"Before we had trees, and could see through (them) to the railroad tracks... They (Queens West) spoon-fed us and we thought it would look good, but we got the ugly side of the wall!" said one participant.
One resident described her wrecked shed, saying that construction "workers were hopping from shed to shed." Then she complained that late-night basketball players "blow whistles until the wee hours of the morning. Who owns this park? No one is taking responsibility for it."
Dan Jennings said that the park was to have "a green belt, but they did not deliver much green, and there is more active space than we thought." He also expressed concerns about property values and intruders.
"People climbing over the wall" concerns Joseph M. Savino. He added that "They took down our fences--some they just chopped up and left there."
They have only painted the beams behind the residents, the ones behind the businesses were left untouched.
The newly formed 49th Avenue Block Association agreed to hold future meetings to determine action on grievances such as security, safety and noise. Before construction began, the Coalition and area residents warned Queens West of severe design problems in the park plan. The Coalition will provide technical assistance as needed.
To contact the Hunters Point Community Coalition
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Hunters Point Community Coalition