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
As an owner of 2 dogs (and who has used Cadman Plaza Park often), let me say that the park shouldnt be rebuilt for dogs – and if it is rebuilt w/ Turf, dogs should be rightfully banned (CPP still has grass in front of Post Office and behind memorial). I love dogs and think that the city should accomodate dogs and there owners but Children and thier development are significantly more important than giving dog owners choices in dog parks. Hillside is probably the largest dog park in NYC (and maybe anywhere) and is certainly a large enough dedication of space for off-leash activities in the Downtown Brooklyn area.
By Nature you are right grass does grow (often very high) BUT only on the edges of what is essentially a bowl – the only time grass has ever grown in the middle is when some fluke weather comes that somehow precludes soccer etc… but allows grass to grow.
Lastly it is sort of irrelevant if grass ONCE grew there, it is clear from the last 10+ years that the city is not going to do what it takes to keep grass growing there – which again leaves you choice of dust bowl or turf.
Let me amend that last statement, there is the tiny dog run at State St. (next to the HUGE playgound), but it’s really not big enough to swing a cat in and sadly indicative of the amount and quality of space usually allotted to offleash recreation.
I have to weigh in on the dog issue – there ARE NOT a lot of places in Brooklyn Heights to take a dog – Hillside Dog Park is the only off leash area, and while its a fabulous resource for most, not all can use it for various reasons. And there is a sign on the fence at Cadman that specifies the 9 – 9 legitimate offleash option as it exists in most other City parks. There are FOUR, count ’em, FOUR very expensive children’s playgrounds within a few blocks of Cadman, not to mention the Empire State Park which doesn’t allow dogs at all, even on leash. While you may not like dogs, you will either have to accept that I pay taxes and have just as much right to recreate as you and your soccer-playing child do. If you don’t like it, move to North Dakota where you and your get can have an entire state to play in without interacting with others.
Thanks MontagueRemsenJoralemon for your comments. Anonymous and John don’t know what they’re talking about. I moved here in 1978 and there was grass. I began walking my dog in the park in 1994 and the grass grew so tall that the homeless could sleep in it without being seen.
Yassky supports his campaign chest! After all its going to take a lot of money to get the Crown Heights district. Why take a public park for private school use. Can’t the parents just buy their own “gated” park.
if turf goes in you will all regret it. a dustbowl would be better. anything alive is better.
No one is knocking real grass, nor is anyone saying that if the steps you outlined were undertaken grass wouldnt grow – its just that what you want (and what everyone would love) aint gona happen…
so if anti-turf protests are effective, CPP will remain a dust bowl and in the choice between dustbowl and turf for many turf wins.
BTW Cadman Plaza Park hasnt had a “fabulous lawn” in at least 15 years (I cant remember any furher back than that)
I can’t even believe some of the comments in this discussion. What a sad state when real grass has to be defended. I have lived in the Heights for over twenty years. The lawn used to be fabulous. And no, the kids haven’t ruined it. Kids play sports in real grass parks all over the US and the world. And no, the dogs don’t hurt it at all. The only thing “play-wise” that hurt the lawn were the cleats that some of the pick-up adult teams wore.
The central problem is lack of maintenance. True, the Parks Dept. has a pathetic budget and they should get more but The Parks Dept has not only not maintained this park, they have destroyed it. They drive their trucks over it constantly, they run into the trees, they tar over the tree roots, they have completely destroyed the stonework and paths with ungodly amounts of rock salt. Why couldn’t they use sand like they do everywhere else in the States when it snows. Or even the little pellets used in the rest of the neighborhood. It makes sense to spend a little more for the pellets instead of having to eventually spend millions to restore the stonework. They have never once in the time I’ve lived here done an honest attempt at reseeding or sodding. Neither have they aerated the lawn. Cadman doens’t have to have sprinklers. NY gets much more rain than cities like London and Amsterdam that have stellar multi-use parks – and yes – everyone plays soccer on them and dogs run on them and people lay on them and on and on. The great sports fields of the world are real grass. When foreign teams come to the US they request that real grass fields be built over the artificial turf. Also, many sports teams and leagues are ripping the stuff up (National and American Leagues). EVen the new generation turf is highly unsafe in an unmonitored and unenclosed situation. Look at the Rams and all their staph problems which they passed on to the 49ers. Look at all the head injuries and muscle and ligament problems. By the way – hundreds of people cross from Cadman West to the Courthouse everyday throwing their cigarette butts and spitting and everything else. This stuff catches on fire. And it would be a toxic fire.
Plus in NYC which is getting particularly bad reviews for its air quality, we need every bit of greenery we can possibly have to mitigate the effects of the pollution. Grass is a much needed coolant in the city as well. Artificial turf heats up like a frying pan. Cadman Park is also a haven for many bird populations including the peregrine falcon and owls – yep I’ve seen them myself.
Furthermore, the beauty of this park is that EVERYONE CAN USE IT – it’s a great old-fashioned park. Everyone doesn’t have a second home in the country to go to on the weekend. This is the only place in the area where we can have a little nature. And by the way – 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.
The great thing about Cadman is you can go there with your grandmother, your kids, your dog, your special needs brother, etc., etc. all at the same time. Wake up! We are so lucky to have a park like this. And if people in this neighborhood would pitch in a little money, we could keep it looking great and still let everyone use it.
Brooklyn Heights has precious few places for people to play sports outdoors, and I’ve never seen grass on that field since I moved to the Heights in 1985.