Sutton Place Preservationists Sue To Block Esplanade Expansion

SUTTON PLACE, NY — A preservation group made up of residents of the Sutton Place neighborhood — a quaint residential area between Midtown and the Upper East Side on the East River — is suing the city to block the construction of a new section of the East River Esplanade in the neighborhood.

The Cannon Point Preservation Corporation argues that the city made an "arbitrary, capricious, and irrational" decision when agencies voted to approve the construction of a pedestrian and cyclist bridge that would link a yet-to-be-built section of the East River Esplanade to Sutton Place at East 54th Street over the FDR Drive. The bridge will occupy about 25 percent of the current Clara Coffey Park and limit the green space's access to sunlight, the group says.

Clara Coffey Park is one of the few green spaces that is ADA-accessible in Sutton Place, which is located in the community district with the least amount of parkland in Manhattan, the preservation group claims. Residents are also unhappy with the bridge because it will bring an influx of people using the East River Esplanade into the quiet neighborhood.

"There is going to be a significant environmental impact, bringing a huge influx of bikes, scooters and other wheeled devices to a quiet area. Indeed, the bridge will transform a beloved public park into the southern terminus of the Esplanade's East Midtown portion," Cannon Point chairman James Donovan said in a statement.

The city Public Design Commission — named in the lawsuit as a defendant — ruled that the planned bridge and esplanade expansion would have "no adverse effects" on the neighborhood. Other defendants named in the lawsuit include: Mayor Bill de Blasio, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the city Department of Transportation and Parks Department and several leaders from those agencies.

A spokesman from the city Law Department told Patch that the city is confident that the plan will be upheld during the legal challenge.

"We stand behind the review and approvals for this important project. We’ll respond in the litigation as the case proceeds," Law Department spokesman Nick Paolucci said in a statement.

New York City has a goal of constructing a 32.5-mile greenway that will span the entirety of the Manhattan waterfront. Many sections of greenway on the East and Hudson rivers already exist, but the city recently committed $250 million to close gaps on the East River.

Part of that commitment includes $100 million to fill in a gap known as the East Midtown Greenway that stretches from East 53rd to 61st streets. Construction is expected to begin in 2019 and be complete by 2022, according to city officials.

The greenway will eventually link to a section that spans East 41st Street to East 53rd Street. The city is currently soliciting design and construction bids for the section, but the Cannon Point Preservation Corporation argues the span is "unlikely" to be built because the land is controlled by the United Nations.