Ridgewood Reservoir project goes bust

From the Daily News:

Residents are irked that the latest scaled-back master plan to transform Ridgewood Reservoir to a park arrived without any cash to actually pay for it.

Three new design options were unveiled last week — one including features such as boating, a rock climbing wall and natural turf fields on the 50-acre site but another mimicking community calls for passive features such as paths and viewing platforms.

But that victory rang hollow given the lack of funding. And some civic leaders were still troubled by proposals that would disturb the natural scene for playgrounds and boating.

In 2007, the city unveiled an ambitious $50 million plan that would have cleared 20 acres for ballfields. But that died for lack of cash, too.

Now the city is close to completing a smaller scale project to fix lighting and pathways around the reservoir and make it more handicapped accessible.

“It’s shameful and ironic that now they are finally representing plans that the community wants and they have no money,” said Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates. “How much has been spent on contracting out plans and designs?”

It's all about the contracts. Not the actual work.