Pelham Bay, Country Club, City Island, BRONX Pelham Parkway, Allerton, Pelham Gardens CITY Bronxdale, VanNest, Morris Park, Westchester COUNCIL 2009 DISTRICT 13 Square, Schuylerville, Throgs Neck, Edgewater Park Parks are an essential city service. They are the barometers of our city. From Flatbush to Flushing and Morrisania to Midtown, parks are the front and backyards of all New Yorkers. Well-maintained and designed parks offer recreation and solace, improve property values, reduce crime, and contribute to healthy communities. SHOWCASE : Orchard Beach The Report Card on Beaches is modeled after New Yorkers for Parks’ award-winning Report Card on Parks. Through the results of independent inspections, it tells New Yorkers how well the City’s seven beaches are maintained in four key service areas: shore- lines, pathways, bathrooms, and drinking fountains. The Report Card on Beaches is an effort to highlight these important facili- ties and ensure that New York City’s 14 miles of beaches are open, clean, and safe. Orchard Ambrosini Field, City Island Beach is one of the seven public The Bloomberg Administration’s physical barriers or crime. As a result, beaches owned and operated by the City’s Parks Department. PlaNYC is the first-ever effort to studies show significant increases in In 2007, this beach was rated sustainably address the many infra- nearby real estate values. Greenways “challenged”. Its shoreline and structure needs of New York City, are expanding waterfront access drinking fountains performed including parks. With targets set for while creating safer routes for cyclists poorly. Visit www.ny4p.org for stormwater management, air quality and pedestrians, and the new initia- more information on the Report and more, the City is working to tive to reclaim streets for public use Card on Beaches. update infrastructure for a growing brings fresh vibrancy to the city. population while addressing envi- ronmental concerns. Through ambi- New York City’s population is tious goals to increase access to parks projected to increase by one million and open spaces, New York’s fiscally new residents by 2030, and demand prudent administration affirms that for our 29,000 acres of parkland investing in parks is good business. will only grow. It is imperative that creative efforts to expand our open Park innovations have flourished in spaces continue—but perhaps more recent years. The creation of Hudson importantly, existing parks must be River Park and the revitalization of protected, maintained and adequate- Bryant Park allow access to areas ly funded to best serve current and that were previously off-limits due to future New Yorkers. City Council District Profiles City Council District Profiles Citywide CITYWIDE Parks by the A New Master Plan for Parks Numbers Significant steps have been made toward PlaNYC’s parks and open space targets, which include ensuring 29,000 that every New Yorker lives within a 10-minute walk Acres of parkland of a park and planting 1 million trees. Important 1,700 projects like the development of regional parks and Parks the “schoolyards-to-playgrounds” initiative, which opens schoolyards after hours to the public, increase 1,000 recreation space, thus resulting in an even greater Playgrounds need for maintenance funds. 2,300 PlaNYC shows the City’s commitment to Greenstreets improving open space and recreation opportunities. 12,000 Now, we must take the next step and create a master Acres of natural areas plan for New York City’s parks, which does not exist today. A master plan would respond to particular 600,000 neighborhood and regional needs and outline how Park trees best to expand the park system to serve current 2 million and future residents. Street trees Any expansion to the parks system requires 14 maintenance funding. Most city parks rely on Miles of beaches public funding, but this is not a predictable source as evidenced by the current economic recession. 800 While spending on park maintenance increased by Athletic fields 50 percent under Mayor Bloomberg between 2003 50 and 2008, a gloomy economic forecast can be expect- Recreation centers ed to result in cuts to the Parks budget in 2009 and beyond. Public-private partnerships will be affected 66 by the recession as well. Innovative funding streams Pools —as well as improved management strategies— can help ensure that the parks system will 6 weather these storms. Top: Breininger Playground, Queens Ice rinks Above: Central Park, Manhattan 22 Historic house museums Historical City Funding for the Parks Department (Adjusted) 1,000 $500 Monuments, sculptures and $400 historical markers DOLLARS $300 OF $200 MILLIONS $100 IN $0 ’89 ’90 ’91 ’92 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08 ’09 ’10* FISCAL YEAR *2010 = Projected budget By the Borough: Bronx BRONX Parkland Alienation Park Inspection Program Ratings: Parks by the Bronx vs. Citywide (Percent rated acceptable) Numbers Although the Bronx has the most parkland of the Bronx Citywide five boroughs, much of that acreage is contained in 100% 2,596 Pelham Bay Park, at 2,766 acres the largest in the city. Acres of natural areas Bronx parks have been subject to two significant cases 90% of “alienation”: the taking of parkland for a non-park 191 use. In 2003, the City and State approved construc- Playgrounds 80% tion of a water filtration plant in Van Cortlandt Park, and in 2006, 22 acres of well-loved parkland 117 70% Comfort stations were alienated for a new Yankee Stadium. The Van 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Cortlandt Park case was high-profile and resulted in The Parks Department conducts 5,000 park inspections annually 374 mitigation funds for Bronx parks, but the alienation through their internal rating system, the Park Inspection Program. Drinking fountains at Yankee Stadium took place in only eight days with residents left in the dark. Both cases resulted in 144 soured relations between the City and the affected Athletic fields communities. Unfortunately, parkland can be legally 201 taken without public notification. The alienation pro- Basketball courts cess must be strengthened so that parkland in every borough can be preserved for New Yorkers. 436 Greenstreets Three non-profit partner groups fundraise for Bronx parks, in addition to 10 groups that raise money to 10 Pools support parks citywide. Bronx Park Staffing 27 Gardeners & Assistant Gardeners 216 City Parks Workers At left: Van Cortlandt Park, Van Cortlandt Village & Associate Park Above: Poe Park, Fordham Service Workers 52 The Bronx has the highest percentage of land devoted to parks of the five boroughs. Park Supervisors Bronx Citywide Park acreage 7,002 29,000 12 Recreation Directors & Percent of borough devoted to parks 26% 14% Specialists The Bronx has the 2nd lowest number of residents per acre of parkland of the five boroughs. 5 Total population 1.3 million 8 million Playground Associates Residents per acre of parkland 190 276 23 The Bronx has the 2nd greatest tree canopy coverage of the five boroughs. Parks Enforcement Patrol Tree canopy (trees on public and private land) 24% 24% (PEP) Officers & Urban Park Rangers Number of street trees per mile of sidewalk 37 41 00.5 1Miles Ambrosini Field, City Island E 243 ST AV BRONX CIE 241 STTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 13 MURDOCK SET E 242 ST E 240 ST ON AV AV ONEID Wakefield Y LA From Bronx Community Board 10: A BULLARD AV MUND E 236 ST WICKHAM District Statistics HERKIMER PL HERKIMER BRONX RIVER ACREAGE OF CITY PARKS HILL WOODLAWN LAKE AV AV ALD AV EDENWEDSON Westchester County Total district acreage 7,432 Woodlawn Cemetery E 232 ST AV Total parkland acreage 2,677 The Board would like to see the JER E 227 ST OME E 226 ST Parks & playgrounds acreage 2,461 AV E 224 ST A PL Percent City parkland ‘‘extensive wildlife and natural trail E 227 ST GRENAD of total district acreage Percent parkland 36% AV Eastchester offerings sponsored by the Urban 11 Williamsbridge Citywide 14% AV SCHIEFFELIN Edenwald DEKALB E 219 ST E 223 ST 3 Park Rangers receive more publicity, E 211 ST Ranking of City parkland POPULATION acres/resident 10 ST AV Population 164,837 fostering increased awareness among (1=highest, 51=lowest) EASTCHESTER RD VR PY EN NB Population under 18 35,438 ULDING 1 E 209 ST BX R 12 PA the Board’s residents. TILDEN ST Percent under 18 21% Olinville FISH 2 Acres parkland per 1,000 residents 16 Ranking of City parks & Norwood AV Co-Op City E 204 ST playgrounds acres/child Acres parks & playgrounds per 1,000 children 69 BA YCHESTER Statement of Needs for Fiscal Year 2008 E 202 ST AV BaychesterADEE NEW ENGLAND 13 LANGUAGE ACCESS CD 13 Citywide AV HUTCHINSON Most common foreign language spoken at home Spanish Spanish ’’ DEWITT PL BA RIVER Y PZ 2 AV Percent of homes speaking this language 18% 18% TY AV 5 PELHAM BAY AV AV Parks, playgrounds VICK MACE AV 4 EINSTEIN LO E LODO PEARSALL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CD 13 Citywide 6 SEYMOUR Pelham Gardens OLINVILLE and beaches WARING AV Registered voters 79% 76% ASTOR AV AV 1 Pelham Bay Park 13 Owen Dolen AV Number general parks-related UGER PELHAM PY N WELL ON RD CR 7 STILL 311 calls per 1,000 residents 19 10 2 Orchard Beach Golden Age Center BOST 14 The Pearly Gates Jacobi Medical Center Number of parks-related 311 calls for maintenance 3 Ambrosini Field Weiler/Einstein AV per 1,000 residents 1 1 15 Hutchinson River Parkway Hospital 13MINNIEFORD 4 Burns Playground BRADY AV UGER OOD PLNEWPOR 8 16 Bufano Playground CR Bronx Pelham Bay 5 Allerton Playground LAKEW HONE EASTCHESTER BAY AV PARK RESOURCES CD 13 Citywide T Psychiatric 17 Palmer Inlet AV Center 6 Mazzei Playground Morris ParkAV 9 Does not include capital funding allocated to multiple districts or citywide.