[BCNnet] Northerly Island

Randi Doeker - Chicago rbdoeker at yahoo.com
Thu Feb 10 08:03:51 CST 2005


Some of you may have seen me on the news last night testifying on behalf of
the conservation coalition in support of the Park District's plan for a
temporary concert venue at Northerly Island.  And you were surprised.

 

I also know that there have been a lot of knee-jerk statements/emails that
birders should oppose the venue plan. Had you spoken at the park meeting,
you would have been shown arm-in-arm with the Friends of Miegs Field.  

 

The FOM spokespeople were already using those knee-jerk-nos to state that
the conservation groups now support their plan.  (As in: FOM opposes the
venue; the conservationists oppose the venue; we all support building an
airport.) (SERIOUSLY)

 

The conservation coalition (lead by Lake Michigan Federation and including
the BCN) supports the temporary use of the northern 6 acres to raise the
$800,000 that is needed to do the development work for a nature park.  I
thought it was going to be a 1-year plan but that was probably my
misunderstanding. (It's $500K for planning; $300K for general operations -
per year.)

 

Why this was such a big deal in the Sun-Times (and then the Tribune) is
because the Sun-Times reporters were embarrassed about not knowing about the
possibility. It was the Sun-Times music reporter that I talked to and he was
clearly trying to justify to his bosses why he had not been aware of the
battle between concert promoters to get the contract.

 

LMF is particularly irritated that the S-T reporters used their quotes to
try to create controversy with the park district where none exists.

 

One thing concerned birders keep missing is that there is a very vocal and
growing contingent that is gaining the clout to get the federal $ to build
an airport; they have the support they need in Congress.  If something
happens to Mayor Daley --and he is neither immortal nor invincible-- there
is absolutely no reason to believe his successor would not turn what is
there now....just wildflowers....back into an airport. It would be a literal
gift of $2mil to every Alderman for their ward.

 

It is extremely important to get FOM and their growing demand for an airport
out of the picture. Putting up something that generates revenue will do
that. (Friends of Meigs are hysterical [in all senses] in their opposition
to the concert venue.)

 

We can build a nature park while the concerts go on. They can't build an
airport without bulldozing over the entire area.

 

Throughout all of this, Park Superintendent Tim Mitchell and the President
of the Park Board, Maria Saldana, have repeated over and over and over that
they are planning a nature park for Northerly Island.

 

It costs almost $1,000,000 just to do the planning for a big park. (I don't
know why but that's the going rate these days.)  

 

The money has to be generated LOCALLY. That's another point that birders
don't get.

 

If the park district did something elsewhere -say Lincoln Park- then the
locals there would demand the profits for their local use.  Thus, the park
district has to do something on Northerly Island to keep the funds there.

 

Other options for revenue generating activities that will provide the
$800,000 in one season were never found.  

 

The problem with the night lights at the concert venue are no different than
the lights at the Millennium and Grant Park band shells, where nighttime
concerts happen for much larger crowds.  Concert goers who wander into the
park can be kept on the sidewalk.

 

More later on the plans to protect the nesting birds...from the birders who
have been known to tromp through the nesting fields. :>

 

Randi Doeker

Chicago

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Randi

 

 

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