DRAFT Proposal for Increasing Safety in Sara Roosevelt Park
Creating increased safety by siting issues and setting up deterrents
We need PEP in predictable key places. They are both less provocative to some of our edgier people and reassuring to the public. Our “Young Explorer” Officers also deter threatening behavior while building relationships across barriers. (But sometimes – you just need the police).
Parks Enforcement Patrol (PEP) stationed in key areas of the park for a time.
DOT fix the lighting that keeps going out throughout the park. (The City insisted we remove HALO – the only consistent lighting on Rivington).
Other Needs
-Move Citi-Bikes outside of the Park at Rivington (and Stanton) to Forsyth Street.
-Create a one-way bike lane companion lane to the Eastbound bike lane going West on Delancey
-ADA accessibility everywhere in the Park
-We need more of our Park Buildings restored to activated community use.
What can we do (other than building gardens and maintaining them)?
Continue to advocate for Parks budget to be restored to 1%. We need paid staff to keep this park in shape.
Community attend CB3 Parks Committee meetings.
Community attend 5th Pct Community Meetings (Wednesday May 27th Confucius Plaza).
Advocate for Affordable Housing, Safe Havens and Budgets of our Non-Profit Partners and Advocates.
Who do we call in a crisis?
311 gives a long spiel about parking rules – in crisis there is no time to wait
911 not always what is needed, but when needed – vital. And it can’t always be immediate.
PEP number for this Park? Someone close by?
5th Pct number for this Park? Someone close by?
We used to have the ability to text the Community Policing Officers. They were nearby, knew the people here, and they knew the park denizens. Much fewer time-wasting exchanges.
Draft Issues, Needs, and Proposals for Deterrents.
Locations
Area: Houston to Stanton
Issues: Sprinkler used as shower for homeless people. Playground goes unused due to conditions.
Need: PEP Foot Patrol in Area especially behind the Stanton Building Shower/playground area.
Current Active Use:
Weekdays: Some use, local Basketball.
Volunteer Gardener cares for West Side of Chrystie (for decades).
Weekends: Heavily used, Basketball, events
Volunteer Gardener cares for West Side of Chrystie (for decades).
Area: Stanton Storehouse
Issues: Speeding cars racing through this area. The bathrooms are constantly closed due to damage. No place for young people to gather indoors anywhere in this park in a low-income community. Despite 4 Parkhouses.
Need
NYC Parks:
-Stationary PEP on weekends
-Barriers to stop speeding cars.
-Return Stanton Building as promised in 1980’s to activated Youth Center.
Current Active Use
Weekdays:
The Storehouse Manager keeps that area safe: calm, watchful eye, and relationships in that neighborhood. School across the street use the area.
Weekends:
We have informal food distribution on most Saturdays to address food insecurity. Required to clean up any trash left by partakers after they distribute.
Area: Stanton to Rivington Soccer fields and Basketball Courts
Issues: Dogs off leash in fields – dog feces. When Nike court was built it eliminated a much used (by girls) ability to have a Volleyball net. It needs replacing, because..sexism.
Need: PEP Patrol on foot between Ball fields and Courts on Houston, Spray Shower behind Stanton.
Weekdays: Both courts used by sports teams and local Schools. Keeps area safer due to active use.
Weekends: Well used by soccer teams and basketball games. Keeps area safer due to active use.
Area: Rivington between the MK Garden and the Playground (and new Plaza)
Issues:
Cargo bikes/cars/bikes speeding through internal NYC Parks transverse. Children run back and forth between playground and garden. A hit could be fatal.
HALO artwork on the fence reliably lit the transverse area. Removed.
Needs:
NYC Parks:
-PEP Stationary in the transverse.
-Move Citi-bike to Forsyth Area as is done in southern end of the Park.
-Planters installed to stop/slow cargo bike/illegal cars speeding through and using it as a cross street.
-Sprinkler system for aging Garden area and Gardeners.
NYC DOT:
-Create a one-way west bike lane on Delancey to match the one-way going east. There is no way to reach the two way bike lane along Chrystie except through an internal Park busy thoroughfare.
NYC DOT
-DOT Fix Lighting.
Active Use
Weekdays:
-BRC NYC Parks senior protected space during daytime hours. Garden gate closed on Rivington.
-MKG A Few Evenings: Bocce lessons. CSA distribution (after BRC closing hours)
-Rivington Playground local University Settlement Daycare/families/Some adults use benches.
-Volunteer Gardener tends new Plaza.
Weekends:
-MFinda Garden open. Children’s garden area. Occasional events.
-Rivington Playground: local families/visiting families
-Volunteer Gardener tends new Plaza.
Area: Delancey North Side:
Need:
-Delancey Area: PEP weekend patrol?
–Inside BRC Doorway: Stationary PEP Officer stationed weekdays
-ADA Ramp for patio between BRC/MKG
Active Use
Weekdays:
-Bellevue Van weekdays – a safe zone with help and a deterrent to crime.
-BackPack People – give away backpacks. One day a week. (if still here probably need to be moved)
-BRC Senior Center – Vulnerable elders. (PEP used to sit in BRC vestibule- it helped)
Weekends:
One of our Gardeners here is a Black Belt with good skills at dealing with troubled people.
Area: Delancey South Side:
Issues
Drug dealers/users. No issues with dealers for gardeners – they aren’t looking for trouble.
Users can be difficult.
Due for renovation.
Entire Area looks abandoned.
Contacted Tommy (Hua Mei leader) then we took out their signage. Put signs up to let Tony/other birders know we are transferring their site to front of BRC temporarily for the reconstruction). Former Council Member Chin was asked by K to come and interpret to get their thinking. Many of these men are very elderly, some have passed away. We intend to honor their legacy with the remaining birder- some Boy Scouts expressed interest in learning their trade.
-Sign stolen from Historic GreenThumb Garden here.
-Brick seating in front of the Ribbon and de Britto plots collects trash and drug use. Coalition gardens on both sites.
Need
NYC Parks
-PEP Patrols 5th Pct patrols?
-BackPack People to South side?
-Shower Bus (Keeps folks out of the sprinklers and water fountains in the park). When the Catholic Bishop Sheehan Center closed – no more showers here. Bus could bolster any positive activated use and to help people feel human again.
-Remove the two low brick walls that hide trash.
-Put tables in area visible to Delancey Street
Active Use
Weekdays:-Former Active Use: City Relief WAS here Thursdays – They offered food, listening, socks. Mostly elderly women and homeless men. Was an anchor of safety.
Weekends: Former Use Hua Mei Birders. Tony was here weekends/ others here weekdays– Most not coming anymore.
Current Active Use: Sundays: Two experienced Gardeners care for two plots here (de Britto and Ribbon).
Area: Broome Area
Issues:
Active drug sales throughout – except inside ‘The Pit”
Need:
PEP officer in the Area of Broome Street Building? Or building staff visible (5th Pct patrols?)
-Community police used to patrol or drive inside through the park. Helped a lot.
-Parks Building utilized to site for more activated use? The Pit has community use. Helps. Reconstruction start date- let public know where this is at in CB3 Parks meeting?
Active Use
Weekdays/ Weekends:
Inside ‘The Pit”: Very successful shared use
A variety of uses in The Pit”: Bike polo, unicycle polo, plays, events, Burmese Water Festival, New Museum events, Day care, Soccer, Martial Arts, Lion Dance practice, Tennis lessons, etc.
Parks cars parking will be moved to Forsyth – tables and chairs will be installed – freeing this area to be fully a park.
Football field: Fenced in but often broken into for many activities.
Area: Grand North Side
Busy Street with entry (ADA inaccessible – will change with renovation.
Need:
NYC Parks
-Public needs information on this entire area. When is renovation coming? It’s abysmal here. 5th Pct acted to ensure neighborhood had safety information.
-London Plane inspections – huge tree fell unexpectedly. Smashed two cars, grazed humans.
-NYC Parks Area plans for huge reconstruction were approved after a huge effort. Need action.
NYC DOT Lighting seems to be a constant issue?
Area: Grand South
Issues:
-The stolen goods market is the activated use here, which may deter some things and incite others.
-MKG members who live here said they need help when people (who have nowhere else to go) sleep on their doorsteps. What do they do?
-Encampments pushed out of the park wind up on residents doorsteps.
-Used needles found here – in playground/sandbox.
-Boy-centric sports: take over the entire playfields in this Area.
Need:
NYC Parks
-Needle box.
-Signage that strictly cordons off Children playground areas?
-Create a place for girls to play volleyball with a real net.
NYC DOT Unreliable Lighting seems to be a constant issue?
Area: Hester Street/Playground
Issues:
-The sexual assault on an elderly woman in the Hester NYC Parks Parkhouse building.
-MKG who live here: People pushed out of the Park land on their doorsteps.
Need:
NYC Parks
-PEP officer stationed here.
-Create a place for girls to play volleyball with a real net.
-Resolve the Sandbox Area
-Needle Box
-Children’s Playground Signage: Children and Caregivers ONLY
NYC DOT Unreliable Lighting seems to be a constant issue?
Current Active Use:
Weekdays and Weekends:
Many elders here, Day: sitting, playing cards, Enjoying the Park
Alliance Gardeners: Clean up days, gardening, brought Playmobile to the area.
Daytime Schools on Hester activate the area.
Hester to Canal
Issues:
Lighting
Need: Gardener for area surrounding the Oval (Pam Ito of the Hort used to be funded by Council Member to garden here)
Current Active Use
Weekdays and Weekends:
Schools and elders. Ping pong (request to move the table to shaded area), card games, sitting, walking around the oval.
Schools use for sports.
Used to be used for younger teams from the area.
Evening: Dancing in turf oval.
Canal
The Night Market –wonderful creation of activation and safety by Think!Chinatown
