Lou Reed Trashes Bloomberg Over Sanitation Garage

Mayor Bloomberg has an unlikely opponent for his plans to build a sanitation garage in SoHo. Lou Reed has now taken his soapbox (previously stationed over at New York magazine) to the people's network: NY1. They report, "The rock star and his musician wife, Laurie Anderson, are among those suing the city over the plan that would build a garage, maintenance facility and salt shed on the corner of Washington and Spring Streets." Reed showed up at the network's studios last night and declared, "Why would anybody in their right mind want to do something so ugly, so irresponsible, so disgusting other than Bloomberg and real estate people, and slither this thing through without anyone having a chance to say about it because no one knew anything about it. You can't keep track of every last thing these thieves do. But having said that, to store that much salt over water, over the apex of two parks is beyond irresponsible and these people ought to be jailed." Fair enough. But one has to wonder if Reed would use his fame power if the facility were further away from his penthouse.

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By Jen Carlson in News on March 20, 2009 3:10 PM

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Best Woodworking Plans

You rich NIMBY Bastard.

rlhbomb

Take a walk on the wild side Lou...

The city governments job is not ensure your property values continue to go up. This facility is being built to fulfill a need. It HAS to be built somewhere.

Boo Hoo Lou.....

ides_of_march

Lou is just bitter because every time a sanitation crew sees him in the street they try to toss him in the back of the truck. Honest mistake.

inoyourider

FYI NY1 is NOT a network. Its a cable channel.

banjoandro

Was Lou protesting when they put in the transfer station up in Harlem?

Cry me a river Lou.

books

how many waste transfer and sewage plants are in greenpoint, brooklyn to support Manhattan already? Manhattan should have its fair share of unwanted infrastructure. Its not brooklyn residents job to shoulder all these burdens for manhattan. incredibly This is one thing I agree with bloomberg with. Lou Reed can't have it all.

RedWhiteandBrooklyn

"if the facility were further away from his penthouse."

"Farther", damn it. FARTHER!!!!

GOP

I don't know why there's so much Bloomberg hate. Rudy cleaned up the city and Bloomberg enhanced it even more. You don't become a $16 billionaire by making bad decisions. He tries things out. If they work, great. If they don't work, he shuts them down. That's what's so great about Mayor Mike.

REALITY CHECK

It pains me that people waited this long to dislike Bloomberg. When I went to City Hall, I didn't see Lou Reed anywhere during the two days of public hearings against term limits extensions, where Reed's fame and influence could've actually made more of a dent. Reed didn't make a squeak about the mayor's transgressions when Bloomberg was running against Ferrer, you know, back when it would've really made a difference. Reed only woke up when the something affected his own neighborhood. He's a great musician and I agree with him on this issue, but for godsakes this looks awfully selfish (or naïve) as we approach nearly 8 years of Bloomberg. Too little, too late.

springster

This garbage facility would be the largest (3 districts consolidated into one building that is 120' H) and the most expensive (1/2 billion dollars) in the city's history. Furthermore, by consolidating three districts into one, the DSNY (and the City) runs roughshod over the Fair Share laws. As for stupid, repetitive "NIMBY" accusations, the facts are that the community, which includes, but isn't limited to Lou Reed, will not only accept but embrace a right-sized facility -- in fact, the community's alternative plan proposes to site TWO districts in this location.

The DSNY plan currently proposes a "green roof" that is 120' above the street with no public access! The community would like to know why the accessible greenspace that was designed into the West 30th Street parcel (which has been given to Joe Rose and Related) hasn't been similarly incorporated into this facility -- this profound oversight despite the fact that CB2 has the second lowest ratio of greenspace per person in the entire city. Talk about the Bronx, talk about East New York...but this part of Manhattan has been trashed for 150 years, and but for the artists, it would nothing but hookers and rats.

The community has been screaming its head off for two years but the only way we could get anyone to pay attention was for celebrities like Lou Reed, who would rather maintain some vestige of privacy where their homes are concerned, to give that up to save the 'hood.

Lou Reed and the entire community objects to this facility because the salt shed poses profound risk to area plantings (not the least of which is the sacrosanct Hudson River Park across the highway but virtually inaccessible for Hudson Square residents); because it is a shameless waste of the City's tax dollars during a time of great need; because it will destroy the lower west side for at least 75 years -- and yes, because it will destroy property values for people who trusted their government to mean it when they rezoned. Who doesn't want NOT to get screwed by the government, by the way?

Papercutninja

Just talk sing your arguments lou. Your arguments are overrated just like EVERYTHING ELSE YOU'VE EVER DONE.

uptownnyc

Bloomberg has also been trying to put one of these up on 91st Street just a few blocks from Gracie Mansion that the community has been actively fighting. The road the the garbage trucks would use to deliver the trash to the facility bisects Asphalt Green ... the turf athletic facility. Nothing quite like playing a nice game of soccer while inhaling garbage truck fumes and garbage-juice smell.

Info: http://www.graciepointcc.org/issue.html

whitecastlerock

Lou Reed is such a fucking bore-although I do love that he hates Bloomberg

thefacts

#7 Get a hold of yourself and read up on issues first before you rant.

Every sanitation district gets one such facility for their own garbage. Fair enough. This site is handling the facilities for THREE districts, as far north as midtown and as far south as the Battery. Additionally, there is a Sanitation waste-transfer station less than a mile away.

Bloomberg's neighbor's didn't even want a single Sanitation facility for their OWN garbage.

That is not a fair share. It is not NIMBY. Maybe you welcome taking other people's shit. Lou Reed doesn't.

That's why he's Lou Reed, and you are .... who?

virgilstarkwell

nimby douche.

Rocknrope

Ever since he walked out on Terry Gross' Fresh Air interview, I figured him to be a prima donna a-hole.

La Leone

Go Lou Reed! I love that he's calling for jail time for Bloomberg. He really needs to get behind Rev. Billy, along w/Christopher Brodeur, and at least EDUCATE people as to the illegal, covert, real estate-crazed agenda of Team Bloomberg.