Maspeth residents call Crowley out on the carpet

Dear Editor (Queens Chronicle):

We couldn’t help but notice that during Council Member Elizabeth Crowley’s recent interview with your paper(“Elizabeth Crowley on the 30th District,” Feb. 2, multiple editions) she repeated her trite assertion that land owned by Martin Luther High School will become a park because they are a “willing seller.”

Martin Luther is on record only having said that they would “listen to what the city has to say.” That is far from the done deal that Crowley is making it out to be.

It was premature for her to announce a shift of money away from the St. Saviour’s project when that money could have leveraged other funding for it. In previous interviews, Crowley said she would continue to work toward making the St. Saviour’s site a park.In this latest interview,it sounds as though she has ruled that out.While it is disappointing that we most likely will not get the sizable park that we deserve,it is even more disappointing that our so-called representative gave up so easily.

After six years, the community still hasn’t given up hope on this project, but after three years, we have given up hope that Crowley will actually accomplish something that improves life in Maspeth.

Frank and Eileen Nevarez
Maspeth

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Dear Editor (Queens Chronicle):

Under guidelines set forth by the city's Department of City Planning, based upon the current residential population of about 35,000 (which is certainly undercounted because of illegal home conversions), Maspeth should have 88 acres of parkland at [its] disposal.

In reality, Maspeth only has 12 acres of parkland, so why does Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley think it is wise to give up on the 1.5-acre St. Saviour’s project in order to focus on the non-guaranteed 1/3-acre Martin Luther site? Why is she citing high cost as a reason for not acquiring the larger site when other communities across the city are getting new, larger and much more expensive parkland, via either direct sale or condemnation, with the support of their elected officials? Why does she believe that her own district is not worth the same money and effort?

With the last name Crowley, and the clout that it supposedly carries in political circles, there is no excuse for this project not getting done.

Maureen Mullaney
Maspeth

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