October 2014 Community Board 7 Parks and Recreation Meeting

Milenia Marias “Gypsy Queen” reporting from the Northwest Bronx

On Wednesday, October 29th, the Park and recreation meeting was held in Community Board 7 office at 229-A and 204th street at 6:30 am with committee chair Barbara Stronczer.

This meeting , open to the public , was attended by: Ms Patricia Ferguson Parks manager for community board 7 and 8, Parks activist Sirio Guerino, from Norwood against graffiti, Doug Condit, from Friends of the Williamsbridge Oval Park, Sheila Sanchez, from Friends of Mosholu Parkland, Anthony Rivieccio, community activist and Bill Francis, Velvet Ross and some other members for the committee.

The first point of the agenda was the status of the replacement of the benches in the Mosholu Parkway, Ms Ferguson explained that because of safety problem and repairs issues , this decision was made by two departments in Parks, and there was not any news about when these benches were going to be replaced. This brought all kind of complains from the people present,

“We have lost more than 40 benches and we are going to lose even more, what do we need to do for these people in parks to take responsibility?” Asked a very incensed Anthony Rivieccio.

On Mosholu Parkway there were 250 benches and we are lost around 100.

“We need them, our elderly need them”, commented Sirio Guerino. He also mentioned that the debris of these benches are still there and need to be removed, before someone has an accident. Ms Ferguson explained that as far as she was told, the best thing was to ask Councilman Cohen to help to replace them, and we need to move forward to make this happen, that she will made sure the truck pick up the debris left behind because the garbage truck can’t pick it up and that she understands the need of the benches but does not have answers from her supervisors yet.

The second point was the maintenance of the Farmer’s market at Jerome and Mosholu Parkway North, The Jerome BID and Parks are trying to keep the area clean, but the person who comes every day with a little cart left the place in disarray, Parks is following all the venues to make sure is leave it clean. Mr. Francis requested to not take away the Farmers’ market and Ms Ferguson assured that removing the permit was the last choice, and she will not do it unless this person doesn’t change his ways.

Another discussion was St James Park and the soccer fields that will replace the tennis courts, “We should have a multiuse area”, commented one board member, Bill Francis explained that one of the reasons it was suggested to do soccer fields was the need of this for the different leagues that play in the area and the uses are destroying the different green areas in district 7. Ms Ferguson explained that they are still working on the plans.
In regard to Whalen Park, we are in the same situation, they are still working in the plan, but so far, the closed area to the Mosholu library will be a reading area, and the area close to the D train will be for a little playground for toddlers. Before, the plan was that the library was going to be using part of Whalen, but because it has space in the back in the building, it will have to develop the back for the library activities

Parks and Sanitation will be working in a plan together to keep bus stops, paths in the parkway, underpass, and subway and, train stations free of snow and ice in the winter. We got new small snow removal trucks that will be working in the Parks and Ms Ferguson stated.
Barbara Stronczer let us know that the Holiday Tree lighting ceremony will be held Thursday Dec 11 at 6pm at Mosholu Parkway and Bainbridge in the median and asked Ms Ferguson that last year was a disaster and to let it not happen again: , where the light truck didn’t have gas to turn on the lights. Ms Ferguson informed that the person in charge of the garage and trucks is our ex district manager Tannisse Palmer, so to avoid the problem we got last year , just contact her to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
The best news of the night is that, because of the water filtration plan settlement, we will have allocated 509 trees and after Van Cortland Park takes some of them, the rest will be give to district 7 Parks and the Parkway.
In Other news Doug Condit brought the Skate Park project and comment that they were suppose to start to work in the fall, and some of the presents comment at the same time “of what year?” making everybody laugh about it, but Sadly, one of the biggest problems with Parks and Capital Projects, is that they take a minimum of five years to be done.

The next park meeting will be held at the Community Board office Monday November 24th at 6:30pm.  All are welcome to attend.

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