UPDATED – see the end of this story.
Valentino Pier park has become the latest flash point in Red Hook’s transformation from a sleepy backwater community into a destination spot. First, fences sprouted up suddenly, taking park regulars, including attendees of the Red Hook Flicks, by surprise. It turned out that the Parks Department decided to implement some repairs/improvements to the park, including replacing the gravel paths with asphalt, and taking steps to protect the retaining wall from pools of salt water splashed over it during high tides and spray.
The community was upset and Council member Carlos Menchaca hastily arranged a town meeting with Brooklyn Park Commissioner Kevin Jeffrey. At that meeting Jeffrey apologized with the lack of community outreach, and belatedly introduced the changes to a crowded meeting at the Red Hook Library. After a smaller second meeting, Menchaca decided to advise Parks to go ahead with the plan – a scheduled one month project.
At that meeting, Jeffrey’s mentioned that a second park renovation was in the works, this being a comfort station. He said that the comfort station was still in the planning changes, and agreed to present it before the Community Board next meeting of the Parks Committee.
That meeting took place this past week and Jeffrey intr0duced a park planner and an architect who presented plans for the 4 stall bathroom. Faced with all sort of building code and FEMA regulations, it turns out that this bathroom will cost the city upwards of $2.4 million. The money had originally been allocated by Councilwoman Sara Gonzales, and was supplanted with an additional $500,000 from Borough President Eric Adams, and Gonzales successor Carlos Menchaca to make it FEMA compliant.
Many in the audience that night, which included park enthusiast Allison Reeves, architect and NY Rising leader Gita Nandan, and CB 6 member and local real estate broker Victoria Hagman, felt that the park plan was a bit over the top, especially – as one audience member calculated – for a cost of $4,000 per square foot.
There are many in Red Hook, especially NY Foundry owner and daily park user Paige Tooker, who feel that the park is perfect, and no changes at all are needed or wanted. Others felt that a more modest proposal was in order.
The Parks representative insisted that this is what comfort stations cost nowadays, and did not seem to think that anything less could be built. Lee Wellington, Menchaca’s chief of staff, told the Star-Revue that capital fund grants must be used for the designated project, or else the money is probably lost.
An informal survey of park goers today revealed a wide spectrum of thoughts on this proposal.
Many we spoke with were not from the area, and more than a few felt that every park should have a bathroom of some sort. One woman told us that many mothers bring their toddlers to the park, and a diaper changing room would be fabulous. Another, asked if she thought a more modest idea, such as a port-a-potty, might suffice, told us that she would NEVER use a Port-A-Potty. We encountered locals who said that if they felt the urge, they could go back home. Just about everybody felt that $2.4 million for basically 4 toilets seemed like a lot of money.
In other words, most people feel a comfort station would not be a bad idea, but that a park the size of Valentino does not need something too extravagant.
There is already a petition on the subject of the bathroom proposal. Paige Tooker, who was active in No Toxic Red Hook, circulated the following:
In response, resident and local activist Andrea Sansom wrote:
One Comment
I thought the budget was a quater million not 2.5 million!
What happens in the winter when the park is not a tourist attraction, when key lime and Hometown are shuttered and the traffic is mostly locals?
We’ll be stuck with this monstrosity .
I agree the foot print for this is way to large for such a small park.
Is it really not possible for the parks depatment to supply us with a modest lutrine?