TESTIMONY
Darren Hinton, Member of the Public on the Need to Increase Funding for NYC Parks and Maintenance Issues at the Parade Grounds in Prospect Park
7:34:27
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103 sec
Hinton advocates for increased funding of at least 1% of the budget for NYC parks, which he states are necessities, not luxuries.
- He frequently visits the Parade Grounds at Prospect Park for soccer games
- But the comfort stations are often locked, leaving people with no restroom options
- The turf is decaying, with plastic grains piling up in places where children play
- The tall fences have few entry points, making accessibility difficult
- Spending more on parks would solve these maintenance issues across the city
Darren Hinton
7:34:27
Hi.
7:34:28
My name is Darren Hinton.
7:34:30
I thank you, counsel, member, Brennan, and Robert Holden.
7:34:33
For, you know, still being here.
7:34:36
And, you know, for many years, I have been visiting parks all over the city and making videos about them.
7:34:42
I love learning about the history of each place and to believe every park has a story.
7:34:47
I have spoken to landscape architects, friends groups, park conservancies, city council members, and former New York City park commissioners about parks.
7:34:56
They all say the same thing.
7:34:57
Parks are not luxuries.
7:34:59
They are necessities.
7:35:01
These places need at least 1% of the budget devoted to them.
7:35:05
I have been traveling to speck park parade grounds for multiple times a week for soccer games.
7:35:11
It is great to have these fields, but the parade grounds has many issues.
7:35:14
For starters, The comfort stations are often locked.
7:35:18
With usage well into the evening, children and adults have no other options nearby.
7:35:23
Additionally, the turf itself is in various forms of decay.
7:35:28
One thing is certain, when you arrive home, you will have a shoe full of small plastic plastic grains from the disintegrating turf.
7:35:36
In some places, this hopefully not toxic material is piled into mounds and children are playing in it.
7:35:43
Accessibility is another factor.
7:35:46
Parade grounds is surrounded by a tall black vent with few entry points.
7:35:50
Any entry points besides the main entrances are locked.
7:35:53
It is not unusual to walk a significant distance to get to the field you need to be at.
7:35:59
Maybe I'm just complaining, but one thing I believe is spending more money on our parks would solve some of these issues, not just at parade grounds, but all over the city.
7:36:09
Thank you.