Community Board 2’s Parks Committee plans to address (readdress) the push for gates at Washington Square Park tonight, May 6th. I am republishing a piece from this blog from ten years ago on this very topic.
Re-post, edited, from April 21, 2016
Woefully Under–Publicized Community Board 2 Parks Committee Meeting this Month Votes for Chain Closures at Washington Square Park, Full Board to Vote Tonight
Before Community Board 2 Parks Committee met earlier this month to discuss its “Proposal to install chains and signs for effective night time closing of Washington Square Park,” I wrote about my concerns about this vague agenda item believing this was really code for: gates, something the community fought against amidst the contentious redesign of the park.
Well, quite likely it is, if the meeting that was held April 6th is any indication.
It is important to remember that, not that many years ago, parks were open 24 hours. Less than 6 years ago, Washington Square Park had a 3 foot fence around it. The only reason that changed is the contentious Bloomberg Administration redesign.
Chains, Then Gates?
Previously, C.B. 2 Parks Committee Chair Rich Caccappolo outright stated he thinks there should be gates at the park; Caccappolo was not involved in the Board at the time the battle over Washington Square redesign was fought, neither were many of the current committee members. However, Community Board 2 Chair Tobi Bergman, a former Parks Department employee often still advocating for the Parks Department, was.
Bergman was the one to present the idea for “chains” at the entrances at the park at the meeting to replace the current and long standing park “closures,” dubbed french barricades. This also would add signs stating, “Park Closed.” The chair stated that “the Sixth Precinct was unable to attend” — allegedly because they had to deal with the upcoming Bernie Sanders Rally — so he presented the idea and rationale for new closures at the park.
Every member on the Parks Committee voted for his resolution which will be brought up tonight at the full Board meeting.
If not aesthetics, why the sudden need for a change never quite answered at meeting?
There was no real reason given for the strong need to have different “closures” and signs at the park. Oh, except for… then it will be easier for the NYPD to arrest people if they are in the park after hours.
Is this the kind of society we are aiming towards? I do not think this is reflective of people, the larger community, in general.
No statistics were presented as to whether there is really some problem related to the way the park is closed now, such as too many people lingering in the park.
When asked by this blog, Bergman did not have any specifics.
Yes, the current french barricades are not the most attractive and may be cumbersome to move around to open and close the park however that is not the reason being given for this change, which opens up a whole lot of questions.
Bergman said that “I think it’s almost 10 years ago the Community Board approved the Washington Square Park redesign.”
Which actually is sort of true, and yet not true, since the Board later rescinded its approval in 2007 (somehow this has not been retained in the rewriting of the history of the park redesign). “We finally agreed there would be a fence but no gates.”
Bergman stated, “There was a reason people didn’t want gates; symbolically, they send a message.”
He continued, “The barricades look terrible. Someone comes along and moves it. The next person comes by, after the barricade is left open by someone else, and they are no longer doing something wrong.” (Hence, according to Bergman, the reason they cannot be ticketed/arrested.)
Bergman’s resolution proposes “stanchions with a chain.” The chain would be 6 feet 5 foot long chain. He added, “It’s more difficult around the Arch.” There would be a need, he stated, for something 25 feet long. “It has to be worked out so that emergency vehicles are able to get through.”
Bergman did not present any pictures, illustrations or diagrams of what he was proposing. And, in practice, a barricade would seem to be more of an obstacle than a chain.
Bergman: Avoiding the “Controversy” of Gates? Fouratt: “Hard Fought Issue in Redesign”
Bergman said this was an attempt “to do this without the controversy of gates.”
He said the police have put forth this request, although notably when the NYPD came before the C.B. 2 Parks Committee a year or so ago, this was absent from their discussion.
Community member Jim Fouratt said, “I’m opposed to it. The Community Board should hold a public meeting and not sneak it in like this. This was a hard fought issue in the redesign.“
Fouratt also mentioned how the closing time of the park was supposed to be 2 o’clock, then it was 1 o’clock and now it is midnight.
He continued, “This is a public park. Many of us do not go to the Hamptons. It is nice to be able to sit in the park.”
Fouratt said, “Before we know it, it will become a fait accompli. … Putting a padlock is anti–citizen.”
He asked the committee to hold a public hearing on the matter, not to put it forth in this way.
Parks Committee Shows Lack of Contemplation Related to Washington Square Park
Although no solid rationale or numbers were given as to any real problems with the current way of closing the park, Tobi Bergman, former Parks Department employee, close ties remain, knew the time was right to put forth the idea of “chains.”