Laura
09-08-2008, 01:56 AM
from SiLive: http://www.silive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/news/1219923016250730.xml&coll=1
No satisfaction for park-goers
No one from Parks Dept. in attendance at meeting about uncompleted phase of Bloomingdale Park
Thursday, August 28, 2008
By PHIL HELSEL
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The politicians and the 150 or so park-goers who gathered at a Pleasant Plains church last night got no satisfaction about why the city Parks Department hasn't completed a "second phase" of improvements at Bloomingdale Park.
No one from the department showed.
A Parks Department spokesman said earlier yesterday that Commissioner Adrian Benepe was invited to the meeting too late and had a scheduling conflict.
Borough President James Molinaro, who called the town hall-style meeting, was miffed that Parks failed to send someone in Benepe's stead.
"We're not entitled to a representative from the Parks Department, not even to just sit here and listen? It's an insult," Molinaro said.
Molinaro believes the city promised to undertake another round of improvements at the Prince's Bay park, on top of the comfort station, two baseball fields, a soccer field, basketball and bocce courts finished there in 2004. The Parks Department says no such promise was made.
Even without anyone to demand answers from, the 150 residents who turned out in support of more fields at Bloomingdale Park said the area is sorely under-served by the Parks Department.
The park is the only city-owned active recreation area in the South Shore; at the time of the Bloomingdale deal, the city promised to build ballfields in Charleston, but that project has been delayed for years by lawsuits brought by environmental groups and the discovery of a rare plant there.
"It's amazing that we have to fight so hard just to get something that brings so much pleasure to people," said Daniel Ajello, 40, of Prince's Bay.
In successfully lobbying for handicapped-accessible equipment at Bloomingdale Park for his daughter, 14-year-old Megan, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, Ajello sent a letter in support to Benepe, followed by a phone call. "It looks like I'll have to do that again," he said.
Molinaro was joined by state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) and City Councilmen Vincent Ignizio (R-South Shore) and James Oddo (R-Mid-Island/Brooklyn). They want the department to build two additional baseball fields, a soccer field and a second comfort station on five acres in the south part of the park adjacent to Drumgoole Road West.
To Joseph Puglisi, who moved to Prince's Bay from Bensonhurst eight years ago, the solution is simple.
"This is what people were told when the plans were made, so they should finish it," he said.
Phil Helsel is a news reporter for the Advance. He may be reached at helsel@siadvance.com.
©2008 SI Advance
© 2008 SILive.com All Rights Reserved.
No satisfaction for park-goers
No one from Parks Dept. in attendance at meeting about uncompleted phase of Bloomingdale Park
Thursday, August 28, 2008
By PHIL HELSEL
ADVANCE STAFF WRITER
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The politicians and the 150 or so park-goers who gathered at a Pleasant Plains church last night got no satisfaction about why the city Parks Department hasn't completed a "second phase" of improvements at Bloomingdale Park.
No one from the department showed.
A Parks Department spokesman said earlier yesterday that Commissioner Adrian Benepe was invited to the meeting too late and had a scheduling conflict.
Borough President James Molinaro, who called the town hall-style meeting, was miffed that Parks failed to send someone in Benepe's stead.
"We're not entitled to a representative from the Parks Department, not even to just sit here and listen? It's an insult," Molinaro said.
Molinaro believes the city promised to undertake another round of improvements at the Prince's Bay park, on top of the comfort station, two baseball fields, a soccer field, basketball and bocce courts finished there in 2004. The Parks Department says no such promise was made.
Even without anyone to demand answers from, the 150 residents who turned out in support of more fields at Bloomingdale Park said the area is sorely under-served by the Parks Department.
The park is the only city-owned active recreation area in the South Shore; at the time of the Bloomingdale deal, the city promised to build ballfields in Charleston, but that project has been delayed for years by lawsuits brought by environmental groups and the discovery of a rare plant there.
"It's amazing that we have to fight so hard just to get something that brings so much pleasure to people," said Daniel Ajello, 40, of Prince's Bay.
In successfully lobbying for handicapped-accessible equipment at Bloomingdale Park for his daughter, 14-year-old Megan, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, Ajello sent a letter in support to Benepe, followed by a phone call. "It looks like I'll have to do that again," he said.
Molinaro was joined by state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) and City Councilmen Vincent Ignizio (R-South Shore) and James Oddo (R-Mid-Island/Brooklyn). They want the department to build two additional baseball fields, a soccer field and a second comfort station on five acres in the south part of the park adjacent to Drumgoole Road West.
To Joseph Puglisi, who moved to Prince's Bay from Bensonhurst eight years ago, the solution is simple.
"This is what people were told when the plans were made, so they should finish it," he said.
Phil Helsel is a news reporter for the Advance. He may be reached at helsel@siadvance.com.
©2008 SI Advance
© 2008 SILive.com All Rights Reserved.