Brookville Park brouhaha

Residents are angered by the lack of police presence surrounding Brookville Park, home to the Rosedale Jets and the Rosedale Little League. Property owners surrounding the park have expressed concerns about loitering, traffic and parking, as well as the placement of the new bleachers.
The bleachers, which residents claim are an eyesore, provide viewing in close proximity to all of the park’s sports fields and are 2 feet high, 15 feet long and 3 feet in width with a seating capacity of only 20 people.
The community, joined by local political leaders, representatives from both sports organizations, and the NYC Parks Department, met at a recent Town Hall Meeting to discuss plans to alleviate the situation.
“I can’t get in and out of my driveway, my neighbor’s car was dented and a person was even spotted urinating on one of the trees,” said Cynthia Wright, a homeowner and resident of Rosedale. “It is bad already when the teams practice but additional seating will draw more people into the park and cause us more traffic on the streets.”
Other residents like Raymond Joseph are angered that they were not involved in the plans for the park from the beginning.
“I’ve lived on 232nd Street for 32 years and as resident I feel I should have been notified about plans for the park. We need to find a way to address the issue and keep the neighborhood as it has been — beautiful and functional.”
According to Yolle Andre, president of the Rosedale Jets Football Association, the bleachers should not be removed and are an important part of the sports programs in the park. “We want our young people to become fully developed but we are willing to negotiate,” he said. “The bleachers are important for our parents to be involved in the children’s lives.”
Bernadette Brown, newly elected president of the Rosedale Little League has offered to organize a community patrol of the park at night for unwanted loiterers and questionable activity.
The park has recently been the focus of a $1.3 million renovation project using funds secured by Councilman James Sanders.