Plan To Lower Fences In Tompkins Square Park Sparks Concern

by Michael Dobuski | 02/27/2017 | 5:00am

Michael Dobuski, WFUV News

The New York City Parks Department is trying to make it's parks more open and welcoming to visitors, as part of their Parks Without Borders campaign. One of the methods the Department is considering is adjusting the height of fences around playgrounds. But in Tompkins Square Park on the Lower East Side, lowering the fences has many in the neighborhood concerned.

The fence around the playground bordering Avenue B is seven feet tall. The Parks Department wants to lower it to four feet. Bill Castro, the Department's Manhattan Commissioner, says lowering the fences would "give a great sense of relaxation and space, which people really need in a place like New York."

But Councilwoman Rosie Mendez says lowering the fences around the playground could make it easier for the homeless to access the playground at night. Lower fences could also pose a risk to children, who could climb over the lower fences and onto the nearby sidewalk.

The Parks Department and the Councilwoman's Office are co-hosting a meeting tonight, where community members can weigh in on the debate.

 

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