By Bob Harris
Officers and board members of the Kissena Park Civic Association recently testified at Community Board 7 about issues concerning the civic. Zoning Committee Chairman Joe Amoroso explained in the civic’s March 2013 newsletter what is of concern.
CB 7 is unhappy with the proposal to take land from Flushing Meadows Corona Park to expand the United States Tennis Association and to build a professional soccer stadium where the Fountain of the Planets now stands. He explained that if both of these projects are allowed, then about 55 acres of parkland will be lost and set a precedent for losing more in the future.
A number of CB 7 members attended a special Community Planning Board Parks Committee meeting concerning the issue of reconstruction of the National Tennis Stadium. The plan calls for giving away a little less than half an acre of parkland, but it means transplanting hundreds of trees, some of which may have to be cut down. Giving away more land as had been done by Mayor David Dinkins years ago, is a bad precedent.
Just a couple of weeks ago I attended a rally held by state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) against the USTA proposals at the NTC. A couple of dozen civic leaders were there. I stood there between the two rows of magnificent trees, alongside walking paths On the one hand there is the drive to plant 1 million new trees and then there is this plan, which would relocate many trees and replace the trees that have to be cut.
Richard Hellenbrecht, president of the Queens Civic Congress, commented that, “Parkland is precious. It is historic and we need to keep it that way.”
One comment made about the plans to build a new stadium was that an alternate plan would permit the reconstruction without taking more land or disturbing the trees, but people are ignoring this alternative. One must remember that in addition to the parkland the USTA wants there is the soccer land which is wanted and the parking lot next to Citi Field which the New York Mets want to turn into a shopping mall and other commercial properties.
People say the parking lot next to Citi Field is still technically parkland and cannot be developed commercially. That is what you get for giving a baseball stadium parkland.
People are annoyed because when the US Open is played in Flushing Meadows, they let cars park on the grass. The USTA is a Westchester County-based company still makes demands on Queens parkland. It also pays little money to the city in comparison to the large amount it makes.
The West Cunningham Park civic has its own concerns about Cunningham Park. The city has rented it out to the Big Apple Circus several years ago. They take the parking lot at 196th Place and Union Turnpike, making people who want to use the park in front of homes on the nearby, usually quiet streets. The homes north of Union Turnpike opposite Cunningham Park are annoyed with cars parking across their driveways and littering.
Last year, the circus stayed for four weeks. Leaders of the WCPCA met with representatives of the circus, CB 8, the city Parks Department, the 107th Precinct and local legislators. They helped alleviate the problems somewhat.
But this year the circus added another weekend when the civic had thought there would be no more days and perhaps a few less. Weekends are the worst because more people come with families and park on residential streets. There are new promises to keep the area quiet and not to add any more days next year. We will see.
GOOD AND BAD NEWS OF THE WEEK: The city says it will add 6 percent to our water bills and double the rate of inflation on top of the three years of 12 percent to 14 percent water rate rises.
