Van Nest Neighborhood
Alliance boards also voted
unanimously against the
plan.
“What really gets me
is that the will of the people
is being ignored,” said
D’Angelo, adding “Everyone
is against it, but (the
city is)going to do it anyway.”
The MPCA collected
over 1,000 petition signatures
opposing the proposal,
said D’Angelo, who
is also owns a small business
on the avenue.
D’Angelo said that the
organization’s next order
of business might be to go
to court to see if they can
get an injunction against
the project.
He also said that based
on his conversations with
DOT offi cials, a fi nal decision
has not yet been
made.
D’Angelo added that if
traffi c were to back up on
the avenue, traffi c would
divert to the residential
side streets running parallel
to the avenue, causing
a dangerous situation for
young families with children.
Assemblyman Michael
Benedetto, one of several
elected offi cials who spoke,
said that the issue on Morris
Park Avenue, as much
as the city would like to
portray otherwise, isn’t a
life and death issue.
“The reasonable approach
made by the Morris
Park community should be
listened to and given due
respect at City Hall,” said
the assemblyman. “A road
diet should not be forced
on the people of Morris
Park and Van Nest against
their wishes.”
Assemblywoman Nathalia
Fernandez and Councilman
Mark Gjonaj also
offered remarks.
Fernandez said that the
two hospitals at the eastern
end of Morris Park Avenue
need clear roadways
for ambulances (which
cannot be blocked in a
single lane of traffi c in an
emergency).
Gjonaj said that with a
planned Metro North Station
and up-zoning in play
for Eastchester Road, more
traffi c congestion could occur
and a study needs to
be conducted to measure
the impact of the proposal
when all the elements are
in place.
The councilman said he
would oppose the road diet
because as the councilman
he will abide with the will
of the people.
Those speakers at the
town hall, who mostly
spoke in opposition, cited
a number of other issues,
including loading and
unloading for businesses
along the commercial corridor,
and that they felt the
road diet plan didn’t appear
to work in communities
near Morris Park.
A handful of speakers
spoke in favor of the project,
with one, Roxanne
Delgado of Pelham Parkway,
telling the Bronx
Times she is in favor of
the bicycle lanes because
she believes that it might
encourage would-be motorists
to use alternative
forms of transit.
DOT didn’t comment as
of press time.
ence recommended giving
Orchard Beach more
activities to do during
the off-season to make the
area a year-round destination,
rather than a seasonal
one.
For the beach’s south
yard, which is currently
off limits to the public,
some suggested bringing
in food trucks, a beer
garden or a seasonal holiday
village with a skating
rink, additional fi reworks
shows, along with a slew of
other creative uses.
Increased cleanliness
and improved transportation
services were high on
the list of ‘wants’.
The Parks’ new policy
that removed the litterbins
that once dotted
the beach’s sand during
the beach season was
not popular with many
Bronxites. Instead they
demanded more garbage
cans and more frequent
pickups.
Community Board 10
member Bob Bieder requested
that Parks allocate
a good portion of
the beach budget to additional
maintenance funding.
“If you’re going to expand
use and service it’s
important that clean up is
included in that,” he said.
Also, if Orchard Beach
were to become a yearround
destination, the seasonal
Bx12 Orchard Beach
bus would need to have its
service extended past September,
an attendee noted.
Nilka Martell, president
of the Friends of Pelham
Bay Park hopes that a
project like this would encourage
the city to expand
its ferry service into the
east Bronx. She also suggested
incorporating environmental
education and
community space into the
renovation’s plan.
While she supported
the creation of a holiday
village, Martell explained
why a skating
rink wouldn’t fair well at
Orchard Beach.
“The seasonal rink at
Van Courtlandt Park only
lasted two years because
there wasn’t a good water
source to maintain the ice.
That would probably happen
here as well,” she said.
In the meantime, Parks
along with Manhattanbased
Marvel Architects,
will spend the next two
years scoping out the project
and evaluating the
beachgoers’ recommendations.
After that they expect
to get the shovels in
the ground.
BRONX W www.BXTimes.com EEKLY December 9, 2018 4
General Phone: (718) 260-4595
By Mail: Bronx Times Reporter
3604 B E. Tremont Avenue
Bronx, NY 10465
NEWS
Fax: (718) 518–0038
E-Mail: bronxtimes@cnglocal.com
DISPLAY ADVERTISING
Phone: (718) 260-4593
Fax: (718) 518–0038
E-Mail: lguerriero@cnglocal.com
CLASSIFIED
Phone: (718) 260–2555
Fax: (718) 260–2549
E-Mail: classified@cnglocal.com
This newspaper is not responsible for typographical errors in ads beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2018 by Bronx Times Reporter, Inc., a sub sidiary of
News Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. The content of this newspaper is protected by Federal copyright law. This newspaper, its advertisements, articles and photographs may not be reproduced,
either in whole or part, without permission in writing from the publisher except brief portions for purposes of review or commentary consistent with the law. Postmaster, send address changes to Bronx
Times Reporter, 3604 B E. Tremont Avenue, Bronx, NY 10465
MEMBER:
from Page 1
from Page 1
The Orchard Beach Pavilion. File Photo
Orchard Beach renovations
discussed at Lehman H.S.
NYC Department of Transportation’s
Morris Park Avenue plan opposed
Members of the Morris Park Community Association, along with invited guests, look on as the community
members spoke about their feelings concerning NYC DOT’s Morris Park Avenue ‘road diet’
proposal at a town hall meeting on Wednesday, November 28. Photo by Odette Scofi eld
link
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
/www.BXTimes.com
link
link