RIOC Announces Plan For New Roosevelt Island Blackwell Park Dog Run, Will It Be Named For Petey? - Some Parents Petition To Oppose Blackwell Park Location For Safety Concerns Saying Dog Run Is Too Close To Kids Playground

The existing Roosevelt Island Southtown Dog run will soon be removed for the construction of Hudson Related's Riverwalk Building 9.  The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) plans a new replacement dog run to be located in Blackwell Park and opening before the current one is removed this winter.

The original location for the Blackwell Park Dog Run was a spot adjacent to Rivewalk 480 Main Street close to the East Waterfront  Promenade. However,  RIOC announced during its October 17 Board Meeting plans for a new Blackwell Park Dog Run location next to Roosevelt Landings 510 Main Street, a bit further north and again close to the East River Waterfront Promenade in the area surrounding the current sandbox

Image From RIOC Blackwell Park Presentation

shown in this video.



During the October 17 RIOC Board Meeting Public Session, former resident and always Roosevelt Island Dog Advocate Scott Piro, together with other Roosevelt Island dog owners and caregivers,

requested that the new Blackwell Park Dog Run be named for his dog Petey. According to Mr. Piro:

... I'd like to introduce you Petey,  He is a 10 year old Lab mix. He's also an immigrant, he was rescued from a Tel Aviv kill shelter and immigrated to New York when he was five. He was an Island resident in 2015 until earlier this year. We are requesting that the new Dog Run  be named after him - Petey's Dog Run.

The reason why is because I did more community service for the dog population on the island than anyone else I think ever. Now, I didn't do it alone. Mary Cuneen, Steve Noone, Fernando Vargas and there were other people at RIOC who helped me and I had a lot of help in the community some people who are here right now...

Following Mr. Piro's presentation, Roosevelt Island parent Rachel Dowling spoke expressing opposition to the Blackwell Park Dog Run location for safety reasons being so close to areas where children play.



According to an October 18 statement from Ms Dowling:

Once again the community is being blindsided by dog park construction plan that has not been vetted with Roosevelt Island Residents.

After an outcry from local parents about a half-baked plan to place the dog run on a slice of Blackwell Park that abuts the sprinklers and the small children’s playground, Hudson-Related and RIOC has agreed to locate the new dog run closer to the site of where it currently sits.

But somewhere along the line Hudson-Related reneged on that agreement and convinced RIOC to give up some of their land in the northeast corner of Blackwell Park, squeezing a dog park plan in an already congested area abutting the big kids playground, the basketball courts, and the pending bike path.

Last night the RIOC board voted unanimously to push this plan through without any bid from contractors, stating that a vote when they next convene in early December would be too late to complete the work in time for the closure of the current Southtown dog park for the construction of another building.

This is an obvious move to strong arm the community into a plan we don’t agree with or feel comfortable with.

We are concerned about the obvious safety issues posed by a dog park at the children’s playground. Active children and dogs don’t always mix. As an example, my ten year old son had a terrifying experience last month at Riverwalk Commons when a dog got off his least and aggressively went after my son. While we were able to distract the dog before he could bite my son, my son was deeply traumatized by this experience. These are not events that we as a community should be inviting. Children have a right to play without fear.

Furthermore, the current plan essentially pens in the whole north end of the park, from the north basketball court to the children’s playground, cutting it off from the promenade, the trees, and the view of the water. It would create a drastic change to a space that is used by many members of the community.

We demand that RIOC suspend this plan and come up with something better. An interim dog park could easily replace the current park while plans are vetted and finalized in a way that takes the needs of the whole community to heart.

A petition drive has been started to oppose a Dog Run in Blackwell Park:

To be delivered to Susan Rosenthal , President of RIOC

We are concerned community members worried about the location for the new dog run next to the basketball courts and the big kids playground (and soon the bike path) at Blackwell Park. We are concerned about safety as well as the loss of open space. We feel that since so much space is being lost due to HR construction the dog park should be placed down there, where it won’t impede the passive enjoyment of the park, kids at play, and where it also is more likely to be maintained.

To date, there are 50 petition signers.

Roosevelt Island Mom and Dog owner Patty Fallone replied to Ms Dowling during the RIOC Board Public Session:

... I think the dog run can co-exist close to the playground as long as it is done properly.

In response to the Blackwell Park Dog Run opposition, Mr Piro writes:

I scouted the entire southern residential section of the Island in 2017 – and identified a dozen potential locations for a new dog run from which RIOC could choose. More than 50 members of the Island’s most active dog owners voted upon these selections and chose the triangular patch adjacent to 480 Main Street.

The dog community is happy with the current location and design of ‘Petey’s Dog Run,’ but some of us did feel the original spot was superior. Chief among its advantages are that it is flat, shaded and isolated. It’s inaccurate to describe it as ‘abutting’ the small children’s playground, as a recent WIRE story did. There is a paved path dividing the two spots – and at least 10 feet separate the two plots.

Planners of urban parks across the city see no hazards in placing dog runs and children’s playgrounds adjacent one another, as evidenced by existing multi-use parks in Carl Schurz Park (UES) and Riverside Park (UWS). St. Nicholas Park near Harlem positioned the dog run adjacent the barbeque area, and Cooper Park in Brooklyn places dog runs next to multiple sports fields.

There is nothing inherently unsafe about locating a dog run next to a children’s play area. The counterargument may be loud, but it is not rational.

and Roosevelt Island resident Sabrina Hermosilla adds:

I’ve been on the Island since 2006 and am a proud responsible human and animal parent.

As with all experiments in multiculturalism, Roosevelt Island residents often finds ourselves tasked with balancing the various and different needs of many different and equally important groups.

What brought my husband and I to this haven over 13 years ago was this desire to co-exist, this belief that we are better together, and that our unique needs and differences is what makes life here rich and rewarding. Over the past 13 years we have been fortunate to host all of our 11 nieces and nephews and have loved how welcoming this island is to children and families from all walks of life. No place is perfect, but we always felt safe playing with these children outside and showing to them how beautiful diversity can be.

Nine years ago we decided to add a dog to our family and the island truly came alive for us. We had already been on the Island for almost four years, but when we brought Tallula into our lives we met neighbors, people stopped (and stop) us on the street to see her, and we were able to volunteer at the hospital so Tallula could bring her joy to those who needed it most.

What surprised us the most was that while some people have a fear of dogs (which we obviously would avoid) the large majority of people, every age, every language, every social or economic status, were drawn to and loved to get some Tallula love. Having a dog not only helped us join our community and know neighbors (we still meet people who know Tallula whom we have never met!) but I truly believe offered a community good, she makes people smile.

Two years ago we were blessed with a human child of our own. Watching him grow up in a household with animals and learn to respect, show compassion, and responsibility, is truly one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Animals and children have co-existed in harmony since our earliest times on this Earth, and offer such a rich opportunity for joint growth and enrichment.

Recently, I have been saddened to hear that a small, but vocal, group is using the long-overdue relocation of a dog park to stoke fears of disease, contagion, and violence between dogs and children. There are irresponsible dog parents / guardians who do not pick up their dog’s waste, true. Just as there are irresponsible human parents / guardians who do not manage their children sufficiently, allow them to litter food, plastic, balloons, etc.

However, we on this Island do not make policy, the few times RIOC allows us to have a say, we do not make policy from a position of fear or of the small minority of offenders. No, instead, I hope, we come together as a community that understands there are unique needs, that most children and dogs are well behaved and well cared for, and that both human and dog children deserve space on this ever-growing Island. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of examples of dog parks and children’s parks being co-located, please, Roosevelt Island, let us not fall into the bitter, divisive discourse of these times, but instead find our shared community, and allow the dog park relocation to continue as planned.

I asked RIOC:

... Is RIOC reconsidering placing the dog run in Blackwell Park?

A RIOC Spokesperson replied October 23:

The safety of our residents and park users is always our main objective. We believe the planned improvements for the entire park is a thoughtful, safe design for all user groups and will address the concerns about the location of the dog park voiced at the Board meeting and in the referenced petition.

As indicated in our presentation during the Board meeting, this project is being bid for construction in two phases. The dog park is included in the first phase of work. The second phase includes improvements of the basketball courts, play areas and paths. The second phase is in design now and will be issued for contractor pricing next Spring.

The design for the entire park incorporates industry best practices for dog runs. The dog park is completely fenced and has a series of two self-closing gates to enter. The first gate allows dog users to enter the vestibule with their leased dog. The second gate allows users to enter the pen for either large or small dogs and take the dog off leash upon entering the pen. The pen will be well shaded and is located at the perimeter of the park. There is dense planting outside the fence to provide a visual barrier between dogs and other park users.

All of these elements combined provide a safe experience for children using the park, large dog owners, small dog owners and residents enjoying a walk along the promenade. We realize that design, like art, is subject to personal taste but we try to put forth solutions that appeal to most.

In response to concerns voiced at the Board meeting, we’ve taken another look at the plan and decided to eliminate the vestibule entrance from the park. A revised plan with a single point of access to the vestibule from the promenade will be provided to the contractors. We feel once all of the planned improvements are complete, all of the user groups will be able to safely coexist in Blackwell Park.

RIOC Assistant VP Of Capital Planning & Projects Jonna Carmona-Graf reported to the RIOC Board of Directors and RIOC President Susan Rosenthal during the October 17 Board meeting on plans for the Blackwell Park (Part 1)



renovations and specifically the



Dog Run location (Part 2).

Roosevelt Island Blackwell Park And Al Lewis Park Playgrounds Closing For Renovation August 13 - October 15, New Surface, Fencing & Picnic Tables To Be Installed - New Equipment Planned For Spring 2019

During the July 23 Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors Meeting (video of full meeting here), RIOC President Susan Rosenthal reported that both Al Lewis playground at Capobianco Field

and Blackwell Park Playground

will close for renovations in August.



RIOC Public Information Officer Alonza Robertson adds:

Community Update

The Grandpa Al Lewis Playground, at Capobianco Field, and the Blackwell Park Playground will be closed Aug. 13 - Oct. 15 due to ground surface renovations.

New padded-rubber flooring will replace the existing broken concrete, cracked asphalt and wood-chip ground surfaces. New fencing and picnic tables will also be installed.

The replacement and installation of some new playground equipment for those playgounds is planned for Phase 2 of the project to start in the spring of 2019.

While the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation understands the time concern of the closure, the playgrounds are in desperate need of attention from both equipment and flooring-safety standpoints.

The schedule has been reviewed and this approach timewise was found to be the least impactful due to the ability to complete the total amount of work with one closure, as opposed to staggering.

The time of year for the rubber flooring is also critical, as contractors are not able to pour the rubber material once it reaches a certain temperature in the fall.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

(FYI: The Grandpa Al Lewis Playground is named after an American character actor best known for his role as Count Dracula look-alike "Grandpa", opposite Fred Gwynne's and Yvonne De Carlo's characters, on the CBS television series "The Munsters" from 1964 to 1966 and its subsequent film versions. Mr. Lewis was a Roosevelt Island resident who later in life was also a restaurant owner, political candidate, and radio broadcaster).

UPDATE 8/14 - Correction, the older kids playground in Blackwell Park

 is being renovated, not the toddler playground.

Twitterverse Reports Dangerous Roosevelt Island Playground Conditions, Rusty Nails And Hole In Ground - RIOC Tweets Back That They Are Addressing Problem

The Roosevelt Island Twitterverse reported a dangerous condition for children at the Al Lewis Playground yesterday.

@Rooseveltisland can we get someone to fix this? Rusted nails+hole in the ground+children=accident. Tried RIOCto no avail. pic.twitter.com/Qf0BlBK29A

— haven burton (@Haviebird) October 4, 2017

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) responded.

This has been reported to our maintenance department and they are addressing the situation. Thank you.

— RIOC NYS (@RIOCny) October 5, 2017

So @RIOCny Maintenance Department wasn't aware about the hole until somebody informed?

— Roberto (@BorjaRoberto) October 5, 2017

Well, I do think RIOC should be given credit for replying to the info in Tweet but most important thing is to fix the dangerous condition immediately before anyone gets hurt.

During September 27 Community Board 8 Roosevelt Island committee meeting,  RIOC President Susan Rosenthal reported that the RIOC Board approved safety improvements, including new flooring, for the Al Lewis and Blackwell Park playground.

Discussion begins below at the 1 minute 30 second mark.

Roosevelt Island Has New Picnic Benches At Octagon Park And Blackwell Park Playground - New BBQ Grills At Octagon Park Too

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) placed new picnic tables

Image From Eric DiPalma

and BBQ Grills

Image From Eric DiPalma

at Octagon Park

Image From Eric DiPalma

recently.

One resident expressed concern that the picnic tables could no longer be moved closer to each other allowing larger families and groups to eat and socialize together.

Read more »

Yay, Blackwell Park Sprinkler Working, But Problems With Blackwell Park Playground Equipment Says Roosevelt Island Mom - Baby Swing Broken, Equipment Retaining Water Attracting Mosquitoes And Kids Getting Fingers Stuck

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Roosevelt Landings Common Council Member and Mom Susy del Campo Perea reported yesterday:

Blackwell Playground Sprinkler Is ON!!! Yay!

Just one is on, but at least one is working.

Remember to help by keeping the Sprinkler drainage clear of any object that can clog it because if it gets clogged, RIOC might have to turn off the sprinklers in order to fix it (and we know that it takes time for RIOC).

We now have one of two sprinklers working, one baby swing for the whole island and a broken swing for toddlers. The piece broken is the plastic bucket seat.

The 2 baby play structures

in Blackwell Park retain water when raining or when watering the surrounding grass. This happens all year long. The structures are installed incorrectly. They have drainage canals but they do not work because of the way they were installed (crooked).

It is now mosquito season.  In that area, we have a lot of mosquitoes due to the water sitting there for days. These play structures are the ones for babies and toddlers (as the sticker says 0-36 months). Nobody wants their baby touching water that is dirty and has been there sitting for days.

Also, the 2 blue poles in the middle of the playground

are extremely dangerous. The holes that they have are big enough for toddlers and kids to put their fingers through but also the fingers are getting stuck.

The two poles are nothing but 2 Dangerous located in the middle of the play area where kids have bumped into them more than one time (the height is perfect for kids bumping their heads with those).  Please remove them completely (not fixed but removed). While waiting for the poles to be removed, the holes (2 per pole) can be closed or screws with caps can be installed to avoid a finger injury.

Roosevelt Island Participatory Budgeting Information Session Tonight 6 PM - Help NYC Council Member Ben Kallos Spend $1 Million For Roosevelt Island And Upper East Side

From Roosevelt Island's New York City Council Member Ben Kallos:

Participatory Budgeting Neighborhood Assembly at Roosevelt Island Senior Center
Date:
Tuesday, October 7, 2014 - 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location
Roosevelt Island Senior Center
546 Main Street
New York, NY 10044

Mr. Kallos adds:

Participatory budgeting empowers you to decide how one million of your tax dollars get spent.

Whether you’re passionate about green space, improving housing conditions or senior services, participatory budgeting allows you to come up with creative ideas and champion them for the good of the community.

Join us at an upcoming Neighborhood Assembly to learn more and get involved:...

More on NYC Participatory Budgeting from previous post.

Also, during Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) October 1 Public Session, Council Member Kallos staffer for Roosevelt Island Joe Strong explained the NYC Participatory Budgeting process to RIRA Common Council Members.

Here's what Mr. Strong had to say.



More information on Participatory Budgeting at PBNYC and video below.

Real Money, Real Power: Participatory Budgeting from PBP on Vimeo.

Participatory budgeting in not new to Roosevelt Island. We have been using it for years to allocate $100 Thousand Public Purpose Funds annually.

UPDATE 9:45 PM - NYC Council Member Ben Kallos attended tonight's Roosevelt Island Participatory Budget Assembly. Here's what he had to say.



Prior to Mr. Kallos speaking, Kallos Roosevelt Island staffer Joe Strong introduced Roosevelt Island residents to the Participatory Budgeting process.





Will have the break out sessions with suggestions for projects to be funded later.

UPDATE 10/8 - Projects eligible to be funded through the Participatory Budgeting process must be for Capital Projects only, meaning brick and mortar, not services, and be greater than $35,000.

Among the suggestions for Roosevelt Island projects to be funded through the Participatory Budgeting process were:

• Replace toddler playgound,
• Indoor space for toddler to play in winter by using old Tram Cabins,
• Air quality monitoring infrastructure,
• Equipment for new Roosevelt Island Library - handicap accessibility,
• Renovation of Roosevelt Island Youth Program Premises at 506 Main Street,
• Ramp for Coler Hospital Patients To Access waterfront promenade,
• Improve Landscaping around Coler Hospital,
• Tennis Court Striping for kids tennis,
• Safe Bike Lane for Roosevelt Island Bridge,
• Bus Stop at top of Motorgate Garage,
• Kayak launch,
• Baseball field refurbishment,
• Gallery RIVAA renovation and
• FDR Hope Memorial site elements.

Also suggested, in a half joking manner, were a new Roosevelt Island subway line and an elevator/stairway from Roosevelt Island to the Queensboro Bridge.

Mr. Kallos advised that volunteers who are passionate about any of these projects are needed to champion them through the Participatory Budgeting process.

Here's excerpts



from the Roosevelt Island Participatory Budgeting Assembly Break-Out Sessions

UPDATE 2 PM - You can volunteer or add suggestions for projects to be funded here.

Report From RIOC President Charlene Indelicato - New Roosevelt Island Deputy Director Of Public Safety Lynda Marmara, NY State Citizen Emergency Preparedness Training, No Bids On New Tram Elevator, Cultural Center Renovations Completed by December 2014 , Blackwell Park Swing Tampering, Restriping Roads & Much More

Roosevelt Island Deputy Public Safety Director Lynda Marmara Via Strategic Planning And Security Services

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Charlene Indelicato sends the following report to the community.

This summer has been a very busy time on Roosevelt Island. Several capital projects have been completed: The Octagon Tennis Courts have been resurfaced, the Tram stations repainted, the entryway of the Good Shepherd Chapel restored, and the northern tip of Lighthouse Park has been reopened for public enjoyment. Many improvements to the Island are still in progress at locations such as the Tram stations, the Cultural Center and on all Island roads. In addition to construction projects, the Outdoor Summer Movie Series and other free public events continue to take place on the Island. For up-to-date information about these and other community notices, you may sign up for RIOC Advisories email alerts on our website: www.rioc.ny.gov.

New Deputy Director of Public Safety: Lynda Marmara

RIOC would like to extend a warm welcome to the newest member of our staff, Lynda Marmara. Marmara has joined us as the new Deputy Director of Public Safety and is well familiar with Roosevelt Island, having been assigned to the community in the past as a NYC police officer. She comes to us with decades of experience in police work and a strong background in emergency management. Marmara previously served as the Director of Public-Private Initiatives for the NYC Office of Emergency Management and most recently owned and led her own security company, Strategic Planning and Security Services, Inc. We are very pleased to have her on our team and look forward to her work on Roosevelt Island.

Citizen Preparedness Training

Next week, the NYS Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will be offering a free Citizen Preparedness training workshop. In addition to valuable information about how to prepare for natural or man-made disasters, each family participating will receive a free Citizen Preparedness Corps Response Starter Kit for attending. The kit includes a first aid kit, emergency food and water, AM/FM radio, flashlight, and more useful items.

The training will take place on August 6 at the Manhattan Park Theater Club (8 River Road) at 6 PM. While this session is free, participants must register in advance at  www.prepare.ny.gov/training-events in order to attend. We hope to see you there!

Outdoor Summer Movie Series

RIOC’s Outdoor Summer Movie Series (now located at Firefighter’s Field) continues on Saturday, August 9 with a screening of The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. Come out to the field at 7 p.m. for music, film trivia and night of movie fun under the stars. Food and drink will be available for purchase, bring a blanket or lawn chair. On Saturday, August 23rd, don't miss the final screening in the series, featuring the James Bond movie Goldfinger as well as a locally produced short A Necessary Music. This unique short film was shot on Roosevelt Island and features seventeen of our residents as actors. We hope to see you there!

Lighthouse Park

We are extremely pleased to be able to reopen the northern tip of Lighthouse Park for the community’s enjoyment. Contractors are currently completing a construction checklist and addressing a few final items to bring the project to completion, so expect to see workers in the vicinity of the park’s footbridges. While certain areas may be intermittently cordoned off to allow work to take place, the park area surrounding the Lighthouse will remain open to the public.

Cultural Center

Work on the Cultural Center at 504 Main Street has progressed. Demolition and removal of the water-damaged materials inside the Center was completed over the summer, and the floor fill has been poured to create a solid foundation. Contractors are currently re-framing the walls and performing electrical work. This project is scheduled to be completed in December 2014. We know how important the Cultural Center is to the community, and we look forward to reopening a new and improved space for public use.

Tram Elevators

Bids for the design and construction of new elevators at the Manhattan Tram Station were due last week on July 21; however, no proposals were submitted. This project is a very high priority for RIOC, and we are committed to finding a skilled contractor to carry out this important work. We will continue explore our options and will push to keep this project moving forward on schedule.

Re-Striping Roosevelt Island’s Roads

Over the past few weeks, the Island’s streets and Helix Ramp have been re-striped by contractors working with our Engineering department. Refreshing the paint job helps ensure that important street markings, especially at crosswalks and stop signs, are highly visible to both vehicles and pedestrians. Further re-striping work is scheduled to take place in the near future.

Blackwell Children’s Playground Swing

At the Blackwell Park Children’s Playground, a low toddler swing has repeatedly been tampered with. After repairs to the swing were made on July 7, the strap and related hardware were entirely removed from the area. RIOC will make repairs shortly and again restore the swing for young children to use. In the interest of safety, we ask that visitors to the park refrain from removing any hardware at the playground and contact us immediately to report any repairs that need to be made. If you have any information related to the play equipment’s disappearance, we encourage you to contact the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department at 212-832-4545.

Tennis Permits

As a reminder, the newly resurfaced Octagon Tennis Courts are open for permit holders. If you would like to play, you may purchase a Tennis Permit online through the RIOC website – please visit us at rioc.ny.gov/tenniscourts.htm for more information or to apply.

Tram Inspection Service Changes

Leitner-Poma, operator of the Roosevelt Island Tramway, has advised that both Tram cabins are undergoing a comprehensive safety inspection. The tests began on Monday, July 28th and are scheduled to be completed by Friday, August 8th. One Tram cabin must be taken out of service during the inspection, requiring a change to its operating schedule. Please visit our website (rioc.ny.gov) for an updated operating schedule.

New Roosevelt Island Garden Club Plots To Residents Only, July 4 Fireworks Viewing Confusion, Tram Elevator/Gate Update, Sportspark Conditions, Blackwell Park Playground & Boy Scouts Subject Of RIRA ISC Committee Report

Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Island Services Committee (ISC) Chairperson Aaron Hamberger sent the following report to the May RIRA Common Council.

RIRA ISLAND ‐ SERVICES COMMITTEE (ISC) REPORT TO THE COMMON COUNCIL – 5/7/14

The ISC met on 4/21/14 with 5 members present.

Manhattan Tram Elevator ‐ We continue to experience break‐downs of the elevator. At most times the red lift is still working. In April, RIOC issued a RFP for the new elevator. It’s expected that the project will take at least one year to complete. So, we won’t have a new elevator until at least spring, 2015. Meanwhile, ISC will continue to pressure RIOC to always have personnel present to operate the red lift.

Garden Club – The new land use permit issued in April to the Garden Club specifically requires that all plots must be assigned to RI residents only.

This is one of our two major goals in providing more opportunities for residents to garden. Non‐residents will be removed from the waiting list and existing plots occupied by non‐residents will be “grandfathered” until such time as the non‐resident stops gardening. About 15% of the plots are used by non‐residents.

Tram Gate At RI Station – We’ve made little progress in resolving the issue of providing quick access to the Tram by strollers, the disabled and bikers. For a variety of reasons (including cost), RIOC has not accepted any of ISC’s suggestions on how to improve the situation. Instead of dealing with Charlene Indelicato, we will try working with Cy Opperman, RIOC Director of Transportation. We are hopeful Cy will be more receptive and aggressive in solving the gate issue.

Boy Scouts – We are making slow but steady progress in our attempt to re‐establish a Boy Scout troop on RI. Frank Farance reports that one or two potential leaders have been identified. An organizational meeting is planned for June.

Condition of Sportspark Facilities ‐ Many users of Sportspark are unsatisfied with the condition of some of the facilities and operations at Sportspark. Some of the key concerns are sanitary conditions are poor, the time for opening the pool is erratic and water temperatures need to be better controlled.

Blackwell Park Playground –Parents seem satisfied with the additional toddler equipment and signs recently installed at the playground.

July 4th Fireworks – Macy’s fireworks will return to the East River this summer. However, there is uncertainty about access to both Southpoint Park and the FDR Conservancy Park for the public to view the spectacle. ISC has contacted both RIOC and the FDR Conservancy to find out what plans, if any, each organization has to handle this event. Both organizations are “studying” the issue and have no definite plans at present. They have concerns about viewing conditions from RI. The fireworks display will be moved downriver from where it previously was. So, the view from RI might be blocked

Here's Mr. Hamburger's report and statement from RIRA Common Council Member Janet Falk objecting to current non residents being allowed to keep a Community Garden Plot for more than this coming year.



Will have more on the Roosevelt Island Community Garden Club

The beautiful community gardens at Roosevelt Island pic.twitter.com/PijCfXYqvH
— Lauren Bode (@LaurenBode) May 19, 2014

in upcoming post.

Spring Has Sprung Today, Roosevelt Island Blackwell Tot Lot Closed Earlier Today For Fence Repair - May Be Open Now

Spring has sprung and Roosevelt Island parents and their kids are ready to start using our local playgrounds. This afternoon, a Roosevelt Island Mom wrote:

Blackwell Toddler park closed.

Just thought I would share, since I went to the park and didn’t know – didn’t see it written anywhere…

The guys said the park would be closed today and also tomorrow.

I am sure this can help someone else plan their day properly!

I asked Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Charlene Indelicato about the closed Blackwell Playground. Ms. Indelicato responded:

The fence around the Tot Lot constructed by Monadnock was loose. Workers were on the site today to repair the fence by adding more support the fence posts. The work will be completed by tomorrow.

This evening, there were parents and kids enjoying

Blackwell Playground.

Hopefully, tomorrow too and the rest of the spring and summer.

RIRA Island Services Committee Report On Roosevelt Island Garden Club, Boy Scouts, FDR Park, Tram Elevators/Gate, New Library And Blackwell Park Playground

 Image Of Roosevelt Island Community Garden Plot

Below is the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Island Services Committee (ISC) March 2014 Report to the RIRA Common Council.

RIRA – ISLAND SERVICES COMMITTEE (ISC)
REPORT TO COMMON COUNCIL – 3/5/14

The ISC didn’t meet in February.

Updates on active issues:

Management of the Garden Club – In a 2/26/14 meeting with the Garden Club (GB) to discuss proposed measures to increase the number of plots to meet the demands of RI residents, the GB indicated they were not interested in using some of the border areas for gardening. They claimed shade from near-by trees and tree roots would make these areas unsuitable for gardening. They also believe that very few people would be interested in border plots as they would be smaller than the standard plots. The GB also not interested in asking RIOC for more gardening land and in giving RI residents priority in awarding plots. The only action they are willing to take is to prune the waiting list and the membership rolls to remove uninterested people and members who are not using their plots as specified in the By-Laws.

Boy Scouts – Frank France is working with Geof Kerr and Fr. Kevin Malick (of the Catholic parish) to restart the Boy Scouts. He expects we may be able to get a troop going before this summer.

4 Freedoms/FDR Park - In an exchange of e-mails between Eva Bosbach and a Park official, we learned that FDR park has provided an eating area with tables and chairs for visitors to use and they will also operate a food stand during the summer. Transportation for disabled people will be provided from the subway station and the Tram to the Memorial site using golf carts. However, visitors will need to call ahead to get this service.

Tram Elevators – The new maintenance procedures seems to be working as there have been no elevator break downs in the last 4 -5 weeks. A RFP to replace the elevators is ready to be issued.

New Public Library – Demolishment of the first floor interior of 504 Main St. is completed. Installation of new windows is underway. Start-up of the new library is still scheduled for 2017.

Blackwell Park Playground – Signs and some new equipment are being installed in the children’s playground to make the space more suitable and safer for toddlers. Some of the old toddlers equipment will be installed this spring in a yet to be selected area.

Tram Gate At RI Station – We are continuing to work with RIOC to provided quick access to the Tram for baby strollers, the disabled and bikes. The problem still remains but we’re hopeful one of our proposed solutions will be implemented by RIOC in the near future.

Aaron Hamburger, Chair – RIRA’s ISC

Report From RIOC President Charlene Indelicato Roosevelt Island Snowstorms, Sportspark, Tram Maintenance, Blackwell Playgound Signage & Red Bus Fare Eliminated

Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Charlene Indelicato sends the following report to the community.

Snow and Stormy Weather

RIOC would like to extend its thanks to Roosevelt Island drivers for responding quickly to the Snow Emergency advisories and moving their cars off the streets. Your cooperation has helped us keep the streets clean and safe throughout the consecutive storms that have affected Roosevelt Island. We thank you for your patience and for your kind words of encouragement to our staff members on the streets during this exceptionally stormy winter. We would also like to recognize the hard work of our snow removal crew for dedicating over 1,100 man hours to snow preparations and removal since mid-December.

As a reminder, in the event of a Snow Emergency, free 24-hour parking is available for Roosevelt Island residents inside the Motorgate Parking Garage (688 Main St.) in non-reserved spaces. If you have any questions or difficulty finding a parking space, please contact the Garage at (212) 832-4585 or the Roosevelt Island Public Safety Department at (212) 832-4545. You may also visit Motorgate’s offices, located on the 4th floor of the garage.

Sportspark Website

Sportspark is aiming to make information about classes, programs and facilities more easily accessible online. To that end, we are pleased to announce the debut of our new Parks & Recreation website. Starting today, Sportspark patrons will be able to view a calendar of programs and available classes online, register and pay for some classes, manage and update contact information as well as access important forms & information online. Online registration is currently only available for the upcoming session of Mommy & Me water safety classes.

If you would like to try out the new site, you can visit  rioc.recdesk.com. We encourage you to try out the new site and let us know what you think. You can report any questions, comments or issues you have to  eddie.perez@rioc.ny.gov; we look forward to receiving feedback from the community as we improve this new interface.

Sportspark Pool Repair

On February 14, 2014, a mechanical malfunction at the Sportspark Pool required the temporary closure of the facility. Emergency repairs were performed and the Pool is now open. We apologize for the inconvenience caused to the community and thank you for understanding that in order to keep the Pool in good condition, closures are sometimes necessary. We will continue to do our best to maintain the Pool and ensure that it is open and available as often as possible.

Scheduled Tram Maintenance

Weather permitting, the Tram will be undergoing scheduled repairs on Tuesday, March 4, 2014. In order to lessen the impact on travel plans, the work will begin at 10:00 p.m. and take place overnight. The Tram will resume operations at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5, 2014.

Blackwell Park Children’s Playground Signage

New signs stating playground rules and regulations have been installed at the Blackwell Park Children’s Playground. Based on the concerns and desires expressed by the community, the playground has been designated for use by children under 50” in height. This maximum height is based on the average height of a nine year old child, the upper age limit which was agreed upon during discussions with concerned residents. This will effectively address one of the primary issues brought to our attention by Island parents – that of larger children playing alongside very small children. We are grateful to the community for working with us on this project and are hoping to provide a safe, fun experience for all who will use the Playground.

Red Bus Fare Elimination

Frequent travelers on the Red Bus are reminded that beginning April 1, 2014, the $0.25 fare will be eliminated. Travelers are encouraged to use any remaining balance on their fare change cards before this date. If a balance remains on the card after the cutoff date, refunds will be available at the RIOC Bus Garage (680 Main Street) until April 30, 2014. If you have any questions, please call (212) 832-4540 for more information.

RIOC and Hudson Related Respond To Roosevelt Island Parents Concerns Over New Blackwell Park Playground - Parents Offer Some Wishes For Improvements

Blackwell Park Playground Image From Rebecca Knell

Reported previously on the concerns of some parents regarding the new Blackwell Park Playground.

... Some Roosevelt Island parents of toddlers are disappointed with the new Blackwell Park playground because it is not as suitable for young children as the Southtown Tot Lot it replaced. They also have safety concerns for the younger children because Blackwell Park playground is being used by older children and teenagers....

Image From Jamie Powell Schwartz

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) and the Southtown Development Team (Hudson Related) responded to these Blackwell Park Playground

 Image Of Blackwell Park Opening Day From RIOC

concerns with the following:

To the Parents of R.I.:

Since the new playground at Blackwell Park opened last week, we have received a number of questions from the Island’s parents and community leaders. We thought it would be fruitful to address these questions and concerns:

What was the primary goal of the new playground?

As a joint public/private effort, it was our responsibility to the Roosevelt Island community to build a safe, quality environment that would serve the broadest audience.

How was the playground designed, by what process and with what feedback? How were safety concerns addressed in the overall design?

First, it began with the location. This beautiful spot on the island was part of the 2001 Southtown Masterplan. There was a lot of thought put into incorporating the playground into the existing park fabric; it’s surrounded by mature trees for shade, close to the sprinklers and public outdoor recreation areas. The new location of the playground is a truly special place in Blackwell Park. The shady area provides a respite for the children while addressing one of the biggest concerns—lack of shade-- about the old Tot Lot; however the trees (and their root structure) defined the physical perimeter of the playground.

Once the perimeter was determined, it was necessary to provide adequate “fall zones” that define the radius of each apparatus. Most play structures require a minimum 6 feet of clear safety zone all around. You cannot install fixed objects, including barriers, in those prescribed fall zones. Given the site constraints and following these safety requirements, the new site did not allow us to provide separate apparatuses for each age group or to create barriers between age groups. We incorporated the largest play structure we could fit on the site and programmed a range of play devices for multiple ages while still meeting the safety zone requirements.

The playground review and planning process took place from March through May of 2013 by RIOC and the Southtown developers. We discussed the “lessons learned” from the existing Tot Lot and reviewed the plans, equipment, type of play surface (no wood chips, please!) and addressed concerns including equipment material, adding more benches, and adding a fence to the swing area. The result of these discussions, a final playground design, was approved for construction starting mid-June. Construction began shortly thereafter and the playground opened this past week.

Is this playground only for older kids and/or duplicative with the playground at the other end of Blackwell Park?

No. This playground was designed so that a wide range of our RI children can use it, including children as young as 6-months old and toddlers. The intent of the design was to be inclusive, not exclusive. We tried to incorporate as much diversity and choice within the site, not for a singular age cohort, because of the following key reasons:

•  Reach the largest numbers of families.
• Allow children (siblings and friends) to play concurrently since the older children’s playground is not in physical or visual proximity.
• Avoid children “aging out” of the playground as the toddler years are for only 18 months; the new playground would allow a child to find interest in the playground for a longer period of their childhood.

Is it unsafe for a toddler to play near, say, a 6-year-old on a mixed-age playground?

No. Many City parks have mixed-age play equipment and without physical separation of age cohort. Kids of different ages can concurrently and safely play at the various levels and on the different apparatus.

It is also important to note that children need to be attended by their caregivers at all times. We have installed soft play surfaces throughout the entire park, provided physical separation from the swings, and selected modern, safe, and durable play equipment that does not splinter (wood) or reflect extraordinary heat (metal). However, these things do not negate an adult’s responsibility to watch and monitor the safety of their children.

What play equipment is specifically for a younger child?

Single apparatuses specifically selected for toddlers are grouped in the South-East corner of the park, with the intention to separate them, as much as possible within the limits of the given space. The Tot’s Toddle Rocker

and the (2) Straus climbers

are designed for toddlers at ages 6 – 23 months old. The 2-Seat Spring Rider is designed for 2-5 years.

On the larger apparatus, there are a number of elements that are appropriate and designed for children age 2-5 years; two out of the three slides – the tube and the zip slides, the sloped funnel climber, the stepped platform, the nature panel, drum and steering wheel, are all designed for ages 2-5 years.

On the swings there are two out of four seats specifically for children aged 2-5 years old: the Tot Swing Seat

 and the Zero-G Swing Seat.

Stroller parking: Inside or outside?

Again, the physical perimeter of the playground was defined by the site. The playground can accommodate a number of strollers but they do take up space intended for the children. We would like to implement stroller parking outside of the playground gates.

Will there be signage added to the park?

Yes. Signage will be installed that will outline the hours of the park and other important rules such as no children without adults, no adults without children, the age range of the playground, stroller parking location and a reminder to caregivers to watch children at times.

We appreciate the feedback that we have received thus far. Any issue or concern that is brought to our attention will be closely monitored and addressed accordingly. We hope that the playground is a positive addition to the Roosevelt Island community and that children will continue to enjoy their new play space!

The Southtown Development Team and RIOC

Eva Bosbach, head of the Parents Network and Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) Common Council Member, shares this message she sent to RIOC and Hudson Related yesterday.

We would like to thank both RIOC and Hudson Related for addressing some of the concerns of parents in regards to the new Blackwell Park Playground. Please see below for a list of requests for improvements collected among the members of the RI Parents' Network (currently 250 families) which we hope Hudson Related or RIOC might be able to conduct at this point.

WISHES FOR IMPROVEMENTS in the Blackwell Park Playground, as collected from members of the RI Parents' Network:

1. Add more Baby swings and/or convert at least one of the other swings in the new playground (and if possible also some of the swings in the close-by playground behind the basketball court) to baby swings. We have swings for older children very close by. Despite our request for more baby swings during the process, their number has been reduced in half with the new playground: There is now exactly one baby swing for the whole island population of estimated 14.000 people and hundreds of babies.

2. Put a “Please keep this door closed at all times” sign on the main gate as many children and adults are leaving the gate wide open at the moment.

3. Change the standard label "5-12 years" on the main structure to a custom label "5-9 years", and add a "2-5 years" label, so that the structure is labeled for both age groups according to it's effective play elements. Sara confirmed that a) the intended playground target group is "6 months to 8/9 years old[s]" (see earlier response on 9/23/13 update) and in an earlier e-mail from 8/5/2013 stated for the main structure that "In addition there are several other features that are appropriate for the ages of 2-5 years on the large play equipment (standard labels are either “2-5” or “5-12” and our equipment is geared for both)". Matching the labels to the present equipment and intended age groups would also give the parents the possibility to refer to the signs in the many described cases of older children using the playground and posing a safety risk to the little ones.

4. Add a natural barrier like a bench or shrubs to separate the lower equipment for babies and toddlers from the main structure. The Public Safety Commission requires that “For playgrounds intended to serve children of all ages, the layout of pathways and the landscaping of the playground should show the distinct areas for the different age groups. The areas should be separated at least by a buffer zone, which could be an area with shrubs or benches. This separation and buffer zone will reduce the chance of injury from older, more active children running through areas filled with younger children with generally slower movement and reaction times.” (Section 2.2.2 Age Separation, CPSC Public Playground Safety Handbook, URL: http://www.cpsc.gov/PageFiles/122149/325.pdf ).

5. Install an emergency call box close-by (we asked for such a call box at a meeting with Erica on August 15).

6. Consider public bathrooms as part of the renovated Blackwell Park, as the closest ones right now are at the RI Tram station (we asked for close-by public bathrooms at a meeting with Erica on August 15)

7. Inform us about plans with the old Tot lot structure and possibly let us use it for the younger children somewhere on the island, perhaps in one of the courtyards of the Hudson Related buildings.

8. Confirm that Hudson Related paid both for the construction of the old Tot lot and for the construction of the new playground entirely, and clarify if tax or community dollars were allocated.

We sincerely hope that you will be able to address these wishes.

Thank you very much for all your efforts!

More on the Roosevelt Island Blackwell Park playground from previous post.

Teenagers Playing On Top Of Swings In New Roosevelt Island Blackwell Park Playground Raise Safety Issues For Parents Of Toddlers And Younger Children

Some Roosevelt Island parents of toddlers are disappointed with the new Blackwell Park playground because it is not as suitable for young children as the Southtown Tot Lot it replaced. They also have safety concerns for the younger children because Blackwell Park playground is being used by older children and teenagers. As reported previously by Roosevelt Island parent Avery:

it's a beautiful new park, and the shaded location is wonderful. The kids seem to be having a great time. As the mother of a soon-to-be toddler though, I'm so sad to see the old tot lot go, and I know that several other parents of toddlers feel the same. The new play structure is rated for children 5-12, and is definitely way to big for the 2-3 year olds. The only equipment for the little ones are a low swing and some balance boards, but these are not physically separated from the big kids area so are being used by the big kids, which push the little ones away. Also, we are down to only one bucket swing now, which is sad. Anyway, it's a shame that there are so many playgrounds for kids 5+ on the island, but we have lost the only one for kids 1-5. Can I hope that the old tot lot equipment will reappear somewhere else on the island?

Another reader added:

As an early childhood specialist, I can attest to the concerns of the "toddler" parents. Infants and toddlers cannot share a playground without a fenced in area protecting toddler section from older children. The older kids are just being kids. Not their fault. The fault lies with whoever designed this playground space. It appears they were cutting corners. A toddler park within a park for all ages can be done. It just takes a little more knowledge of child development and some good ole "common sense". ONE Infant/Toddler swing?? Come on! Really?!

Sarah Willard, of Blackwell Park playground developer Hudson Related, explains:

... Our goal all along was to allow a full “arc of ages” (6 months to 8/9 years old) to play in the same playground so that 1) siblings could concurrently play and that 2) a toddler would not “age out” of the playground quickly. The next playground in Blackwell Park is nowhere within visual or physical proximity of this playground—a caregiver could not safely watch a 2- year-old and a 6-year-old playing in two separate playgrounds. Even on the large play apparatus, we dialed in play equipment for pre-toddler (at the ground level), toddlers and 2-5, including one of the two slides. I sent to the RI Parents Group the specs of the toddler and 2-5 play equipment and can do that again if parents would like the information.

The tree perimeter defined how large the playground could be given that these were some of the most mature trees on the island to utilize their shade; we could not tear down trees to build the tot lot. Given the site constraints, we could only have one large play apparatus (for multiple ages) and a few smaller play devices, all with their prescribed fall zones.

It is not unusual to have children of mixed ages playing in the same park. I see this all the time where elementary school kids and toddlers are in the same City Park—often they are siblings....

Roosevelt Island parent Jamie Powell Schwartz shares these photos of teenagers playing on top of the Blackwell Park playground swings:

... as illustrative of safety concerns posed by older "children" using the playground unsupervised....

Image From Jamie Powell Schwartz

Image From Jamie Powell Schwartz

adding:

Look how dangerous this is to kids using swings

Update On New Roosevelt Island Blackwell Park Playground - RIOC Sends A Response To Equipment Safety Concerns From Parents But Does Not Address Issue Of Toddler Safety From Older Kids

A Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) representative responded today to some of the concerns raised by Roosevelt Island parents to the new Blackwell Park playground

Roosevelt Island Blackwell Park Playground This Afternoon

that opened last Thursday. These concerns, as expressed by Avery on Playground Grand Opening post, are:

it's a beautiful new park, and the shaded location is wonderful. The kids seem to be having a great time. As the mother of a soon-to-be toddler though, I'm so sad to see the old tot lot go, and I know that several other parents of toddlers feel the same. The new play structure is rated for children 5-12, and is definitely way to big for the 2-3 year olds. The only equipment for the little ones are a low swing and some balance boards, but these are not physically separated from the big kids area so are being used by the big kids, which push the little ones away. Also, we are down to only one bucket swing now, which is sad. Anyway, it's a shame that there are so many playgrounds for kids 5+ on the island, but we have lost the only one for kids 1-5. Can I hope that the old tot lot equipment will reappear somewhere else on the island?

and:

Saw another parent walking off with a screw their child had found in the playground today. They seem to all be falling out from underneath the balance boards.The gate to the swings is now stuck open and wedged on the ground.

The RIOC representative sent the following email concerning issues raised about the new Blackwell Park playground:

I am reaching out to the various island community leaders to inform them that we have been notified that there have been two issues reported to RIOC regarding the new playground. As soon as I received this information, I reported it back to the responsible parties. The update was provided to me:

1) Broken Latch to entry gate: the latch that is broken is not the main gate, but rather the latch on the disabled accessible gate leading to the swings. It was picked up this morning and will have new reinforcements put in. It is believed that kids and or adults are hanging on the gate because it has a wide arc (for wheelchairs). The installer was instructed to stiffen the entire gate just in case this theory is in fact true. It will be reinstalled this week.

2) Screws Found near balance board apparatus: The bolts in question are believed to originate from two of the gray base pads of the balancer (the small play equipment to help kids learn to balance). Although this should have not occurred, this does not affect safety or use but is definitely a high priority to be replaced. The playground equipment installer is scheduled to make repairs tomorrow with replacement bolts for all of the equipment and will a) replace the balancer missing bolts and b) confirm that all other equipment bolts are in and secured.

Roosevelt Island parent Luisana Santana provides this report on last Thursday's Blackwell Park Playground Opening Day.

“Everyone loves a new playground” were the remarks of the president of the Roosevelt Island Resident Association, Ellen Polivy

Image From RIOC

minutes before the Grand Opening of The Blackwell Park Children’s Playground. Children and their parents had obviously been anticipating the grand opening of this playground whose construction started on June 2013 by Monadnock Construction.

Fay Christian, RIOC Board of Directors,

Image From RIOC

made the opening speech addressing the issues that gave birth to the project. This new location of the playground is really part of the original plans of the Southtown Development. “RIOC was instrumental in approving the project and working closely with Hudson/Related to assure that safety concerns from parents of the community were addressed” as stated by Erica Spencer-El, RIOC Director of Community Relations, in an email.

The brand new playground features equipment to suit a wide variety of children from 6 months to 8 years old. Addressing a previous issue of parents having to leave the Tot lot and walk to another playground in order for older children to play. There were no woodchips on site and the playground pavement was of rubber flooring, this floor is very safe for kids of all ages. There is enough space outside the playground for parents to leave their strollers and enough benches on site. Natural shades is also provided by the trees all around the playground enclosing it in a cocoon of shade and the warm breeze that only Roosevelt Island brings.

Image From RIOC

Fay addressed this new playground location as the“perfect spot” and I remember playing on these grounds as a kid and my favorite part of The Island is where the new playground is. Now that I think of it, I loved that place because of the breeze these trees bring on a hot summer day and I am glad that no tree was sacrificed in order to make the new playground.

The area is very peaceful to spend some play time with the young children in your family. Now, I just hope that all the safety concerns were really addressed and parents would feel much more relaxed as their children play in this new playground.

Roosevelt Island parent Susana del Campo Perea describes her experience at the new playground:

My daughter was eager to get into the playground since last Saturday. She even threw a fit to be let in, but of course Daddy didn't have the key to unlock the gate and we finally convinced her that Thursday, the Grand Opening, was around the corner. My 20 month old girl just wants to play in the new blue and yellow attraction.

So Thursday 9/19 arrives, and she is taking her nap late. We didn't make it to the formal inauguration. so? We still went later to enjoy the first day of the new tot-lot..... Mmmmhhh Pardon me, but the new playground is designed exclusively for children over 5 years old. Like all the rest of the EXISTENT ones in Roosevelt Island (RI)

We got to the gate of Blackwell Park around 6:00 pm 9/19. My daughter was a happy camper. We had to leave the stroller outside due to the large amount of persons (3/4 kids, 1/4 adults) inside the playground. My "diaper bag" (a Tram tote bag) hangs from my stroller with my apt keys, my wallet, my cell phone and the essentials that every parent needs to take care of a toddler, had to be left outside. There's so much I can do to help my daughter in the new playground, being 7 months pregnant and carrying the diaper bag at the same time.

There was a "balloon guy" inside the playground, doing all kind of balloon shapes for the kids. Of course, with a charge. The most popular things we saw, pirate spades.

My daughter lets go of my hand and runs towards the steps of the slide. Great. She had no issue climbing and she is very happy. All of a sudden, her smile change to grim. Older kids (between 8 -12) were running up and down the structure, pushing everyone they found on their way. My daughter is a casualty of this. These kids even stepped on a toddler's fingers. They don't even notice, they are to busy playing to be pirates. Of course, that's when mom steps in. I started telling every single kid old enough to behave and understand that pushes my daughter to be careful, that she is very young. So she is happy, nervous and smart enough not to let go of the handrail of the structure. So she is down the first slide: the spiral one. Success!!

She goes back up again and again and again. The only thing is that she is being Bullied by the older kids. They push her down the slide, they cut into her when she is about to go down the slide, they frightened her cause they are climbing the slide from the bottom up... several times. She can't take it anymore. She is hit by an older boy (around the age of 10) that decided to throw his Hot-wheels car from the bottom of the toboggan slide all the way up. She is upset, she doesn't know what happened, she didn't see it coming, mom didn't see it coming. I was too busy instructing the kids not to push her down the toboggan slide, neither cutting her turn when this metallic car hit her cheek!!! I grab the car and throw it away. Grab my kid the best way I could, cause this structure is not even parent accessible to be able to grab our kids in case of an accident. I have this baby bump, and it was very difficult to reach for my daugther.

As I am getting her away of the mayhem of the slides, near the 2 big chunk of plastic designed supposedly for 6-24 month old, I look around and as I count grown-ups (total of 12) I see that the swings are being used by teenagers (or very tall kids). The 4 swings are being use by older kids. They barely fit inside the ONLY TODDLER SWING in the whole Island. And then another 2 girls standing on top of the "special needs" toddler swing. And I noticed that the chains that support this one from the top rail are different and thinner than the other 3 swings.

My daughter tried the 2 blue structures for toddlers.

She can barely stand up on this things. They are crooked, they are rounded, incline to one side. She is investigating what this things are when the older kids start running around, chasing each other. She gets frightened. Too frightened from all the yelling and the giants coming after her again. She started crying and run towards the door, I am calmly waiting to see what is she trying to do. And then I panicked: THE DOOR IS OPEN! Some kids around 6-9 years old came inside the playground and left the door open (no adult coming before them or after them, they were ALONE)... My dauaghter is almost out when I reached out and was able to grab her hoodie. She is desperate to get out... is too much for her. Older Kids keep coming in and out, and they do not care about the gate being closed. So parents, like me trying to console my daughter, keep closing the gate more times that we can count. Finally, my daughter calms down and wants to try the slides again.

Here we go. I tell her: Don't let the older kids bully you. If you are pushed, tell NO NO to them and don't let go the handrail. So she is still being pushed and ran down by older kids. I keep thinking: weren't we supposed to get a REPLACEMENT for the TODDLER PLAYGROUND? WHY DID WE GET ANOTHER CHILDREN PLAYGROUND? We already have 5 in the island...

The tot-lot was the only playground with TODDLER slides and steps, and was easy accesible for parents to grab their kid in case on an accident or a sudden fit/tantrum. With this new structure it is totally unaccessible to ACT FAST!!!

So here's my daughter getting familiar with the structure when she suddenly peaks out from one of the top "holes".... "Oh No!! don't do it!! Keep walking!!" I yelled to her. She is all smiles trying to copy what OLDER kids do, she is gonna fall down. I can't climb to get her, I am PREGNANT. I raised my arms, DAMN I can only reach her shins, barely. My heart is accelerated. No parent around to help me, I can't keep the eyes on my daughter. It is too high. I am 5' 7" (1.70 m) and I can't reach her, I can't climb. What if she falls down cause her head is what weights more than the rest of her body (this is science not something I made up), what if an older kid playing pushes her and she falls down? Finally she decided to come down through the structure and the same way she went up. Daddy arrives, I am saved, my daughter is saved I can start breathing again.

Daddy keeps her on track on the slides and helps her avoiding the NOT Safe stairs with all this older kids running up and down. I am sitting down, just talking with the few grown ups that I already know.

All the dads and moms  are telling me: what a waste! the tot-lot was perfect for our kids and in this new (playground) everything is too big for them, it is unsafe. They can't climb up by themselves and we have to deal with 10 yrs old bullying our kids. A long time resident, 17 yrs living in RI, with a 3 yr old girl is telling me: What is the point of having 2 playgrounds, almost identical, a few feet away of each other, meant for older kids. I don't want my 3 yr old playing with almost TEENAGERS and being push around by older kids. Their parents are not here, so they can do as they pleased.

Our excursion to the playground the day of the formal inauguration was between 6:00pm to 7:15pm

The next day, we went there again. With the older kids at school and close to naptime it will be better for my daughter. It was!! Her friends were there: 3 toddlers 3yrs old, a 17 month old girl and several other kids around her age (Well, I should say the usual crowd age of the OLD TOT LOT). They all are having a great time. Of course, all the moms and nannies are keeping a very close watch on how they climb the stairs and when they are in the top part with 2 big holes on both sides of the structure. We realize our kids are ok, but we started talking about how the younger kids have to be tough and either learn to play with gear meant for 5 yrs old at least or learn not to play at all in this playground or any other one.

So the comments and comparing and complaining about not having a TODDLER Playground when mom "B" tells me that the swing door is broken.  You can't close it or open it. Finally a Dad comes to the playground and opens it for us all the way so the kids can't get injured with it and parents don't have to deal with it. Too bad, the spaces of the fence are too wide that a Toddler foot can get stuck there, in between the broken swing door.

So we keep complaining, and pointing out how wrong was Hudson Related, RIOC and the "parent's only heard voice" on allowing having this structure to REPLACE the TOT LOT. REPLACE is the most important word. REPLACE!! Not Change, Similar, Exchange, Alter, Modify. We needed a replace, switch, substitution of a TODDLER structure for another.

What are those blue and grey things in the middle of the play area? We are trying to find meaning to them. Finally it comes to me: Baby slides! (WTF) Yeah! Supposedly, to those round things that have a curve the baby stands and then the baby "walks" or crawls the 3 tiny steps (all crooked to one side and then to the other. If you put a marble it will slide to one of the lateral sides. This "steps" are awful!) until getting to the top round grey thing and from there slide down to the other.... This silly things make no sense. And there's little E, 17 months old, figuring out on her own as any other child in the world. She is trying to climb the structure and she fell down backwards. Tears! Her 2 brothers trying the swings. They are so high that they can't even sit down on them, so what they do: they bend over the swings and started swinging themselves. Clever!

Our friend arrives and our daughters want to go to the swings now.... So my daughter has to use the "special needs" swing. It is hard to open it, finally she's sitting down but not very happy. She wants to use the regular toddler swing, but it is being used and THERE'S ONLY ONE for the whole RI. I closed the "lid" of the swing and surprise!!! Her eyes are barely seen. this thing is TOO big for her and it even is as reclined as the ones in Central Park. She is sitting pretty nice and tall and straight. Aren't this swings supposed to be a little inclined so the "lid" could be close and open easily with the child inside??

Then we get an email from a parent of a baby with a video and picture: the screws are falling down the awkward blue structures and one is completely out and laying in the ground. I walk fast to this 2 awkward things, get on my knees and peek underneath them. As much as my body allows me to do. I got it!! The long screw (at least 8 inches long) with the round thin washer. Just there ready for any kid to grab it. My friend B and another dad were also kneeling down and we saw 5 more screws hanging down but we were unable to retrieve them....
Not even 24hrs open to the public and the playground is falling down to pieces...

I can go on and on and on, and I am not criticizing I am being objective. My kid is happy, to some point, in this playground.

I just received a call from my friend B saying that the park was crowded again by "hyper older kids". So to avoid another injury to my toddler daughter, we're staying away of that playground this afternoon. I don't want another bruised cheek or something worst.

Oh! I forgot to mention, the "fence" put in is so easily climbed over. Our kids feet fit just perfect to climb over. Who was the genious to select that kind of (cheap and unsafe) fence? Who decided such cheap piece of equipment to be installed? Who decided that toddlers were Ok in not having any slide age appropiate for them? The same voices that are telling the rest of the residents: we don't want to hear from you?

That's all I have for now. Hope it works and RiOC you are responsible for any injury in this faulty, unsafe, bad assembled playground.

I spoke to several parents at the playground this afternoon which, at the time, was not very crowded. They loved the new playground and did not think that there would be much of a problem with older kids intimidating younger children. Their attitude was that the children have to learn to get along with each other.

UPDATE 9:45 PM - Earlier today I asked Hudson Related and RIOC to comment on the concerns of Roosevelt Island parents regarding the new Blackwell Park playground. Have not received any answer from RIOC, but Hudson Related's Sarah Willard replied:

Opening:

· RIOC announced the opening and there were an unusual number of kids playing all at the same time. I will say that given the number of kids in a relatively small space, it was an amazingly positive event.

Items for repair:

· the latch (and the gate) on the handicap accessible gate to the swings was bent last week. It was picked up this morning and will have new reinforcements put in. Kids are hanging on the gate because it has a wide arc (for wheelchairs), so I asked the installer to stiffen the whole gate too assuming kids will hang on it. It will be reinstalled this week.

· The bolts in question we believe are two off of the gray base pad of the balancer (the small play equipment to help kids learn to balance). This does not affect safety or use but obviously will need to get replaced. The playground equipment installer, Cosetti, is coming tomorrow with bolts for all of the equipment and will a) replace the balancer missing bolts and b) confirm that all other equipment bolts are in and tight.

Age use:

· Our goal all along was to allow a full “arc of ages” (6 months to 8/9 years old) to play in the same playground so that 1) siblings could concurrently play and that 2) a toddler would not “age out” of the playground quickly. The next playground in Blackwell Park is nowhere within visual or physical proximity of this playground—a caregiver could not safely watch a 2- year-old and a 6-year-old playing in two separate playgrounds. Even on the large play apparatus, we dialed in play equipment for pre-toddler (at the ground level), toddlers and 2-5, including one of the two slides. I sent to the RI Parents Group the specs of the toddler and 2-5 play equipment and can do that again if parents would like the information.

· The tree perimeter defined how large the playground could be given that these were some of the most mature trees on the island to utilize their shade; we could not tear down trees to build the tot lot. Given the site constraints, we could only have one large play apparatus (for multiple ages) and a few smaller play devices, all with their prescribed fall zones.

· It is not unusual to have children of mixed ages playing in the same park. I see this all the time where elementary school kids and toddlers are in the same City Park—often they are siblings.

· RIOC and I are working on a donated used toddler toy program at the park (push toys, balls, play cars, etc) like they have at Bleecker Park in the Village. New toys unfortunately get stolen, but donated old toys are a community-building, it-takes-a-village way of kids learning how to share at an early age. These toys would be almost entirely for use by the toddlers (a 4 year old would not need a push toy to learn to walk).