City Council District Profiles
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University Heights, Morris Heights, BRONX Highbridge, West Concourse, East Concourse, CITY Concourse Village, Claremont, Bathgate, COUNCIL 2009 DISTRICT 16 Morrisania, Melrose, Crotona Park East 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 : Mullaly Park “Parkland alienation” is the taking of parkland for a non-park use. Today, parkland can be taken for development too easily, and in a dense city where parks are our front and back yards, this can have a devastating effect. New Yorkers for Parks has worked with the legal community to strengthen the alienation process and protect parks that are in danger of being alienated. In 2006, the New York City Council and State Legislature approved the seizure of 22 acres of well-loved Gouverneur Playground, Claremont Village parkland including a portion of The Bloomberg Administration’s physical barriers or crime. As a result, Mullaly Park to build the new Yankee Stadium despite strong PlaNYC is the first-ever effort to studies show significant increases in community opposition. To down- sustainably address the many infra- nearby real estate values. Greenways load New Yorkers for Parks’ edu- structure needs of New York City, are expanding waterfront access cational brochure on alienation, including parks. With targets set for while creating safer routes for cyclists please visit www.ny4p.org stormwater management, air quality and pedestrians, and the new initia- and more, the City is working to tive to reclaim streets for public use 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 Merriam Playground, Highbridge BRONX CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 16 96 MIR E 1 ST IAM STEN 97 ST OR L W KINGSBRIDGE RD VA MAJ DP AV * PON From Bronx Community Board 3: ON CREST * District Statistics AV E 194 ST ACREAGE OF CITY PARKS VIDSON DA Total district acreage 1,424 E 190 ST Community District 3 additionally Total parkland acreage 56 10 Parks & playgrounds acreage 47 ‘‘supports the restoration of the Parks Percent City parkland Fordham 11 of total district acreage Percent parkland 4% Enforcement Patrol and the Urban * 14 W 183 ST Citywide 14% AV 43 Park Ranger Program and urges the * E POPULATION DR M L KING JR BL ON Ranking of City parkland * AV AV * LT HARLEM RIVER acres/resident WA Population 163,334 New York Department of Parks in- (1=highest, 51=lowest) QUEDUCT TIEBOUT A E 186 ST Population under 18 58,010 E 182 ST volvement in the development of W 181 ST Percent under 18 36% 47 Acres parkland per 1,000 residents <1 enhanced recreational programs for 3 Ranking of City parks & AV W BURNSIDE 3 playgrounds acres/child Acres parks & playgrounds per 1,000 children 1 2 * its major parks and facilities. AV * HENNESSY PL W C TREMONT LANGUAGE ACCESS CD 16 Citywide E 180 ST AV Most common foreign language spoken at home Spanish Spanish Morris Heights E 179 ST * E BURNSIDE Y RD Percent of homes speaking this language 32% 18% Statement of Needs for Fiscal Year 2008 ARR 15 QU AV 1 CIVIC ENGAGEMENT CD 16 Citywide ’’ 4 * AV W 176 ST AV AV Registered voters 64% 76% BELMONT Parks, playgrounds GRAND Number general parks-related 5 E 178 ST AV 311 calls per 1,000 residents 2 10 ANTHONY Number of parks-related 311 calls for maintenance and beaches Mount Hope AV 7 MAJOR DEEGAN EN NB WNSEND per 1,000 residents 0 1 W ASHINGT 6 TO TER 1 Roberto Clemente State Park 15 Nelson Playground R CA ON BR 2 Cedar Playground 16 Mullaly Park 8 AV OSS BX EP ET RP E 175 ST PARK RESOURCES CD 16 Citywide CR East Tremont 3 Walton Park 17 Grant Avenue Park E 174 ST Does not include capital funding allocated to multiple districts or citywide. 9 W 172 11ST BELMONT 4 Mount Hope Playground 18 Little Claremont Park 10 12 E 173 ST * District-specific capital funding, 2004–2009 $8.9 million $4.2 million 5 Galileo Park 19 Gouverneur Playground AV TE FA IR 6 Half-Nelson Playground 20 Drew Playground PARKS INSPECTION PROGRAM RATINGS Mount Eden AV THGA CR E 175 ST W 170 ST GRAND CONCOURSE 13 BA OT Results of the Parks Department’s internal inspections.