The process continues
The city granted the partnership a concession to build the new fields. The park concessions are private uses of public resources and include everything from the pretzel stand guy to a golf course.
The ball fields project went through the Franchise and Concession Review Committee (FCRC) process. On Valentine’s Day in 2007, the five committee members approved the plan. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer was the only one who voted against it.
If the project were a major concession, it would have gone through ULURP. This process would have required hearings and a vote before the city council, as well as an assessment of its environmental impacts. “When something goes through the FCRC, it circumvents that entire process and there is no community input,” Washington said.
In February, Judge Shirley Kornreich vacated the FCRC agreement. A hearing to determine when residents first became aware of the vote and the issues at stake began on March 5, 2008 and will continue on April 10.
Meanwhile, construction continues. Mounds of dirt cover existing ball fields and new fences block off sections of the island. “Literally hundreds of trees have been destroyed,” said Croft. The only residents around to complain are those in the homeless shelters and the psychiatric hospital.
Funding parks:
“Everyone says they love parks, but no one wants to fund them,” Croft said, adding that the city does not host a ribbon cutting when it hires a new gardener.
Though sometimes controversial, private dollars help to offset the decline in parks maintenance funding. In 1960, the city allocated 1.4 percent of its budget to park operations, and by 2006, the amount was down to less than 0.5 percent. In his preliminary 2009 budget, Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed cutting the Parks and Recreation budget from $285 million to $272 million. For parks advocates like Croft, the private deals for public space underscore the lack of attention to parks.
Combining the decreased funding with signs of a recession, the Foundation sought another strategy, “getting more private dollars that would stimulate the city because they were getting essentially more bang for the buck,” said Davis.
Reading over the proposal and the maintenance plan, Croft said, “It’s the way parks ought to be done.” Out of the city's 614 ball fields, not a single one has a crew to maintain it, he said.
The court is expected to rule on whether or not the construction requires an Environmental Impact Study. As the litigation continues, a plan to add a 20-court tennis center on the island is also in development.
Meanwhile, the complexity of managing public space increases, but “I can tell you that seven-year-old kids do not apply for baseball permits,” said Croft.
1 | 2 | 3 |
