Somehow, Park Development Becomes Blood Sport
Lawsuits, recriminations accompany a boom age for outdoor space
Expanding parks is not supposed to be this difficult.
“This is the worst situation I’ve ever encountered in terms of [dealings with] the community,” said Carol Greitzer, a former councilwoman from the West Village who helped start a group called 250+ Friends of New York Parks. It opposes many of the Bloomberg administration’s park plans. “They come up with a plan. Maybe—maybe—if you’re lucky, you can tweak it slightly, but that’s about all you can do.”
The examples of such contention over fresh parkland are myriad as of late, raising questions of government priority and private sector meddling over a basic concept that ordinarily isn’t so controversial—who, after all, is against more parks?
In Union Square Park, opponents have so far succeeded in halting construction, with a lawsuit, of a possible seasonal restaurant. The concept of a park-based restaurant in an area lined by them has frustrated some in the community, as the idea is being pushed by the area’s business-improvement district.
Lawsuits or political opposition have also hobbled plans for new ball fields on Randall’s Island; a redo of Washington Square Park; and the future of a key pier in Hudson River Park, with opponents of the projects complaining that the city’s decisions lack meaningful public input.
Much of the contention springs from public-private partnerships undertaken by the Bloomberg administration to develop or to change the parks. The administration has countered that such partnerships often spur the very changes that would otherwise never occur.
Still, the distrust and the anger mounts.
“There’s more trouble now with the community groups in this last four years than there was before,” said Henry Stern, the former city parks commissioner under Mayors Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani. “There is a pattern of resistance.”
THE INCREASED RESISTENCE stems in part from the sheer number of projects the city has undertaken, particularly with the environmental PlaNYC initiative announced last year.
The Parks and Recreation Department, led by Commissioner Adrian Benepe, is working on dozens of creations and expansions around the city, spanning from a new, 2,200-acre Fresh Kills Park in Staten Island to creating a parkland-lined shore along the Williamsburg and Greenpoint waterfronts. Next Page >
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I simply don't understand why people view these "improvements" as a good thing? It's not. Union Square will lose 14 mature trees from this. What doesn't make any sense at all is that they want to triple the space of playgrounds from 5000 Square feet to 15,000. That means more tree cut down. The promise of more new trees? Where? It's all been concrete down by bathrooms and playgrounds. Where the hell would more tree's fit? It's rather foolish to think you can cut down 14 tree just to add more. Bloomberg is a liar. Was a liar from the start. This is why independants never make it to president. Because you'll never know what you're going to get. He was never a true republican. Republicans don't support illegals and nor do republicans change for the "better of the public", there is always a catch. New York has always been a liberating state! I am just supprized they didn't build affordable housing on top of the park. The one thing we as individuals have a right to which is now taken away by those savages... The right to public land. It just doesn't make sense how all this is deemed a better improivement?!. Look at what happened to the two parks near the Yankee Stadium? Destroyed to build a smaller stadium at a higher price. Their excuse? Cost efficiency. They said it would save the people money if they build a stadium from the ground up instead of making the current one handicap accessible. That is a lame excuse to fool minorities! What I am glad for is that now they must destroy the old stadium in place for the new larger park! Justice served! I am happy the people of that comunity have fought! Now if New York as an entire state could be head strong... We the people would be victorious!