The Fight For Coney Island…
Or is it Brighton Beach? It depends on who you ask.
A Heated Community Board Meeting. Via Brooklyn Vegan
What to do with the 9 acre park that is the official merging place of Brighton Beach and Coney Island? Residents in the neighborhood claim that the space–Asser Levy Park–is actually in Brighton Beach only and many of them are the primary opposition to what the borough president, Marty Markowitz wants to do with the space. Currently, it stands as a slightly rundown park with a small amphitheater. Markowtiz has visions of grandeur. A brand new amphitheater that would seat 8,000 people–the largest in the city–would become a neighborhood attraction. Markowtiz dreams of Neil Diamond rocking out in there. Others are not so keen on this idea.
The NY Times has an article with different perspectives from various community members on the issue, but essentially, the city says parks are a public asset. They do not belong to one neighborhood in particular. And the borough president wants to revamp the aged Coney Island. Folks from the area say there is no reason their residential neighborhood should become a loud venue for outsiders and they would like to keep it the way it is. I personally am with the city in theory. Parks are limited and so we should be willing to share them. HOWEVER, in practicality, I don’t understand why economic development and recreational space improvements always have to do with stadiums or music venues. My two cents: Keep it a mellow park. Invite artists to design sculptures that might talk about rising coastlines or other water front issues. Invite residents from other neighborhoods to come and discover what is there, but keep it public, people.
Issues of open space and development are not absent. According to the article, “New York City lags well behind other cities in green space. It offers 4.6 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, compared with a median of 6.8 acres in the nation’s 13 most densely populated areas, according to the Trust for Public Land. Of the five boroughs, Brooklyn has the second least amount of parkland per person, after Manhattan, officials from the parks department say.” More reason to keep it open and public rather than concrete and private.
Opponents seem to have found a loophole they can certainly try and exploit. Amplified sound is not permitted within 500 feet of a school or place of worship during their open and functioning hours. A nearby synagogue will seek to have this applied during the sabath, Friday nights and Saturdays, prime warm weather concert times.
This debate is going to heat up…We will try and keep up on it.
