Tuesday, June 07, 2005

In Canada, "Ground Zed"

Sent: Sunday, June 05, 2005 6:07 PM Subject: 2 Columbus Circle Hello! I have worked in NYC archaeology for a number of years, my former Mount Sinai Harbor, NY field-school aide Sherene Baugher, Ph.D. was NYC's first Landmarks Preservation Commission Archaeologist! I have worked on a number of sites (finding the 1730's ship hulk at 175 Water Street in winter, working a number of times in City Hall Park, last time investigating the Almshouse burial ground there, the restoration there had some design changes, the water fountain moved to preserve two of the city's ancestors buried together, various investigations on Staten Island and the other boroughs. I have also worked on the research in the Bowery and at 250 Water Street, the historic Seaport District, a parking lot currently that has been the site of many political fights between the needs of the landowner (Milstein) and the needs of NYC, the water tunnel can come up either there or at One Police Plaza. Did you know that the City of New York was built around Columbus Circle as "0,0" for all the surveys for new buildings in the 19th and 20th century? All directions at that "ground zero" were measured in positive feet from there, plus feet North, East, West, South. I discovered it, creating a mapping survey for Riverdale Park and Wave Hill's tree locations in the Bronx, NY. I think if the Landmarks Preservation Commission cannot abide by "due process" by giving the 2 Columbus Circle building a hearing, at the very least, the Commission is creating a dangerous precedent, as it, in my opinion, already has, by posting the name of the developer (Avalon, Inc.) on it's own web-site about Bowery development, (on the site of three cemeteries I and a colleague investigated for Parsons Inc. which still needs to be addressed, never provided a copy of the submitted work) and the citizenry should be worried if they too, are being given a "bum's rush". The US Constitution states that every case over $20 can be heard in a jury trial, and a building near the former "mathematical" center of our city should at least be granted a hearing. Sincerely, George J. Myers, Jr. BA Anthropology

No comments:

Post a Comment