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« Last post by itsit on May 14, 2019, 08:27:36 AM »
Questions to ask of this discussion thread:
- If this protest were to take place in July, how many of the people that were there would be
vacationing elsewhere and how many of the people in the park at that time would want that
street inset closed? I suspect you would have a vastly different answer. The inset has been
used as I have seen it for PreK drop offs, NYC Dept of Parks workers, NYPD and others who
need to pull of Northern Blvd as well as the dealership. There is a sizable group who oppose
closing this street and as they are not running for office, they would like to see this stay
functioning as is. They also remember times when the park was not so safe and that police
access, particularly on hot summer nights, was wanted. Many of my friends and their children
have had "incidents" of some degree in the park. Theft, assault, verbal abuse, etc and as
most users know, there is little oversight within the park. This is only one of many reasons
that people like this inset available- safety.
- Who/what aspects of the community are represented here? The people who live on 77th street
buildings and will be tremendously effected? Rainbowland Nursery School? Bus riders on
Northern Blvd? The huge amount of school children on 77th, 78th, 79th and 80th streets?
The many teachers who are commuting from out of the neighborhood to this area which
has long been used by a number of schools for little kids to 12th grade? The big answer is
the majority of those opposing here are only focused on getting this teeny tiny weird space
(two big walls and a street on 3 sides space) for the park. Whoever thinks this wouldn't
immediately become a sports venue (makeshift soccer/cricket field) hasn't been at Travers Park
at 4:00 on a stinking hot Saturday in July. And who in their right mind would add to the
traffic on 79th street on a school day? Have you ever been there when school lets out?
We need every possible outlet at that time.
- Why is all the lead focus on these few sq yards of 78th Street on Koeppel? Because of the profile
they have and yes, I have bought cars at Koeppel, as have so many of my neighbors which
is why they have the successful business they do here. And they have lawyers that the
renters on 77th street won't be able to afford as their street would be adversely affected
by this change too. Do not work there but like them as a business- which like others in
the vicinity are dealerships, schools, drugstores, restaurants, convenience stores, etc. who
pay taxes which make things like parks more viable on top of our real estate and sales taxes.
As Koeppel's is a gay-owned business in a diverse neighborhood and a business that has
been HUGELY supportive of neighborhood activities, I think that the attack on them is not
civil. It smacks of someone with a thin resume who needs to pad it somehow and has picked
this as a "W" to put beside their name.
Hopefully, we will have many people who are planning to run for Danny Dromm's seat
and they will treat all of the residents and businesses whose lives and livelihoods are
changed by neighborhood projects, not just those who are fully "networked" as the
one side. Be civil. Hear all sides of the story. Be on the ground asking peoples opinions
and knock on doors of all the locals. This is two sided debate and wish both sides would be
respected here. This goes for the DOT, Danny's office and Parks.
Encouraging lots of new candidates here to run for Councilman!!
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