Letter to the Editor: Opponents of Pier 6 — What is your ‘real bone of contention?’
On July 9, I attended a presentation of the latest projections of revenue, maintenance and operations (M&O) costs and reserves by the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation.
Among the attendees were persons who, according to previous press reports, have consistently called into question — and continue to do so — detailed estimates and demand still more “background data” and now even information on former and current preservation techniques used to keep the piers’ wood pilings in good repair and their respective costs. Judging from relentlessly questioning the veracity of estimates presented, the critics seem to suspect that the figures are “cooked” to justify Pier 6 development, which their own experts consider superfluous.
Sorely lacking from the opponents’ playbook is the historical memory and perspective of the many community leaders and groups and a large number of anonymous individuals who labored for decades to make this park a reality, and the acceptance that compromise is necessary to transform any idealized vision into reality.