Parks sings familiar song in Woodside

From the Queens Chronicle:

After almost one year since funds were obtained for its purchase, a parcel of land in Woodside dubbed ‘Triangle Park’ is not likely to become city property any time soon, according to the city Parks Department.

A spokeswoman for the department said on Tuesday that the city had abandoned negotiations with property owner Vinny Oppedisano after they were unable to agree on a price for the island located at the intersection of 59th and 60th streets and 34th Avenue.

Residents in the area had used the vacant land as a park until Oppedisano began construction on it.

At a rally last June, Oppedisano said he offered the land to the city years ago for $50,000, but that officials refused to purchase it. He agreed to sell the land to the city if a fair offer was made.

In July, Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) secured $350,000, which he said was going to be used to purchase the 1,265-square-foot site. But the land was appraised by the city at $140,000, which was the amount offered to the property owner, Van Bramer said. The owner refused to accept the bid, and despite ongoing negotiations, no agreement was reached.

Van Bramer said a foundation has been built on the land. “At the end of the day this is private property,” he noted.

No, the correct thing to say is, "At the end of the day, there's always condemnation as this is for a public use."