NEW YORK—Chelsea locals rallied for a new park on Sunday, with more than 100 residents and supporters gathering in front of a soon-to-be-vacated Department of Sanitation (DOS) building and adjacent parking lot at 136 W. 20th St. to urge the city to create new green space.
Chanting, “We want a park!” and equipped with white and green signs depicting phrases like “park please,” many of the participants were representing the grassroots organization Friends of 20th Street Park. A petition in favor of the park has gathered over 2,000 signatures so far.
Green spaces and parks can go a long way to relieve stress associated with urban life. A coalition was formed to support tearing down the DOS building and transforming the site into a 10,000-square-foot green space that would serve the area east of Eighth Avenue between 14th and 26th streets. The region is presently devoid of any public green spaces. The coalition backing the proposed project includes Council of Chelsea Block Associations, Flatiron Alliance, New Yorkers for Parks, Save Chelsea, and New York City Park Advocates.
Park proponents face a big obstacle, as the site was dedicated to an affordable housing development in 2004, under the rezoning of Western Rail Yards; this plan was re-affirmed in 2009. Community Board 4 also voted on Jan. 5 in favor of using the property for affordable housing.
Advocates for the park met with Council Speaker Christine Quinn on Feb. 4, which resulted in a new concerted effort to identify alternative sites for affordable housing. Park supporters quickly compiled a list of over 20 sites and sent the document to Quinn, state Sen. Tom Duane, and Rep. Jerrold Nadler.
According to a March 9 report from Chelsea Now, Duane supported the use of this space for affordable housing, saying: “I wish we could do both, but it doesn’t seem we can. It was always our hope to have affordable housing in East Chelsea, and here’s an opportunity to have it. A promise made and a promise kept.”
A 2010 city document uses the DOS building and lot as an example of a potential site for new parkland.
The area in question has no parks within half a mile. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s goals for open space, as laid out in PlaNYC, include having a park within a half-mile radius or a 10-minute walk of all residential areas in the city. One rally participant noted that the closest nearby parks, Madison Square Park and Union Square Park, are very crowded and unsuitable for kids.
“Parks, [including] Central Park, wouldn’t have happened without the public speaking up and demanding parks and open spaces,” noted Geoffrey Croft, president of New York City Park Advocates.
Chanting, “We want a park!” and equipped with white and green signs depicting phrases like “park please,” many of the participants were representing the grassroots organization Friends of 20th Street Park. A petition in favor of the park has gathered over 2,000 signatures so far.
Green spaces and parks can go a long way to relieve stress associated with urban life. A coalition was formed to support tearing down the DOS building and transforming the site into a 10,000-square-foot green space that would serve the area east of Eighth Avenue between 14th and 26th streets. The region is presently devoid of any public green spaces. The coalition backing the proposed project includes Council of Chelsea Block Associations, Flatiron Alliance, New Yorkers for Parks, Save Chelsea, and New York City Park Advocates.
Park proponents face a big obstacle, as the site was dedicated to an affordable housing development in 2004, under the rezoning of Western Rail Yards; this plan was re-affirmed in 2009. Community Board 4 also voted on Jan. 5 in favor of using the property for affordable housing.
Advocates for the park met with Council Speaker Christine Quinn on Feb. 4, which resulted in a new concerted effort to identify alternative sites for affordable housing. Park supporters quickly compiled a list of over 20 sites and sent the document to Quinn, state Sen. Tom Duane, and Rep. Jerrold Nadler.
According to a March 9 report from Chelsea Now, Duane supported the use of this space for affordable housing, saying: “I wish we could do both, but it doesn’t seem we can. It was always our hope to have affordable housing in East Chelsea, and here’s an opportunity to have it. A promise made and a promise kept.”
A 2010 city document uses the DOS building and lot as an example of a potential site for new parkland.
The area in question has no parks within half a mile. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s goals for open space, as laid out in PlaNYC, include having a park within a half-mile radius or a 10-minute walk of all residential areas in the city. One rally participant noted that the closest nearby parks, Madison Square Park and Union Square Park, are very crowded and unsuitable for kids.
“Parks, [including] Central Park, wouldn’t have happened without the public speaking up and demanding parks and open spaces,” noted Geoffrey Croft, president of New York City Park Advocates.
Friends Read Free