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AGENCY TESTIMONY
Improvements to the athletic field permitting process
0:25:01
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3 min
NYC Parks has made significant strides in making the athletic field permitting process more accessible, transparent, and equitable. Key improvements include a user-friendly searchable field and court availability map and an athletic permit inspection program.
- The availability map allows users to see real-time field availability and current usage
- The inspection program has conducted approximately 6,725 inspections, addressing unused permits
- Agency rules and permit fee schedules were updated in November 2024 to allow for more equitable access
- Changes include priority status for nonprofit youth sports leagues and schools, and new fee structures for other organizations
Margaret Nelson
0:25:01
With this incredible project, we'll be delivering sorely needed improvements to these multi sport fields, including a new drainage system, drinking fountains, misting tower, new fencing, dugouts and backstops, and new sports lighting that will provide for over five thousand additional permit hours for sports leagues and teams to enjoy.
0:25:21
Despite this dedicated effort to increase and improve our portfolio, there will always be far more demand for the use of our athletic fields and courts than we can accommodate with existing space.
0:25:32
So we do our best to prioritize requests fairly and thoughtfully.
0:25:38
We are proud to share that in recent years, the agency has made significant strides in making the athletic field permitting process less cumbersome, more transparent, and more equitable for our users.
0:25:50
In 2022, we improved our user friendly searchable field and court availability map on our agency website.
0:25:58
This tool gives permit applicants and permit holders the ability to see current usage and real time availability for a field or court.
0:26:06
In addition, the tool allows community members to see when their local field is unpermitted and therefore available to use for recreation.
0:26:15
In 2023, the agency initiated an athletic permit inspection program to address various concerns raised by permit holders such as fields and courts being unused during permitted times.
0:26:29
Since its launch, members of the parks team, including athletic permit coordinators and our parks enforcement patrol officers, have conducted approximately 6,725 inspections identifying and addressing roughly 1,500 instances of unused permits.
0:26:47
During these inspections, we also ensure that permit holders are in compliance with parks permitting rules and regulations verifying that permitted organizations are using the field or court in accordance with the approved permit.
0:27:01
As a result, permit holders are in greater compliance with parks rules and regulations and we're seeing a significant decrease in unused permitted time which allows us to reallocate permitted hours to deserving applicants.
0:27:15
In November of twenty twenty four, we updated our agency rules and permit fee schedule to allow for more equitable access for nonprofit community organizations, increasing transparency, and improving customer service for in demand ball fields and courts.
0:27:30
Through these changes, we have sought to address the dominance of for profit organizations that often have greater resources to obtain permitted space as we strive to ensure better equity and fair access.
0:27:43
Nonprofit 501c3 youth sports leagues and schools maintain their priority status in the application period and continue to be exempt from athletic permit fees while other youth sports leagues now pay a modest hourly athletic permit fee.
0:27:59
We also sought to reduce or eliminate it eliminate empty permitted fields and to discourage permit holders from requesting unneeded space ensuring greater access for local community residents.
0:28:10
The rules changes introduced defined game and practice categories and also clarified that non usage of a permit or the provision of false information in a permit application are grounds for revocation so we can get permits in the hands of groups that need them and actually use them.