Will the southeastern Queens water table dilemma ever get solved?

From the Queens Chronicle:

About 100 people packed the Robert Ross Johnson Center in St. Albans last Thursday, many with similar experiences, all of them hoping to get answers from the city on what it plans to do to solve the persistent flooding problem affecting Southeast Queens.

Mark Lanaghan, assistant commissioner of intergovernmental relations for the city Department of Environmental Protection was the only agency official who attended the meeting and he presented two possible ideas to reduce flooding which didn’t go over very well with the crowd.

One idea is to change the elevation of a weir, a small dam which Lanaghan described as a gate, at the south end of Baisley Pond. That would modify the water level, drawing more groundwater out through the streams that empty into it.

The short-term plan would not require much effort or funding, according to Lanaghan, but the agency would need the permission of the state Department of Environmental Conservation and city Department of Parks and Recreation to do it.

He said lowering the weir by one foot should drop the water by about the same amount and positively impact 10 to 20 square blocks north of Baisley Pond. Some expressed concern that the plan would actually elevate the aquifer by pulling more water south, but the DEP doesn’t think that will happen, because the south end of Baisley Pond flows into a storm sewer that empties into Jamaica Bay.

Another plan is to install reverse seepage basins, or French drains, which involves sinking a pipe or chamber into the aquifer to draw it out and dispense it into the storm drains.

Lanaghan said the agency would have to consult the USGS to determine how many would have to be installed, where, and how much of an effect they would have. He added that the plan would not work for those who do not live near a storm sewer.

Lanaghan also told attendees that building out the storm sewers in community boards 12 and 13 is a high priority for the agency, with $250 million allocated to such projects over the next four to 10 years.

When Jamaica Water Supply served Southeast Queens it pumped millions of gallons of water out of the ground daily. But when the DEP took over the company in 1996 it stopped utilizing area wells, instead transporting water through tunnels from upstate. That change caused the groundwater level to rise to an alarming degree.

“We were not monitoring the groundwater elevation,” Lanaghan said. “We did not expect the groundwater elevation to respond like this and we were not prepared.”

Tweeding 101: Funding trips to Atlantic City!

From the Times Ledger:

The first event for the week will be a Sept. 10 health fair at York College hosted by the nonprofit community activist group Greater Queens Chapter of the Links. Seniors who attend the free fair can take part in blood, HIV, prostate, cholesterol and other screenings, according to the Links.

That same day City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica) and state Assemblywoman Vivian Cook (D-Jamaica) will be having their annual Banner Day and Gospel Fest at Baisley Pond Park.

“Every day should be senior day,” Cook said.

On Sept. 12, Smith and Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) will be having two separate luncheons for senior citizens. On Sept. 14, Meeks will host an afternoon at the movies at the Jamaica Multiplex Theatre on Jamaica Avenue at noon.

The next day, Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows) will be holding an informational fair and Assemblywoman Michelle Titus (D-Far Rockaway) will be holding a Zumba Fitness exercise class.

Her fellow Assembly member, William Scarborough (D-St. Albans), will be offering elders a treat with a trip to Atlantic City that day, too.

Parks Commissioner finds splendor in the grass

From the Daily News (no link):

Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall will cut the ribbon tomorrow on a new cricket field in Baisley Pond Park.

The natural grass field directs runoff water to an environmentally friendly drainage system of planted bioswales, or landscape elements that remove silt and pollution from water.

Parks officials said the new system allows for the planting of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers. - Nick Hirshon

Interesting. I thought we couldn't have grass sports fields anymore because they suffer too much wear and tear and are too troublesome to maintain. In fact, the commissioner sang a different tune to the NY Times in 2009:

Mr. Benepe also challenged the notion that artificial turf runs counter to the mayor’s vision of a leafier, greener New York, noting that a field made of recycled materials could be more environmentally friendly than grass, which requires pesticides, herbicides, aeration and millions of gallons of water.

“The so-called natural field leaves a large carbon footprint,” Mr. Benepe said. “You won’t find a lawn in nature.”

But now grass fields are environmentally friendly? Hmmm. This is one flip-flop I welcome. It's a shame you had to put the plastic shit in so many parks before you came to your senses. And we'll be expecting the same type of fields in all our parks from now on. What's good enough for Baisley Pond Park should be good enough for the rest of the city.

Photo from NY Times.

Wifi comes to 2 Queens parks

From NY1:

As of Friday (March 26), Time Warner Cable Road Runner high speed online customers can get unlimited free Internet access in Queens, Manhattan and parts of Long Island. The Queens spots include Kissena Park and Baisley Park.

Baisley Pond basketball

"There was actually another basketball deeper in the (not Willis) reeds... no wonder St. John's has been so lousy since the '80s; Queens kids gave up!" - WWIB

Well that was a little strange, but today let's be thankful that not all of our natural places have been paved over.

From the Parks Dept:

Baisley Pond was created in the 18th century when local farmers dammed three streams in order to power their grain mill. The 30-acre pond and the park are named for David Baisley, a local farmer who owned this land in the early 19th century and operated the mill that was located on the pond.

The City of Brooklyn used its local wells and cisterns for water until 1859. Due to the drastic need for clean water in Manhattan, and sensing that it too would need alternate water sources, the Brooklyn Water Works acquired Baisley Pond for its water supply in 1852. In 1898, the City of Brooklyn voted to become a part of New York City during the consolidation of the five boroughs. This decision was made at least in part to alleviate water supply problems.

While dredging Baisley Pond shortly after its acquisition, Brooklyn city workers made a startling discovery. Buried in the sediment, the remains of an American Mastodon (Mammut americanum), including five molars and a bone fragment, were found. The Mastodon likely lived in the area almost 10,000 years ago, just after the last Ice Age. Today, a sculpture of a Mastodon in Sutphin Playground commemorates the discovery and makes for a unique playmate.

In 1914, the City transferred the northern half of the property to Parks and the site opened to the public in 1919. At the time, Queens was still a predominantly rural area, and the park remained a rustic preserve. In the 1920s, the area was urbanized as developers built hundreds of single-family homes in the neighborhood. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Commissioner Robert Moses (1888-1981) and the Works Progress Administration constructed recreational facilities in the park, including a boat landing, several playgrounds, tennis and handball courts, baseball diamonds, and a football field.