One generation's trash is another's pile of parkland to be fought over. Unsurprisingly, people from different boroughs have different plans for how to best transform the Fresh Kills landfill into Freshkills Park, and it's causing a little friction, according to an article in Crain's. The short version of the dispute is that Staten Island residents are big fans of the recreational component that a park can provide—ball fields, grill pits, and roads to get to them—while other non-Staten Islanders like their parks a little more austere and idyllic. Fortunately Freshkills Park is huge—three times the size of Central Park, and it will take 30 years to complete—so there are many places to accomodate competing visions.
Having others try to take over the figurative sandbox in your own backyard still rubs some pols the wrong way though. "Often we have to check our colleagues in Manhattan and say, 'This is our borough,'" reminded Staten Island Councilman Vincent Ignizio. One change that is too minimal for many Staten Islanders is the decision to rebrand the park Freshkills, one absent character space away from the Fresh Kills that made Staten Island a garbage can punchline for decades. Any suggestions for alternatives on that front? Let's hear them in the comments.
· Staten Island: Huge Park is Surprisingly Contentious [Crain's]
· Freshkills coverage [Curbed]
Loading comments...