Critics of the plan argue that if the 40-plus acres of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park being proposed for mall use are no longer needed for Citi-Field parking then it should revert back to its original recreational use. Queens Borough President candidate Peter Vallone is supporting the parkland development he said last night.
Candidate Melinda Katz said she supported the USTA expansion project if a maintenance fund for Flushing Meadows Park came from those who want to develop the park. Tony Avella said he is against all three commercial development proposals.
Queens Borough President candidate Peter Vallone at last night's forum.
Queens
Queens
By Geoffrey Croft
City Council Member Peter Vallone doesn't believe the mapped parkland in Flushing Meadows the City and developers want to build a mall on is parkland.
Mr. Vallone, one of six candidates running for the office of the Borough President said last night he supports the Willets Point project including taking 40 plus acres of Flushing Meadows parkland currently used for Citi-Field parking in order to build the city's largest mall.
"It"s not parkland, and anyone saying that Williets Point is park land is relying on some technical definition from the 60's," Vallone said.
"You know what Willets Point is….It also involves the Met's parking lot. I want to see that development happen," he said.
"I want to make sure what goes there is what you want but that needs to be developed that can't stay the way it is, and it's not parkland," Vallone claimed.
The Councilmember was a bit confused last night as candidates squared off.
It is the City in fact that is desperately trying to rely on a 1961 bill that is used when it took over the parkland to build Shea Stadium.
The City and Bloomberg-preferred developer the Related Companies in partnership with Sterling Equities, the real estate firm controlled by the owner of the Mets - are attempting to use the parkland without seeking State Alienation legislation as is required under state law to use parkland for non-park purposes.
The 1961 law clearly states that the park land now used as a parkling lot is part of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
The 1961 law clearly states that the park land now used as a parkling lot is part of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
The City and the developers are also attempting to bypass City Council approval.
Critics of the plan argue that if the 40-plus acres being proposed for mall use are no longer needed for baseball parking then it should revert back to its original recreational use.
Some of the candidates were asked if they were in favor of creating a maintenance fund for Flushing Meadows made up of donations by those who want to develop the park or preserving open space by providing proper funding for parks in the city budget passed by the mayor and city council.
State Senator Tony Avella (above) once again came out strongly against any development in the park.
Mr. Avella said he was obviously not in favor of the first option, "because that means we would have development in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
Unless one of the other candidates for Borough President has changed their position recently I am the only candidate who has come out against all three projects that are proposed for Flushing Meadow's Corona Park," Avella said to applause.
"Parkland is sacred," Avella continued. "They wouldn't dare do this in Prospect Park in Brooklyn and they certainly wouldn't dare do it all in Central Park. Why is it that the developers of this city seem to think that they have elected officials who would just look the other way when it comes to our borough park."
Addressing the second part of the question Mr. Avella acknowledged that the city was not allocating adequate resources and said that proper government funding should be made available to care for the park.
"I'm committed to that," he said.
Candidate Melinda Katz (above) said that some of the money from the USTA should go back into the park.
She also reminded the audience that there already was a Flushing Meadows-Park Conservancy but did not mention that it's president Jean Silva voted to support the taking of additional parkland for the USTA expansion at the Community Board 6 hearing a few weeks ago.
At that meeting a grandmother in the audience publicly called Ms. Silva and the conservancy out for not protecting the parkland from development. She said was "shocked" to learn there already was a conservancy and strongly questioned the reason for its existence if they weren't fighting for protect the park.
"I'm very shocked," said Anisia Ayon addressing Ms. Silva and the rest of the board. "What have you done to stop this. You are allowing this to happen."
At that meeting a grandmother in the audience publicly called Ms. Silva and the conservancy out for not protecting the parkland from development. She said was "shocked" to learn there already was a conservancy and strongly questioned the reason for its existence if they weren't fighting for protect the park.
"I'm very shocked," said Anisia Ayon addressing Ms. Silva and the rest of the board. "What have you done to stop this. You are allowing this to happen."
Ms. Katz said the interest from the USTA's capital investment in the 90's was supposed to fund the upkeep of that organization.
She said she supported the USTA expansion project if additional funds generated is allocated back into the park.
"This should be a template for the future, " Katz said of the proposed plan to create a maintenance fund for Flushing Meadows made up of funds collected by those who want to develop the park.
Deputy Borough President Barry Grodenchick was not asked the question.
