| Author |
Message |
    
egreenfi
Citizen
Username: Egreenfi
Post Number: 16
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 6, 2002 - 3:54 pm: |     |
I've been wanting to get an answer to some questions for quite some time. I hope this is the place to get them.
Many of the playing fields in town are in disgraceful condition. The field that concerns me most -- and it does concern me greatly -- is Chyzowych, a/k/a Old Waterlands. For those who don't know, this field is off of Parker Avenue, between Valley Street and Maplewood Avenue. To get to the field, you enter via an unlighted, narrow, pot-holed road, and then must pass what seems to be a schoolbus parking lot/junkyard. Continuing on this pot-holed route, enter the so-called parking lot, which is little more than a pocked opening between piles of rubble and I-don't-know-what. Then there are the fields - muddy, uneven, with a few broken benches for those silly enough to want to linger. What's astonishing is that sporting events, attended by out-of-towners, are held at this park. How embarrassing for us!
Many times, it has been explained to me that Maplewood owns the park and leases it to S.O. (or is it the other way around?), which leases it to organizations, such as the Cougar Soccer Club. So, it has been explained, no municipal entity has any interest in improving the facility, since they don't use it, they just lease it to third parties. My son is a member of that club, and like hundreds and hundreds of youngsters, attends practice at this park every week. I have seen young children fall while passing through the parking lot; I have seen vehicles drive dangerously close to children trying to make their way to the fields.
What I haven't seen is any evidence that anyone at the municipal level cares one bit about the well-being of young citizens using the park. What will it take -- being sued for an injury caused by the deplorable conditions there? Do we have to wait for a tragedy and litigation to see improvements to this park?
I would love for someone with some authority to respond. I would love even more to see the deplorable conditions abated.
Thank you. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 2292
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 5:29 am: | |
I believe that the TC approved a plan that would turn the area school bus parking lot into a roller hockey rink. This area used to be used by South Orange as a dump and sorting area for leafs and construction materials, but I don't believe that this is still the case.
Virtually, all sports fields in SOM are overused and in bad shape. Given the demand for youth sports and the lack of space to build new facilities it is extremely difficult to take a field out of service for the year it takes to renovate it and let the new grass become established and it is expensive to do this. I believe the Cougar Soccer Club has plans to redo Old Waterlands, but lacks the funds to do so. |
Jerry Ryan
Citizen
Username: Gerardryan
Post Number: 1013
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 9:46 am: | |
South Orange owns the Old Waterlands property. It is thus, from the Maplewood point of view, private property... and private property that is not taxed, to boot. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 2294
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 9:59 am: | |
Jerry, the soccer field area is in SO, however, I was always under the impression that the area now used as a bus park was in MW and used by the SO Public Works Department for recycling under some sort of lease arrangement. |
us2innj
Citizen
Username: Us2innj
Post Number: 430
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 4:28 pm: | |
bobk, where did you hear this about the roller hockey rink, Maplewood or SO TC's?
I would be very interested to know more about the use, supervision and hours of operation for this type of project since we are directly behind that location. |
kathy
Citizen
Username: Kathy
Post Number: 463
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 10:43 pm: | |
BobK, I thought the opposite, that South Orange leased the land to Maplewood who used it for recycling (or leaf mulching).
In whichever case, it is definitely an area in need of some TLC. |
Jerry Ryan
Citizen
Username: Gerardryan
Post Number: 1014
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, November 17, 2002 - 11:21 pm: | |
Bob: It's all in South Orange. Kathy's right that Maplewood had leased a corner of the property for leaf mulching, but that hasn't been the case for about 6-7 years now. I know of no plan before the Maplewood TC about that property. |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 2295
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, November 18, 2002 - 4:43 am: | |
Guess I was confused again, sorry 'bout that.
Us - I believe I read this in the News Record, but apparently about SO, not MW. Last summer it seems like everytime I stopped off in SO for a Starbucks fix someone was circulating a petition. Since the soccer people, who I am still somewhat involved with, also had eyes on this area it stuck in my mind. But, given my recent track record for confusion, who knows? You might want to ask Andy Brady at the SO Rec Department if you are still curious. |
egreenfi
Citizen
Username: Egreenfi
Post Number: 25
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, November 18, 2002 - 10:28 am: | |
Thanks to you all for your comments.
I'm still interested to know what entity is responsible for the condition of the roadway and the lack of lighting there. |
Jerry Ryan
Citizen
Username: Gerardryan
Post Number: 1016
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, November 18, 2002 - 12:40 pm: | |
egreenfi: it's private property. it's the responsibility of the property owner. |
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