Jackson Heights' green space shortage

From the Daily News:

Jackson Heights needs more park space.

That was the message at Wednesday's town hall meeting as more than 100 locals learned about Travers Park renovations and how to increase open space in the congested neighborhood.

"We're fighting for open space because our families need that," said City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights). But "we have to be creative."

Dromm championed turning an empty stretch of 78th St. next to Travers Park into a "play street" for all of July and August, blocking it off to traffic.

He was set to speak to Community Board 3 about the issue last night.

The play street has run from June through October for the past two years. But it has been open only on Sundays, because residents don't want to lose coveted street parking, local leaders said.

"We see 78th St. as a natural future piece of land for additional park space," said Donovan Finn of the Jackson Heights Green Alliance. "There is a baby boom going on in Jackson Heights and a tiny park that is not big enough for all of the kids who want to use it."

But Travers Park is scheduled to be reopened sooner than expected.

The playground renovations, which weren't due to be completed until the fall, were finished early, Parks Department officials said.

Local officials are also looking into turning a stretch of state-owned land on 69th St. between 35th and 37th Aves. near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway into open space. But there are rat problems at the site, officials said.

You mean while City Planning was upzoning all over the place to accommodate a million more residents, they neglected to include park space (not to mention schools) in their plans? And now the residents have to make parks out of streets and rat-infested highway properties and pretend this is acceptable?