A look at the Tompkins Square Park mini pool, closed for the second straight summer while
the field house undergoes renovations. (The pool isn't part of the facility upgrades, though maybe someone can rake it before returning to service next summer.)
5 comments:
Guy from parks told me there are big plans for a new pool while explaining why the field house is taking so long. I believe Carmine Street pool and some others are also currently closed for renovation.
This being NYC, "raking the leaves" undoubtably falls under yet a different department's responsibility. "Not my job, man."
To Whom This May Concern,
Broken and closed New York City Public pools are to New York City Public Parks as
Broken and closed New York City Public Housing elevators and boilers are to New York City Housing.
There is a larger problem here: every time a developer seeks rezoning and variances to build a tall, taller, tallest residential high rise apartment building and or the tallest non profit palliative care hospital on a zoned residential block, the applicant (read as developer) must provide a report of the Open Space Total Acreage, Open Space Active Acreage, and Open Space Passive Acreage along with the Census Population Data within a 400 foot radius of their proposed skyscraper.
The crucial calculation in Open Space during the Draft Environmental Impact Study which the applicant reports truthfully under oath is based on Public Access to 1. NYC Public Parks and 2. Privately Owned Public Spaces. Those are the small carved out places to sit on a ledge or a few benches or chairs tucked behind a tall building in exchange for tax breaks.
Every time NYC Parks closes a NYC Park and removes any and all Public Amenities chairs, benches,picnic tables, playgrounds, open fields with grass, NYC Parks is REDuCING the total Passive Use Acreage.
Developers be warned if you place your building here within 400 feet of Tompkins Square Park radius, you will have less Public Space Acreage to report on your D.E.I.S. subject to Public Review and Comment during the ULURP review process with NYC Department of City Planning.
In one recent Public Open Space report currently under review by DOCP, an upper east side 600 foot non profit palliative care hospital Open 24/7 is placed 35 feet away from 547 residential units housed in 10 5 story 50 foot walk up apartments.
A residents review found that for the population of 55,000 people there are only 98 Public benches and seats.
Please sir can we keep our Public Parks with full and working pools, Public seating and benches and picnic tables ?
This is after all the greatest City in the world and these are the NYC Parks our City and State Tax dollars pay for.
Unlike the billion dollar non profit hospitals who pay no City, state or Federal taxes.
City of Yes will only exacerbate all these residential impacts.
Once the precedents are set by large scale development: look out below, your home is up next.
Wow, that's a great idea to make developers and the City factor what is currently usable open space, as opposed to open space on paper.... Has anyone ever tried to argue this? I wish our local reps thought this creatively.
Dear Dutchess,
So here is where you and every alert East Village resident can step in : when you learn that your local community board has approved a building or development which is detrimental to your quality of life, the developer will have to submit the Draft Environmental Impact Study.
This used
The public is given a two week window for Public Review as the pending rezoning and variance sits before the New York City Department of Planning.
Here's the catch: the developer fills out the Environmental Impact Statement and the developer can (although they sign that their statements are truthful to DOCP under oath) file incorrect statistics, include extraneous expert testimony, say whatever they want.
You as a resident are empowered to verify and challenge each and every inaccurate representation in the D.E.I.S.
You can see for yourself and send an email or testify in person before the Department of City Planning.
The applicant then has to respond to the red flags that you have decided to raise for the benefit of the directly impacted residents and taxpayers.
You can get a jump on this 2 week window by following the developers filings during the ULURP process after And sometimes simultaneous to Community Board approval.
My advice, be prepared.ahead of time. As soon as you have a potential new development address determine a 400 foot radius using DCP Zola then head out on foot and see what your Local NYC Public Parks actually have to offer (versus what's on file) so too look at the Privately Owned Public Spaces often you will find them stripped of all Public seating at the Department of Buildings or the Mayor's request, as storage spaces for building repainting, bricks, scaffolding, netting or simply locked shut.
I had to educate myself because I am a resident and in the words of James Taylor " This used to be my town too."
All best regards,
Nathaniel
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