warning & Request

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:09:00 +0000

City Councilman Jim Strickland has e-mailed a warning and request concerning the city budget and your taxes. He urges citizens to speak out and show up Tues. (6/16) after 3:30 pm at the City Council meeting (ground floor of City Hall (125 N Main)).

Click below to read the e-mail.

Neighbors,

The city's budget will be voted on tomorrow, Tuesday, sometime after 3:30 pm, and your help is needed to avoid a large tax increase.

Traditionally, the city's and school board's budget have been approved at the same time by the council, and a unified tax bill was sent to all Memphians. This year, the city's budget will be approved this week, and the school's budget will be approved in July or August. As a result, two tax bills will be sent -- one in July (city) and one in August (school).

Several months ago, the trial court ruled that the city could not reduce funding to the schools. While the case is on appeal, the trial court indicated that, if the city failed to fund for the 2009 - 2010 year, he would immediately order the city to fund up to $57 million.

As a result, it is highly likely that the city will have to fund the schools with $57million in July or August.

If the council passes the mayor's budget, you will receive a tax bill in July for approximately the same amount as last year.

But, in August, you will get a huge tax bill for up to $57 million to pay for the schools because the mayor's budget does not include the school's funding..

At least one council member is trying to agree with the mayor that the city's budget is balanced and ignore the huge bill that will come a month later.

He has written, "I believe we should let the courts resolve the school issue and deal with this at a later date." The problem is that the later date will likely be only 30 days after the city's budget is approved.

Please be on alert and know that whether we have a tax increase will be decided tomorrow; if the city's budget is approved without reductions and/or use of the reserves of $57 million, you will receive a tax increase this year.

You should let your voice be heard in person; please come to the meeting tomorrow at city hall sometime after 3:30 pm.

Jim

Councilman Strickland's e-mail is about the city operating budget, but what's in the capital improvement budget is also important. Bonds are issued for these big ticket items, and the annual debt service on those bonds has to come out of future operating budgets.
Riverfront projects in the CIP budget - click HERE.
One of the projects is the $33million boat dock facility Beale Street Landing. Debt service on bonds for this project will be approximately $1.5million annually. For info. on Beale Street Landing click HERE and HERE.

Sunset Picnic Upriver at Historic Randolph Bluff

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:47:00 +0000

You're Invited!
Sat., June 20, 3 - 9 pm, at a spectacular site on our river.

Hosted by: Sierra Club/Chickasaw Group and Friends for Our Riverfront. Please RSVP by e-mail to info@friendsforourriverfront.

Where is Randolph Bluff?
On the 2nd Chickasaw Bluff, Randolph is an unincorporated community in a beautiful rural area about 45 minutes NW of Memphis.
For a map and directions, click HERE.

What do I need to bring?
Bring a side dish - maybe a favorite family recipe! Hot dogs, hamburgers, and soft drinks are provided by your hosts. We do need a head count, so please RSVP!

What's notable about Randolph Bluff?
In its heyday, Randolph rivaled Memphis as a river port. Until 1840 it shipped more cotton annually than Memphis did! It declined commercially due to failed railroad development, an unfavorable mail route, and the town burned twice during the Civil War. Even so, today the site itself is still so beautiful that it was recently purchased by TN Parks and Greenways Foundation, and is protected as greenspace by a conservation easement for the public similar to the Memphis Public Promenade.

To learn more about the site and the important reasons to protect it, click HERE.

Councilman Strickland on City Budget

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:46:00 +0000

Councilman Jim Strickland says the City Council has the right, and the duty, to perform some drastic fiscal surgery on the City Budget. Wrap-up sessions are taking place this week. The budget goes to the Council for a vote next Tues. (6/16/09). Click below to read Strickland's article that ran in "The Flyer" and links to an interview and the website of Memphis Watchdog Joe Saino.

Time for the Knife
The City Council has the right, and the duty, to perform some drastic fiscal surgery.
By Jim Strickland

"The legislative power of the city shall be vested in the Council which shall have all legislative powers heretofore exercised by the Board of Commissioners, including but not limited to, the right to fix the tax rate and to approve and adopt all budgets." This authority over the city's purse strings, granted by the Memphis City Charter (Article 5, Section 16), is the most important power granted to the City Council.

In fact, the council has line-item authority over the budget though this authority has rarely been used by past councils. The current council has, however, broken with tradition on other issues and hopefully will decide this month to flex its authority over the proposed budget.

In Article 6, Section 40.1, the charter provides some details: "The operations and capital fund budgets of the City ... shall be prepared and submitted by the mayor with the assistance of the directors, and presented to the council, which shall approve or amend any and all budgets prior to the adoption of a tax rate as now provided, and said budgets as approved or as amended shall be the duly established budgets. The comptroller shall under no circumstances make disbursements not specifically provided for in any of the aforesaid budgets as finally approved by the council."

Again: The mayor may propose budgets, but it is the council that approves. or has the right to approve, "the duly established budgets." Consistent with the council's line-item authority, the administration cannot change any appropriation after the council establishes the budget. Traditionally, as we know, the council has waived this authority.

It is no secret that the world is in a recession. Most governments, businesses, and families in our country have less income than they did two or three years ago.

Last year, FedEx reduced the salaries of its highest earners. Earlier this year, it laid off thousands of workers. Last week, Governor Bredesen proposed 1,051 state layoffs, and Metro Nashville reduced the hours of its libraries and community centers.

By contrast, some two months ago, Mayor Herenton announced what he described as a balanced budget with no layoffs and a 3 percent raise for all city employees. In reality, this "balanced budget" ignored a court ruling to provide additional funding to the city schools next year up to $57 million.

Like the rest of the country, Memphis must make drastic reductions in spending. Many of us on the council refuse to raise taxes; our combined city and county property tax rate is already twice as high as that of Nashville, which has the state's second highest tax rate.

Besides the recent recession and the court's order on school funding (which has been appealed), Memphis is also challenged with a long-term population decrease and an economy that, even pre-recession, was static.

The City Council has been reviewing the mayor's proposed budget for six weeks and must make a decision by June 30th. The debate has ranged from a couple of council members pushing for no spending reductions to others, including me, trying to eliminate the raises and employment positions added in the last three years.

The majority of the budget committee has consistently rejected the notion of rolling back the raises. They argue that raises were withheld several years ago when the city administration grossly overestimated revenue, thereby creating a budgetary crisis.

Our current economic realities require drastic change. To date, the budget committee has reviewed about two-thirds of the proposed budget but has only reduced spending by about $6 million. We must do more.

Remembering that about 70 percent of the budget is personnel, we must reduce administrative staff. Eliminating the 3 percent raise would by itself save no less than $11 million. We can also eliminate most "company cars" and even address the issue of employment benefits.

Perhaps some city services can stand to be altered, but, importantly, no cuts must be made to public safety.

All we have to do to meet the challenges of this budget, while maintaining essential city services and avoiding a tax increase, is to make the kinds of tough decisions that most businesses and families have already made.

Memphis Watchdog Joe Saino agrees.
Click HERE for a news interview and HERE for his website.

There are 3 riverfront projects in the City's CIP budget.
Click HERE and HERE for budget info. on these projects.

City Councilmembers's e-mail addresses if you have concerns and/or suggestions about spending, projects, budget and would like to contact them:

Bill.Boyd@memphistn.gov
Harold.Collins@memphistn.gov
Wanda.Halbert@memphistn.gov
Edmund.Fordjr@memphistn.gov
Swearengen.Ware@memphistn.gov
Janis.Fullilove@memphistn.gov
myron.lowery@memphistn.gov
Reid.Hedgepeth@memphistn.gov
kemp.conrad@memphistn.gov
shea.flinn@memphistn.gov
bill.morrison@memphistn.gov
jim.strickland@memphistn.gov

Councilman Joe Brown does not accept e-mail.

The Delta – Everything Southern!

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:13:00 +0000

If you’re interested in history, music, art, and literature, you won’t want to miss “The Delta - Everything Southern!” on Thursday June 18th. It’s a daylong look at the region that brings leading authorities to the University of Memphis’s Fogelman Center. To see presenters and a schedule, catch a sneak preview of Eden Brent on the piano, and register, click HERE. The cost for the day is $75/adults, $25/students, which includes lunch and parking.

Solstice Hike Along River

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:01:00 +0000

Sat., June 13, 6:45 pm
Yes, the hike is a few days before the solstice this year, so be sure that doesn’t throw you off.

Join Sue Williams for the Sierra Club Chickasaw Group’s walk on the Chickasaw Bluff Trail. The Trail was saved for the public by the Chickasaw Bluffs Conservancy, the Sierra Club, and other organizations. There will be information about: their successful effort, effluent being discharged from the wastewater treatment plan, and the effect on air quality of electricity production at the TVA steam plan, visible from this area.

It’s an easy 2.5 mile walk on paved surface with a spectacular view of the Mississippi River - a great location for sunset photos. Meet at the Butler Park entrance on TN Street at the intersection with Butler Ave. next to the old Tennessee Brewery. For a map, click HERE.

High Line Preserved, Transformed, and Open

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:40:00 +0000

The High Line project is a dream come true – an abandoned elevated rail line rediscovered by a neighborhood writer and painter, saved from demolition by community advocates, and preserved and transformed into what’s being called New York City’s great new park - "a space borrowed from early generations, cleaned-up in ours, and handed to the one that follows".

It’s the success story we seek for the Public Promenade on the Memphis riverfront and for greenways and parks city and county-wide.

Click below for the New York Times article, some FAQs, and a link to the High Line website.

Renovated High Line Now Open for Strolling
By ROBIN POGREBIN
New York Times; Published: June 8, 2009

Standing on a newly renovated stretch of an elevated promenade that was once a railway line for delivering cattle — surrounded by advocates, elected officials and architects who made the transformation happen — Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg cut a red ribbon on Monday morning to signify that the first phase of the High Line is finished and ready for strolling.

Calling the High Line, which opens to the public on Tuesday, “an extraordinary gift to our city’s future,” Mr. Bloomberg said, “Today we’re about to unwrap that gift.” He added, “It really does live up to its highest expectations.”

The first portion of the three-section High Line, which runs near the Hudson River from Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street, will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. There are entrances at Gansevoort Street (stairs) and at 16th Street (elevator); exits are located every few blocks.

The second phase, which extends to 30th Street, is under construction and expected to be completed by fall 2010. The third phase, up to 34th Street, has yet to be approved.

The High Line project is something of a New York fairy tale, given that it started with a couple of guys who met at a community board meeting in 1999 — Joshua David, a writer, and Robert Hammond, a painter — and discovered they shared a fervent interest in saving the abandoned railroad trestle, which had been out of commission since 1980 and was slated for demolition during the Giuliani administration. That began a decade-long endeavor that involved rescuing the structure and enlisting the Bloomberg administration in its preservation and renovation.

Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, called the project “a great West Side story.”

The City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, described it as “a miracle of perseverance,” and said, “The idea could easily have gone into a file, ‘great ideas that will never happen.’ ”

With all the bureaucratic hurdles that the project had to overcome, it was fitting that so many representatives of different arms of local government were there for Monday’s celebratory news conference, including Amanda M. Burden, the city planning commissioner; Adrian Benepe, the parks commissioner; Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York; and Seth W. Pinsky, the president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Also present were two couples who have been the project’s major benefactors — Diane von Furstenberg, the fashion designer, and her husband, the media mogul Barry Diller, and Philip Falcone, a hedge fund billionaire, and his wife, Lisa Maria Falcone.

The walkway, designed by James Corner Field Operations and Diller Scofidio & Renfro, includes more than 100 species of plants that were inspired by the wild seeded landscape left after the trains stopped running, Mr. Bloomberg said. He added that the High Line has helped to further something of a renaissance in the neighborhood; more than 30 new projects are planned or under construction nearby.

One of those projects includes a new satellite for the Whitney Museum of American Art, designed by Renzo Piano, which will anchor the base of the High Line at Gansevoort. The mayor announced on Monday that the city was finalizing a land sale contract with the museum.

The first two sections of the High Line cost $152 million, Mr. Bloomberg said, $44 million of which was raised by Friends of the High Line, the group that led the project.

All of the speakers’ comments echoed the triumphal subject line of an e-mail message sent out by Friends of the High Line right after the festivities had concluded: “We did it.”

FAQs:
What’s the High Line? The High Line, a 1.45-mile-long elevated rail line has become New York currently runs from Gansevoort Street, in the Meatpacking District, through the West Chelsea gallery neighborhood, ending at 34th Street, next to the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The last train ran on it in 1980.

Who owns the High Line?South of 30th Street, the High Line is owned by the City of New York and is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Parks & Recreation. This section was donated to the City by CSX Transportation, Inc.,

How did it Happen?Friends of the High Line, founded in 1999, is a community-based 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the preservation and reuse of the High Line. Friends of the High Line began as an advocacy group and is currently undergoing a transition to a conservancy, working to raise funds and help operate the park through a partnership with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation.

Friends of the High Line successfully worked with the mayoral administration of Michael Bloomberg and the New York City Council to reverse a City policy favoring demolition to one ensuring the High Line's preservation through the federal Railbanking program. Friends of the High Line also spearheaded the design process for the High Line's transformation to a public park, partnering with the City of New York on an international design competition that eventually selected the team of James Corner Field Operations (landscape architecture) and Diller Scofidio + Renfro (architecture).

Construction began in April 2006. Section 1 (Gansevoort Street to 20th Street) is projected to open in June, 2009. Section 2 (20th Street to 30th Street) is projected to open in 2010.

Has an elevated rail structure been made into a park before?The city of Paris successfully converted a similar rail viaduct into an elevated park called the Promenade Plantée. It is lavishly planted and offers both stairs and elevators for access. Projects similar to the High Line are in early stages in St. Louis, Philadelphia, Jersey City, Chicago, and Rotterdam, among others.

High Line Website
The official High Line website tells the story: history, photos, videos.

Facelift at the Cossitt

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:38:00 +0000

The Cossitt is looking much brighter these days with new carpet, renovated restrooms, a fresh coat of paint, and soon new landscaping. Inger Upchurch and her excellent staff are thrilled and invite all of us to come take a look, check-out a book, reserve the meeting room for an event, and use the computers. During June and July they will have a mother/son folk art exhibit of work by Mattie and Michael Williams.

Celebrate at the Cotton Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:22:00 +0000

Join the fun and take a look at what Cotton Row means to Memphis.

Update: Congratulations to Cotton Museum on a Blockbuster Event:
Several blocks on Front Street were filled morning and afternoon with almost 200 people from all over the city and suburbs to learn about our city's history as a center of the cotton industry.

"Of course, we had tourists, but the real thrill was having so many Memphians at our event," said Director Carol Perel. "Our grant from TV History Channel made it possible, and we're hoping to do it again in October."

The museum is the site of the original Cotton Exchange, where the movie "The Firm" was filmed, and only a block from Cobblestone Landing where cotton was hauled up the cobblestones to the Front Street cotton merchants.

Sat. June 6 from 10am-4pm.

* Walking tours of Front Street’s Cotton Row at 11:30 am and 2 pm.

* Lectures throughout the day at the Cotton Museum (SE corner Front & Union) on topics ranging from the “Civil War Battle of Memphis” to “New Music Spawned by the New Deal” and “Civil Rights and the Cotton Culture.”

* Discount coupons for lunch at Front Street Deli and Orleans Restaurant.
Admission: $6/adults; $5.50/seniors; $5/students; $4/children 6 - 12.

What's all the dirt about?

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Sun, 17 May 2009 03:58:00 +0000

It's your tax dollars at work

Beale Street Landing under construction. $7.4M of city money has been spent so far. $14.9M is requested in the City's CIP budget. The total estimated public cost is now at $33M.

Click below for John Branston's May 15th "Flyer" article that takes a look at the project and cost overruns and for the RDC hand-out to City Council.

Beale Street Landing Now at $33 Million
Posted by John Branston on Fri, May 15, 2009 at 12:18 PM

Three things are going up at Tom Lee Park this week: the river level, the fragrant smoke from the barbecue contest, and the cost of Beale Street Landing.
The boat dock and future gathering place at the north end of the park, a pet project of the Riverfront Development Corporation and Mayor Willie Herenton, will now cost $33 million, according to the estimate provided to the Memphis City Council by RDC President Benny Lendermon this week.

Like river stages in May, the cost keeps going up. When a South American architectural firm was chosen to design the fancy boat dock and gathering place in 2003, the cost estimate was $20 million. By 2005, the cost of "River Outlook" had risen to $27.5 million. In 2007, the number was $29.4 million.

The $33 million includes $11.5 million in state and federal funds and about $22 million in local funds. Approximately $11 million has already been spent, which helped persuade some first-term council members to keep on funding the project that was approved by their predecessors.

The cost of steel is one of the things driving up the price. When councilman Bill Boyd asked where the steel would come from, Lendermon said "maybe in Argentina." The architectural firm, RTN Architects from Buenos Aires, is being paid $2 million. Beale Street Landing is shaping up as a nice little stimulus for one recession-ravaged economy. Shovels ready, amigos!

The landing will include, among other things, "floating" docks that will allow visitors to get finger-dipping close to Old Man River. In RDC mythology, this "touch the water" experience is not presently possible.

Leaving aside the question of how many people actually want to do this and whether it is worth $33 million, the fact is that the partially submerged cobblestones landing and Greenbelt Park across from HarborTown are currently suitable for water-touching, fishing or full-immersion baptisms 30 yards from the sidewalk.

The meaning of the landing part of Beale Street Landing has been revised. The overnight river cruise lines that used to dock at Memphis -- Delta Steamship and Majestic America -- have gone out of business. Lendermon now says the "world-class" landing was designed for the homemade vessels of the Memphis Queen Line. "The use of facility, for boating side, has always been the local excursion boats," he told council members. That does not include canoes and kayaks.

So where did anyone get the idea that the landing was for big, overnight cruising boats? From the RDC, actually.

The riverfront master plan approved by the council in 2002 specifies "a landing designed to accommodate the largest commercial riverboats and facilities for passengers with luggage."

In an interview in 2005, Lendermon said the landing was needed because "the Delta Steamship Company is close to refusing to dock at Mud Island."

The RDC website says a modern docking facility is needed because "approximately 50 stops are made by three major vessels each year, and this does not include local excursion boats." It also says "the Delta Steamship Company has increased its dockings in Memphis by 40 percent. They are trying to build their market here in anticipation of the new docking facility."

Finally, the budget summary given to the council this week calls for "a docking facility for touring and excursion boats."

The next phase of Beale Street Landing will be bid May 27th. The project, which will add four acres to the park, is supposed to be completed in the spring of 2011. The full council still has to approve continued funding, but a halt to Beale Street Landing at this stage of the game seems unlikely.

2010 Proposed RDC CIP Budget. Click HERE.

RDC Hand-out to Council CIP Budget Committee on Beale Street Landing
Click on image to enlarge.

Squabbling Ends, Boat Ramp to Re-Open

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Sun, 17 May 2009 02:06:00 +0000

Good News: The boat ramp under the Auction Street Bridge will re-open for public use. Congressman Steve Cohen worked with the City and Coast Guard to structure the deal:

* Boat ramp is federally owned.
* City leases the property for 20 years for $10.
* Cost Guard has right to control parking, limit access during heightened security, and is released from liabilities associated with public use of the boat ramp.

Happy Boating, and thanks Congressman Cohen!!

Cobblestone Landing "Restoration" - Letters to RDC & Corps of Engineers

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Sat, 16 May 2009 19:32:00 +0000

FfOR wrote to:
1) the RDC in April 2008 requesting discussion of the proposed Cobblestone Landing project
2) the Corps of Engineers in May 2009 requesting a public hearing on the project.
We have not yet received responses. Several people have asked for more information about those letters, so we have posted their text here for you to read.

_________________________________

April 21, 2008

Mr. John Conroy
Riverfront Development Corporation
22 N. Front Street, Suite
Memphis, TN 38103

Dear John,

Thank you for the invitation to discuss the preliminary concept design plan for the Cobblestone Landing on February 14. We also appreciate your providing printed copies of the power point presentation and have carefully reviewed it along with the December 1995 Garrow Cultural CRM Plan, Part 2 in which you participated.

As you know, Friends for Our Riverfront (FfOR) supports the goal of stabilization, restoration, and increased public use of the Cobblestone Landing. It is both the city’s historic and current riverboat landing and one of our most significant landmarks. Its location in the center of the waterfront’s lower level and adjacent to the historic core of downtown, makes the restoration and continued use of this area a key component in revitalizing the waterfront and downtown.

FfOR does not believe the currently proposed concept plan presents solutions and designs that will accomplish our mutual goal. The plan instead changes the use of the cobblestones by shoring the water’s edge in such a way as to prevent future use by boats, preventing vehicular access, relocating the Memphis Queen Lines, and proposing construction of Ron Terry Plaza on a section of the Cobblestones, all of which will have a cumulative adverse impact on the site.

We are glad that this plan is just in the preliminary phase and would very much like to work with you to formulate a concept design plan that will achieve the end goal of a restored landing and an active waterfront. We hope that the following comments can move us in that direction and would like to have the opportunity to meet with you and discuss them.

1) Working dock. The Cobblestone Landing has been in continuous use since the mid-1800s and should continue to be a working dock. The preliminary concept plan, however, makes no provision for continued boat use of the area. This is contrary to all recommendations and promises by the City since 1987 and will have an adverse effect on the Memphis Queen Riverboat, which is an historic property individually listed on the National Register and which has been docked there since the late 1940s. Design issues such as the addition and width of sidewalks, whether to include stepped areas at the base of the Cobblestones, etc. should be secondary to making sure the restored Cobblestone Landing accommodates boat use.

2) Stabilization of Landing. Stabilization and protection from further erosion is imperative. According to the Garrow Report cobblestones in this area originally extended to –3 on the river gauge. Restoration to +10 or +12 feet should be possible. An adequate vertical toe-wall should be constructed below this point to stabilize the western edge and prevent further erosion. The slope at the base of the Cobblestones should be consistent with that above water, and the material used should not negatively effect or prevent boat use of the area. Erosion resulting from water run-off along Riverside Drive also should be addressed. The wall was not correctly designed and is causing harm to the resource.

3)Materials. Historic cobbles should be re-laid whenever possible and every effort made to collect them from the harbor and city storage facilities. Any new material necessary for repair and in-fill to damaged sections of the landing should be natural limestone, not concrete, and should be clearly identifiable as added at this point in time.

4) Pedestrian Access. Once restored, the cobblestones should be at a consistent slope to encourage use of the area. If additional walkways are necessary they should be added above grade and the use of wood should be considered first. As a National Register listed structure, ADA accessibility can be modified and should be at the North and South ends of the Landing. A wooden floating dock should be provided for boats and for access to the boats. Temporary wooden platforms could be considered as gathering points.

5) Plaza. The design for Ron Terry Plaza should be reconsidered in light of the space already lost on the Cobblestone Landing (Garrow Report, page 17, item 6). The Plaza design, its bulk and height, are also inconsistent with the horizontality of the landing.

6) Vehicles. Beginning with mule drawn carts, vehicular access is historically accurate and should be allowed. It is a negative effect to turn the area into a barren rockscape. A lack of maintenance and erosion has harmed the resource, not vehicles.

7) Utilities. Decisions about appropriate lighting, the location of utilities, etc. should be carefully considered in terms of historicity and attractiveness.

8) Maintenance. On-going low-tech maintenance such as river water to clean the cobblestones after flooding should be planned and budgeted. Note the recommendation of weekly cleaning when the river is falling (Garrow Report, p.23). Removal of silt will lessen the amount of unwanted vegetation on the cobblestones.

9) Consultation. The Landing is one of our city’s oldest significant public spaces, and the public, especially riverfront users, should be involved in the actual formation of a concept upon which a design is based. A qualified architectural historian should also be involved in the process.

10) Landmark status. The historic structure/landscape is already listed on the National Register. As the last remaining intact wharf on the Mississippi River, its nomination for an upgrade to a National Historic Landmark designation, similar to Beale Street National Historic Landmark, should be pursued.

Thank you for your consideration, John. Please let me know when there is a convenient time for you to meet and discuss these comments in more detail.

Sincerely,

Virginia McLean
President, Friends for Our Riverfront

____________________________________

May 6, 2009

Mr. Mitch Elcan
U. S. Army Corps of Engineers
167 N. Main Street, Room B-202
Memphis, TN 38103-1894

Re: Public Notice No: MVM-2009-093(jme)

Dear Mr. Elcan,

I am writing on behalf of Friends for Our Riverfront (FFOR), a 501(c)(3) organization, to request a public hearing on a permit request by the Riverfront Development Corporation (RDC) for a project misleadingly described as a “restoration” of the Memphis Cobblestone Landing.

FfOR supports the goal of preservation, restoration, and increased public use of the Cobblestone Landing. Used by Indians, French, Spanish, British, and early Americans, the river landing at Memphis was paved with cobblestones beginning in the 1850s. It has been in continuous use as a public boat landing for more than 150 years and is eligible to be a National Historic Landmark. Its location, in the center of the waterfront’s lower level and adjacent to the historic core of downtown, makes the restoration and continued use of this area a key component in revitalizing the waterfront and downtown.

Any changes to the landing must be consistent with its continued use as a public landing and its future as a National Historic Landmark.

Although the RDC project description defines the project as “restoration of Historic Cobblestone Landing,” as currently designed the project will use federal transportation funds to destroy the landing as a navigable site. Altering the landing’s slope and using riprap, a sidewalk, and steps to stabilize the bank not only ignores changing water levels but will negate future docking of watercraft. See, United States v. Schmitt, 999 F.Supp. 317, 370 (E.D.N .Y. 1998), aff’d 28 Fed.Appx. 63 (2nd Cir. 2002), holding that riprap constituted an obstruction to navigation in violation of the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899, 33 U.S.C. 403.

There are also serious concerns about the project’s negative impact of adding east-west sidewalks and its failure to plan for sustainable maintenance and corrections to current stormwater run-off problems necessary to improve water quality.

Currently listed on the National Register as part of the Cotton Row Historic District, any proposed alterations are subject to 4(f) review and are subject to the Rivers and Harbors Appropriation Act of 1899, the Clean Water Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. A full Environmental Impact Statement is demanded before any permit is issued.

In 1995, as a result of the disturbance of the cobblestones without required federal permits, the City of Memphis, the Memphis District of the U. S. Corps of Engineers, the Tennessee State Historic Preservation Officer, and the national Advisory Council on Historic Preservation signed a Memorandum of Agreement. In it the City committed to prepare an assessment of the landing as a historic resource and “a preservation plan as a guide for the continued viability of the site.” The subsequent “Cultural Resource Assessment and Preservation Plan of January 1966” described the Cobblestone Landing as “perhaps the one historic resource in Memphis that best exemplifies the scope of the City’s history.” Since then the condition of the Cobblestone Landing has continued to be neglected and allowed to deteriorate by the City and by the RDC under contract with the City.

There has been no open public review of this project, and the views of the public should be essential to informed Federal decision making.

Because of the obvious adverse impact the current RDC proposal will have on the continued use of this historic site as a landing, FfOR urges the Corps of Engineers to open the process and receive public comment and input to develop an alternative design that will respect and preserve the use and historic significance of the Cobblestone Landing.

Sincerely,

Virginia McLean
President, Friends for Our Riverfront

cc: Gary Fottrell, Federal Highways Administration, TN Division
Gerald F. Nicely, TN Dept. of Transportation
Jim Fyke, TN Dept. of Environment and Conservation
Patrick McIntyre, TN Historical Commission
Dick Tune, TN State Historic Preservation Officer
Dan Brown, TN Preservation Trust
John Eddins, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

Mud Island River Park - 2nd stage of meetings on a plan

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Mon, 11 May 2009 14:24:00 +0000

The 2nd round of public meetings to determine a plan for the future of Mud Island River Park:

* Tues. (5/12), 5:45 pm, Memphis Botanic Garden (750 Cherry)
* Thurs. (5/14), 5:45 pm, Harbor Landing in Mud Island River Park

Click HERE for Commercial Appeal article and comments.

The initial 4 public meetings were in March: Mud Island/attendance 125, North Memphis/attendance 8, South Memphis/attendance 8, Memphis Botanic Garden/attendance 125. Comments from meetings and online survey were combined into a report.
Click HERE for the report.

Quick!! REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING on the Cobblestone Landing project

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:42:00 +0000

The cobblestone landing in Memphis has functioned continuously as a free and public landing for 150 years, and it's currently eligible to be a National Historic Landmark. The current plans by the Riverfront Development Corporation involve changes that will end all of this.

The RDC plan has a poor engineering design that fails in its primary purpose: to extend the life and use of the cobblestone landing. The proposal that is on the table will not only end the landing's eligibility as a National Historic Landmark, it will end its use as a landing, period.

The design is far along (95% complete), but it shouldn't move one step forward before hearing from the people it is supposed to serve.

WE ARE REQUESTING A PUBLIC HEARING.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:
By May 6, send an email to JAMES.M.ELCAN@usace.army.mil
(he is with the Corps of Engineers) to let him know that The Cobblestone Landing is an important place, that it matters what happens to it, and that plans to change it should recognize and extend its purpose... a free and public landing.

If we can stop this, we have a chance to revise the plan to allow the use of the cobblestones as a landing for another 150 years.

Click below for a sample e-mail and to see the public notice.

Sample email below. Amend to reflect your view. Please note: you must include the public notice number [Public Notice No.: MVM-2009-093(jme)], your name and address, and an indication that your email is to be considered equal to your signature.
__________________________
REQUEST FOR PUBLIC HEARING [Public Notice No.: MVM-2009-093(jme)]

ATTN: Mitch Elcan, US Army Corps of Engineers, 167 N. Main Street, Room B-202, Memphis, TN 38103-1894

The Cobblestone Landing at Memphis, Tennessee is important.

For 150 years, it has been in continuous use as a free and public boat landing and it is eligible to be a National Historic Landmark.
Maintenance and changes to the landing should insure its continued use as a free and public landing and ensure its future as a National Historic Landmark.
Maintenance and changes to the landing should improve water quality. A FULL environmental impact statement is requested.

NAME: __________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________

I REQUEST A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS PROJECT.

SIGNATURE :_____________________________________
Please accept this e-mail as equal to my signature.
__________________________________________________________

Public Notice Corps of Engineers

REPLY TO ATTN: Mitch Elcan
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 167 North Main Street, Room B-202 Memphis, Tennessee 38103-1894 Telephone: (901) 544-0737 Fax (901) 544-0211 EMail:James.M.Elcan@usace.army.mil

PUBLIC NOTICE NO: MVM-2009-093(jme)
PUBLIC NOTICE DATE: April 6, 2009
EXPIRATION DATE: May 6,2009

AUTHORITY: Pursuant to 33 CFR 325, as published in the Federal Register dated November 13, 1986, this notice announces an application submitted for aDepartment of the Army permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899.

APPLICANT: Mr. John Conroy AGENT: Mr. Robert Kurtz
Riverfront Development Corporation Tetra Tech, Inc.
22 North Front Street, Suite 960
65 Union Avenue, Suite 300
Memphis, Tennessee 38103 Memphis, Tennessee 38103
(901) 312-9190 (901) 523-9500

LOCATION: The project is located on the east side of Wolf River Harbor, west of Riverside Drive, north of Beal Street Landing and south of Jefferson Davis Park in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee at approximate latitude 35.14472° and longitude -90.05639° on the USGS Northwest Memphis, Tennessee
7.5 minute quadrangle map.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the project is to restore the historic Memphis Cobblestone Landing, providing for long term preservation, improved public access and to add interpretive enhancement.

DESCRIPTION OF WORK: The applicant proposes to protect and improve the Memphis Cobblestone Landing by stabilizing the bank at the base of the cobblestones, repairing the cobblestone field, adding walkways and staircases to enhance public access and removing above ground utilities. Bank stabilization is needed to protect the cobblestones from future damage caused by wave action and dredging in the Wolf River Harbor, which has led to slippage of the cobblestones into the harbor.
Repairs will be accomplished by removing extraneous concrete and asphalt that has been placed over cobblestones; removing silt; filling in large depressions and eroded areas in the cobblestone field; adding runoff and erosion control features; and repairing and restoring cultural features such as mooring rings and the river gage.
Pedestrian access will be improved by adding stairs and walkways that extend from the top of the cobblestone field to its bottom and along the western edge. The walkway along the western edge will provide an accessible path from Jefferson Davis Park on the north all the way to the new Beal Street Landing. Additionally, above ground utilities will be removed and replaced with underground systems and interpretive signage will be added to educate the public to the historical significance of the area.
To accomplish this, approximately 14,800 cubic yards of sand and silt material will be hydrology dredged from below ordinary high water along the length of the project (approximately 2,200 linear feet). This material will be discharged via a floating pipe downstream of the Wolf River Harbor into the Mississippi River. Approximately 8,650 cubic yards of clean earthen fill will then be placed to stabilize the slope. The proposed north-south walk to be constructed along the western edge of the Memphis Cobblestone Landing will be astructural concrete slab with supporting foundation. To stabilize the edge of the cobblestone field, the foundation wall will be installed along the top of the bank and extend down to geo-technically stable soil. This sidewalk will frame the cobblestones to the east and prevent the soil from degrading, stopping the cobbles from being carried into the Wolf River Harbor. To the west of the foundation wall and walk section, riprap will be notched into the bank's 3:1 slope to protect the bank from washout associated with continued riverboat operations and erosion. The overall quantity of riprap being placed is approximately 7,700 cubic yards.

WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION: The applicant should contact the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Water Pollution Control (TDEC) at (615) 532-0713 or TDEC, 7th Floor L. & C. Annex Building, 401 Church Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37243-1534 and request water quality certification. This certification or evidence of this water quality certification or waiver of the right to certify must be submitted prior to issuance of a Corps of Engineers permit. The Department will consider all relative comments in the decision to grant or deny water quality certification for the proposed activity. The Corps of Engineers' evaluation of the impact of the activity on the public interest will include application of the guidelines promUlgated by the Administrator, EPA, under authority of Section 404(b) of the Clean Water Act.

ENDANGERED SPECIES: No endangered or threatened species, or their critical habitat, are known to exist in the project area. This application is being coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Any comments they may have regarding endangered or threatened wildlife or plants, or their critical habitat, will be considered in our evaluation of the described work.

CULTURAL RESOURCES: The Memphis District will evaluate information provided by the State Historic Preservation Office, Federally-recognized Tribes, and the public in response to this public notice and we may conduct, or require a survey of the project area. A preliminary in-house records search indicated that the cobble-stone landing is part of the Cotton Row Historic District.

FLOOD PLAIN: In accordance with 44 CFR Part 60 (Flood Plain Management and Use), participating communities are required to review all proposed development to determine if a flood plain development permit is required. Flood plain administrators should review the proposed public notice and apprise this office of any flood plain development permit requirements.

PUBLIC INTEREST REVIEW: The purpose of this public notice is to advise all interested parties of the activities for which a permit is sought and to solicit comments and information necessary to evaluate the probable impact on the public interest.
The decision whether to issue a permit will be based on an evaluation of the probable impact including cumulative impacts of the activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concem for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefits which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the project must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the project will be considered, including the cumulative effects thereof; among those are conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands historic properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership, and in general, the needs and welfare of the people.
The Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the pUblic; Federal, state, and local agencies and officials; Federally-recognized Tribes; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps of Engineers to determine whether to issue, modify, condition or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity.

PUBLIC HEARING: Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice that a public hearing be held to consider this application. Requests for a public hearing shall state, with particularity, the reason for holding a public hearing. The District Engineer will determine if the issues raised are substantial and whether a hearing is needed for making a decision.

COMMENTS OR REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: If you wish to obtain additional information or to submit comments on the application, please contact Mitch Elcan at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 167 North Main Street, Room B-202, Memphis, Tennessee 38103-1894, telephone (901) 544-0737. Copies of all comments, including the names and address of commenters, may be provided to the applicant for consideration and response prior to a decision by the Corps.
Comments should be received by May 6, 2009.

Larry D. Watson
Chief Regulatory Branch

Q: Who's Got a Cobblestone Landing Besides Memphis?

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:10:00 +0000

A: Nobody in the U.S.A. has an authentic, usable waterfront or riverfront cobblestone landing anymore except Memphis.

"It is the last remaining stone-paved landing on interior waterways. There used to be others, especially at St. Louis and Cincinnati‚ but those have been destroyed," says archaeologist Guy Weaver.

When the shore at the foot of the bluffs was paved with cobblestones back in the 1800s, Memphis became a center of commerce. This is one reason FfOR and other civic groups ardently promote preservation of Memphis Cobblestone Landing and restoring its usability for boating and enjoyment for everybody, locals and visitors.

"The cobblestones are one of the most significant historic sites in this area," says Guy Weaver. Actually, Americans (and other nationals) spend thousands of dollars each year to visit European and South American cities that preserve their sites' cobblestones. Think about it!

Click HERE to learn more about the Cobblestone Landing at Weaver & Associates.

Q: How Long Did It Take to Lay The Cobblestones at Memphis?

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:07:00 +0000

A: Start-to-finish, the cobblestone paving took about 22 years. The
first paving project was 1859-1881; the final phase was 1879-1881.
The stones were shipped on riverboats to Memphis from about 7
locations with quarries that had stone best suited for the purpose.
These carefully selected stones have lasted 150 years in good
condition.

So, what is the problem with the stones? No problem at all with the stones themselves. Problem is a lack of maintenance and dredging too close to the base of the landing. Those are fixable. Sand and soil, not mortar hold them in place, creating a permeable and sustainable riverfront landing.

Q: Who Laid Our Original Cobblestones?

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 06:06:00 +0000

A: Irish and German immigrants, who had masonry skills and previous experience in cobblestone paving. Contractor Joseph Loudon was in charge of laying the Memphis Cobblestone Landing.

This Place Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 05:59:00 +0000

Full of memories and in continuous operation for 150 years, the Memphis Cobblestone Landing is eligible to become a National Historic Landmark.

Join the Fun - Outdoors Inc. Canoe & Kayak Race

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:49:00 +0000

Paddle or just join the celebration. Voted "Best Race in America" by Paddler Magazine.

Date: Sat. May 2
Check-in: 7am at north end of Greenbelt Park on Mud Island; registration deadline Fri. 6 pm.
Finish line & Celebration: Jefferson Davis Park on the Memphis Riverfront.

Dick Hackett, Cybill Shepherd(twice), Olympic paddlers, and the rest of us who dust off cobwebs and drag boats out of garages have raced. It's the largest canoe & kayak race in the southeast United States!

For more information, click HERE.

200 Memphians Answer Ol' Man River's Call

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 04:18:00 +0000

A beautiful bank of green flags waving in the morning breeze
greeted volunteers on Saturday April 25 for Riverfront Harbor Cleanup!

Sponsored by Mississippi River Corridor - TN
Partners: Friends for Our Riverfront, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,Clean Memphis, Sierra Club, Riverfront Development Corp. and Comcast Cares

Click HERE to read Commercial Appeal coverage.

Join us on our Facebook page

noreply@blogger.com (Virginia) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 06:20:00 +0000

Log in and then go to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=56776021320#/group.php?gid=567760213 to join. Invite your friends, too!