It took a long time, but after replacing the old chairperson with Brad Hoylman, CB2 has become an active force in getting
the message that the Park design is too drastic a change.
They rescinded their support of the redesign plans based on the stonewalling of the City regarding showing them the plans.
They demanded and got a view of the plans at a special meeting of the Washington Square Park Task Force, which includes
some CB2 members as well as the new chairman Brad Hoylman. However, the City still wouldn't give the Task Force a copy of
the plans. They made it available only at their office on the West Side during business hours, making it difficult for working
members to see them.
We welcome Community Board 2 to our fight. We think that the information below is now considered history worth telling...
October 2005
In October, the Community Board #2 Parks Committee proposed and voted by a wide margin in favor of City Council Members Alan
Gerson and Christine Quinn's compromise design changes. There were also two resolutions voted on, to leave the sunken central
fountain area below grade level as it is now, and to leave the fountain in place. The crowd was loud and vociferous in favor
of these resolutions, and the CB#2 Parks Committee voted for these resolutions by a wide margin as well...
But on October 20th, the full Community Board decided not to even vote on these resolutions. Instead, a new one was introduced
which accepted Mr.Gerson and Ms. Quinn's compromise and affirmed the Board's earlier backroom vote in April. They apparently
knuckled under to the City's threats to withhold all funding if the plan wasn't approved. From this site's point of view,
we're not quite sure how the City's threat of withholding funds is any different from the years of City neglect of the condition
of the Park, leaving it in a condition where they claim redesign is the only alternative. The Board wants construction started
in Spring 2006, with Phase 1 being the central area of the fountain and plaza.
