Fake Plastic Grass: It Wears the CPCC Out
What will they think of next? We received an email from the Cadman Park Community Council, the members of which are in quite a tizzy over the City’s plans to throw down 1.5 acres of artificial turf on the main lawn as part of an upcoming renovation. The bad guy in this drama, according to…
What will they think of next? We received an email from the Cadman Park Community Council, the members of which are in quite a tizzy over the City’s plans to throw down 1.5 acres of artificial turf on the main lawn as part of an upcoming renovation. The bad guy in this drama, according to the CPCC, is Councilman David Yassky (who had a hand in sinking 184 Kent’s shot at landmarking). According to the CPCC literature, the Parks Department, under the stewardship of Yassky, is dropping about $3 million to renovate just a third of the park. The CPCC claims that thousands of area residents registered their disapproval in signed petitions last year but have been ignored. Is there another side to this story or will Yassky forever be known as the anti-grass candidate?
Cadman Plaza [NYC Parks & Rec] GMAP
“David” wrote:
“Does Yassky have kids going to St Ann’s?”
He does indeed. I just hung up w/ his office and his secretary confirmed it. She also said that “other schools” want to use Cadman for outdoor rec but when I aked her what other schools she couldn’t name any.
Will someone who has the contact info for the newly-formed conservancy group please post it here?
“Montague Remsen Joralemon” wrote April 5, 2006 03:19 PM
“there is a dedicated sports park being renovated just two blocks away on Tillary which will have a soccer and ball field and basketball court”.
It’s two blocks away but in another district…St. Ann’s might have to pay to use it. Anyone know?
Stop these fools from putting in the plastic grass at all costs. I live in London, but know NYC well. In England we use grass surfaces, no restrictions on playing sports or dog walking, and care is low. In NYC you get 50% more annual rain than we do, so should have no problems keeping up a good grass surface. Likely that you will need a one-off soil treatment and rotovation and raking to decompact the soil and treat it for accumulated acid in a city envirtonment, but that is easy & cheap.
Plastic turf has a rubberised backing with risk of allergy and chemical release, it is sharp & cuts children’s legs when they fall on it, and has to be cleaned and disinfected if dogs defacate on it – rain washes natural grass clean, but not the plastic muck. Plastic hosts no insect life and has no seed production, so is an envirnmental disaster to bird life.
Go ahead – wreck your environment with plastic if you must. We’re sticking to our real grass over this side of the Atlantic!
Bob Baxter
Turf v. grass v. dirt –
As a resident of 75 Henry, I watched as our healthy trees on Henry St. got cut down. As such, I have little faith in Brooklyn Height’s conservation of trees, and it’s parks. Cadman Plaza Park is just another example. What DUMBO had done with its parks is amazing (albeit mostly Two Trees Realty funded). Anyway, I keep reading about kids playing soccer in the park. Funny, but it seems like this war memorial park is just becoming a St Ann’s private school play ground! Is a basketball hoop being hung on the memorial as well? Does Yassky have kids going to St Ann’s? I wouldn’t be surprised. As an adult who plays soccer, I would never think of playing in front of a war memorial. The idea of a war memorial is to remember, reflect and never forget what our veterns did for our country and how they must have suffered. It’s not to remember where little johnny scored his first goal. Put some benches, tables, trees, flowers and walkways in the middle of the field and watch the grass grow. As for athletics, I’ll continue going down to the park on Columbia St and kick the ball around. These St Ann’s parents should be pushing for athletic fields on the Columbia street piers before Cadman Plaza. However, by the time that happens, their kids will be in Yale already.
As for playing soccer on dirt versus turf, I don’t believe that the kids in Brazil have ever seen a blade of grass and look what they can do in the world of soccer!
I dont live nearby (did years ago) but still work in the area.
And I’ll donate if there is a real organization but then again I’m not that against the turf.
Well, David, where have YOU been? We’ve been working on this for months – sounds like you’ve lived here as long as I have – I hope we can count on you for a big donation.
Mr. Yassky is aware of the petition and the opposition. I wish he had been more willing to work with us on a reasonable compromise – I believe his heart was in the right place when he got the money for the “renovation.”
I love Brownstoner but maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to post the Cadman people’s complaints with Yassky without calling Yassky for comment.
A Conservancy is a GREAT idea – but where was everyone for the last 10 years (before Yasskey et al got the funding for the upgrade) and if thats what the people really want then instead of having a rally, have a fund raiser – I am sure turnout will be far higher and if real war chest can be collected, I am sure Parks Dept will be alot more willing to listen (anything that helps lower their budget)
Have to disagree – it will be a dust bowl if left to the underfunded Parks Dept., true enough. But Central Park would be a dust bowl under those circumstances as well. Enough people -including the dog recreationists and the soccer parents – have demonstrated willingness to fund a Conservancy similar to the one which keeps Central Park and Bryant Park green to maintain real grass at Cadman. When the plastic grass goes in and the chain link fence goes up effectively making it ONLY a playing field – it will be much more difficult to undo than doing it properly now will be. The Rally at one on Sunday should not be missed if you care about the quality of life in our neighborhood.