156 CONFERENCE ON NATURAL BEAUTY 



mentation. Here recreational programs could join hands with his- 

 toric preservation, saving for posterity the Chelsea Piers built for 

 Mayor McClellan by the noted architect, Whitney Warren. 



A combination of technical know-how and local-to-State govern- 

 ment strategy is necessary to renovate our waterfronts. The inertia 

 of years and of obsolete institutions must be overcome. Further, the 

 existence of rotting piers and abandoned ferry slips has encouraged 

 inappropriate commercial enterprise to fill land and even to make 

 new islands in historic harbors. On these reclaimed areas (some 

 of them provided by Federal dredging operations) motel-marina 

 developments are promoted, with free public access banned. Some 

 of them are even braving existing conditions of pollution in order 

 to stake their claim. 



Not only new commercial facilities, but new industrial and public 

 utilities projects are underway on waterfront land. Many of these 

 are only there because public regulations have not been devised to 

 keep them away. For example, although oil is still brought in by 

 ship on much of our coastline, the new pipelines have made it un- 

 necessary for oil storage tanks to be located exclusively on the water- 

 front. Where it must be carried by ship, oil can be pumped inland 

 to more suitable locations in many areas. 



Similarly, long-term land contract agreements could insure the re- 

 moval of scrap metal yards on waterfront land ( a common present- 

 day use ) , with a view to future inland location or to coming advance 

 in technology demanding less space. We should not be thinking 

 of renovating our coasts in short-term measures. They are worth 

 considerable negotiation and trouble. 



Meanwhile, new highways are usurping the best waterfront sites, 

 much as the railroads did in the 1 9th century. A spectacular example 

 is the area of Harlem west of Broadway between 125th and 135th 

 Streets which is losing its view of the river with the addition of three 

 highway viaducts. 



Recommendations for various types of action occur below : 



1. To insure the urban waterfront becoming a cultural resource, 

 establish urban waterfront districts along the lines of the soil conserva- 

 tion districts, set up by the States and counties. These to be staffed 

 and funded from Washington, and to include in a planning staff an 

 architectural historian, a biologist, city planner, park planner, etc. 

 The districts would not replace port authorities, which are not 

 concerned with scenic character, but supplement their activities. It 



