Student and community activists who have stalled a controversial Cornell University parking lot construction plan for more than a year met yesterday with University officials. They told officials what they could expect if construction begins as scheduled next week.
Patrick Young, a member of the Redbud Woods Working Group told the Ithaca Journal, "We started off by saying that the tactics that we are using are tactics that have never been defeated when the police are using legal means.”
Opponents say the parking lot would do little to solve parking problems on campus while stripping the area of valuable and historic green space. The Student Assembly has passed several resolutions in opposition to the parking lot and nearly 300 faculty members to date have signed an online petition started by Redbud Woods Working Group.
Opponents also argue that the woods should be protected because Cornell's public commitment to sustainability and the historical value of the land. The working group further takes issue with Cornell's relationship with the community and the lack of a democratic process in the matter.
Young said that opponents were pushing for a moratorium on the project so that all sides could discuss the matter and work toward a mutually agreeable resolution.
In a written statement, University President Jeffrey Lehman, however, seemed to rule out a moratorium. The proposal is far from new, has been subject to many community outreach meetings and has "changed significantly over time" he wrote.
On Monday, chainsaw crews felled the first handful of trees, but work on the proposed parking lot was quickly stalled by protesters who locked themselves to trees in the small forested area known as Redbud Woods to prevent further clearing. Newsday reports, “One protester climbed 25 feet into the branches of a tree, while others took shifts camping on a platform installed in another tree. Other protesters locked themselves to reinforced concrete blocks buried in the ground nearby. Dozens of supporters milled around the woods or watched from a distance.” No further clearing has taken place since Monday.
Students and community members have worked together to oppose the project from the beginning. They say there are better alternatives to Cornell’s perceived parking problem, including underground parking or a parking garage.
The Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission denied Cornell a certificate of appropriateness to build a parking lot, citing that the project would irrevocably destroy the historical integrity of the site. The City of Ithaca took Cornell to court over the matter but lost.
Last April, students sat-in at Lehman’s office. That protest ended with numerous arrests. Some students were denied their diplomas until disciplinary hearings proceed at the University. One of those students who was not allowed to graduate, Danny Pearlstein told the Ithaca Times, "We sat in because we love Cornell and we don't want it to make an anti-democratic and unsustainable mistake. President Lehman refused all of our efforts to negotiate. His administration used excessive physical force against peaceful, nonviolent, passive Cornell students. We are being prosecuted on campus and in the community…This only strengthens us, our love for Redbud Woods and our desire to make Cornell more accountable to all of its citizens. We will only work harder to achieve our goals." Sources: Environmental Newsletter (Cornell University), WSTM-TV (NY), Ithaca Journal, Newsday, Ithaca Times
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