Letter Requesting that Manhattan Parks Commissioner William Castro Accept the Transfer of the La Guardia Gardens from the NYC Dept. of Transporation
December 2, 2004
Hon. William Castro
Deputy Commissioner — Manhattan
NYC Parks Dept.
Arsenal West
16 West 61st Street
New York, NY 10023
Dear Mr. Castro,
The Greenwich Village Block Associations is a community wide coalition dedicated
to preserving and improving the quality of life for residents of our historic
community. As part of that mandate we support improvements to our parks and
further expansion of our city parks system. Recently, we have been informed
that a controversy has developed regarding the modest garden area at La Guardia
Place and Bleecker Street. Residents treasure La Guardia Gardens and enjoy
its charm and historic significance. This small plot was created with the
intent of building a walk-in garden with a statue of Fiorello LaGuardia as
its focal point. It was always meant to be part of the public trust overseen
by the New York City Parks Department.
The land is currently owned by the New York City Department of Transportation.
This agency has consistently indicated a willingness to formally transfer
the La Guardia Gardens land to the NYC Parks Dept.; this transfer seems appropriate
and sensible. At one time the Parks Dept. indicated receptivity to the idea.
For reasons that remain unarticulated, New York University has interfered
with this land transfer. The NYC Parks Dept. advised that it has what appears
to be an arbitrary and capricious "policy" that a neighbor may
oppose such a transfer. In that case, the NYC Parks Dept. will refuse to
accept the property and maintain it as part of the city parks system. Without
public review of a relevant decision it seems evident that this policy is
subject to abuse and may often directly conflict with the public interest;
we believe that this is the case with regard to the land transfer of the
LaGuardia Gardens. The NYC Parks Department has an obligation to promote
the public welfare particularly, when it does not onerously impact the interests
of a specific, if powerful, constituent.
The GVBA believes that it is incumbent upon New York University to publicly
explain why it is blocking the land transfer. NYU has located its new student
orientation center directly behind the La Guardia statue. The Morton Williams/NYU
property does lie behind the community garden so NYU may encounter complications
if it opts to eventually build on this site. But these gardens are of such
community significance that they should not be held hostage to potential
unspecified NYU building plans. The transfer of this property to the parks
department would allow for better care and assure neighbors that they will
not lose this treasured amenity to future construction.
The GVBA suggests that the NYC Parks Department enter into a public discussion
of why the land transfer has been impeded and review its decision to simply “go
along” with NYU’s objections. We are confident that NYU could
work around any possible impediment that the Gardens might create; the community
should not suffer because of unchecked institutional selfishness. Thank you.
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