David Yassky on Development & Three Promised Parks

After eight years, Councilmember David Yassky learned that the city can't be trusted.

Regarding Greenpoint/Williamsburg rezoning:

"Certainly one lesson," he told the NY Observer, "One lesson of that is: whatever neighborhood improvements are supposed to go with a big development plan should be done up front--should be done before it's passed. The commitment should be made enforceable in some way. And if not, then don't bank on it." It took him eight years to figure that out? Many communities, including those around Yankee Stadium, certainly could have told him that...

And on artificial turf? According to the article:

"The Astroturf was very green and slippery, like a field made out of plastic leis. It didn’t seem ideal for any use, though Yassky told me the city parks department has been using it for years, because real grass is hard to maintain and gets muddy."

The Parks Department couldn't have said it better themselves. Adrian -um, David- forgot to inform the Observer reporter that grass is extremely hard to maintain especially when elected officials refuse to allocate funds to do so.

Read More:

Yassky's Bargain: A Departing Councilman in Search of a Quo for His Quid
New York Observer - November 23, 2009