New Haven Independent

$600K Goes Only So Far At Dover Beach

by Allan Appel | July 16, 2008 3:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

nhidover%20009.JPG nhigriffindover%20011.JPG Before Willie Griffin and his neighbors can get a new fence or safer swings for kids by Quinnipiac Terrace’s waterfront, a crumbling seawall will have to be repaired.

At least that’s the plan so far for a federal infusion of $600,000 to improve beautiful Dover Beach Park, right on the Quinnipiac River by the rebuilt Q Terrace public housing complex.

Neighbors like Griffin (pictured) told the city Tuesday night that they have different priorities for how to spend that money.

Griffin loves living at Q Terrace. He loves fishing in the early morning hours. So he’s a regular at Dover Beach Park, Q Terrace’s “front yard” by the river where bluefish and striped bass cruise in on the tide. He said Tuesday night that his wishis for more benches, picnic tables for families, maybe a fishing table, and safer swings for kids.

To discuss the mysteries of funding and to form a “Friends of Dover Beach Park” group, Griffin joined some 30 residents of the area who gathered at the Q Terrace community house.

nhidover%20012.JPG David Moser, a City Plan Department landscape architect, explained to Q Terrace residents (left to right) Calissa Cole and Jessica Frazier (and her charming baby Lamar) that all the $600,000 set aside by federal Department of Housing and Urban Development for park improvements will now have to be used to repair the seawall in the park.

“It’s so unfortunate,” he said, “but that money, so the current thinking goes, needs to repair the wall as the number one priority, because the Department of Environmental Protection feels there’s no point in putting in amenities if the water is going to wash over and ruin them.”

Frazier and Cole, young parents, were concerned less about erosion and more about the safety of their kids. “Kids go down there all the time, even the little ones,” said Frazier, “and there are no signs, no fencing, nothing.”

“Frankly,” said Cole, “I’m afraid someone will drown there.”

“If the community wants a fence,” replied Moser, “you have to get people power and get your aldermen to be in touch with the mayor and get the mayor to have Bob Levine, the head of parks, put that and your other requirements in the capital budget. The city is strapped for money, but they respond to people power.”

Before people power can be applied, Moser explained, a philosophical difference on the sea wall had delayed action.

“We want to repair the wall where it’s crumbled,” he said, “and our application said so. The DEP feels that in areas where the crumbling has taken place and vegetation has naturally filled, that those areas should be left alone. We try to make the case to DEP that we’re an urban area, and we need that sea wall. We hope they’ll agree, and it may happen in two months. Then we can get going on the wall.”

But if the residents want amenities and want and need safety features now?

Moser estimated that an additional $500,000 would be needed to put in a splash pad, better tables, benches, swings, and shade trees.

nhidover%20014.JPG Assembling that critical mass of people to come to consensus was very much on the mind of Carla Johnson (pictured with Chris Ozyck of Urban Resources Initiative), who is the president of Q Terrace’s tenants’ residence council. “The sea wall is fine and good, but someone drowned off the bridge nearby already. So, yes, safety is our first concern.”

“All right,” said Ozyck, “my sense is that the city is all about what the residents want. That can be worked out in the design of the park down the road. The city is here,” he said, referring to the presence of Doreen Larson-Oboyski, who’s the local government’s coordinator of gardens and greenspaces, “and all that can be worked into the ultimate design. But, you know, kids climb fences.”

“We can put up signs, and do some education and teach kids to swim. The mayor, I know,” Ozyck went on, “is committed to the idea that all kids who live in a city with three rivers should learn how to swim.”

The group agreed to try to drum up more community pressure through a barbecue in the park. Pat Bissell, the organizer of the meeting and the head of the nearby Riverview (Lombard Street) blockwatch, scheduled a barbecue early in August. While Chatham Square Neighborhood Association’s Kevin Ewing turns the ribs, the group will assemble petitions and a list of priority items.

nhidover%20010.JPG Outside, Cordelie Benoit, who heads the Elm City Parks Conservancy (ECPC), who was there to explain how to form a “Friends” group, echoed many other participants in calling Dover Beach one of New Haven’s true jewels.

“Just look at those willows,” she said. “They do such a terrific job of screening the highway.”

While rock doves, aka pigeons, egrets, and grackles looked for their dinner among the spartina of the marsh, she wondered why the sea wall had to wait for an expensive reconstruction. “Isn’t this the kind of project that Job Corps could take on?

“Maybe kids from Q Terrace can invest in their own front yard, and learn some masonry skills in the process? So what if it doesn’t last forever. Get some results, and fast. That’s what we need here, to start.”

“Don’t worry,” said Ozyck, “the city was here in the person of Doreen. They heard the safety concerns. They’ll be here at the next tenants residence council meeting in August.”

Stay tuned.

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Comments

Posted by: DEZ | July 16, 2008 3:37 PM

Last nights meeting was a great start to a new 'friends' group at Dover Beach. I was most impressed with the residents of Q Terrace who came out to have their voices heard and their issues addressed. Having said that, I was also a little alarmed by the 600K price tag for the sea wall. While something must be done about the crumbling infrastructure, I think a gabion system of caged rip rap stone as described in Lauren Ducharme's "Rediscovering the Connections to the Quinnipiac" would be much more inexpensive and fit better within the context of this estuary. The gabion can be planted as well and offers a more natural buffer to the ever changing river. Lauren's publication (see article on Lewis St. Park) is chock full of amazing ideas for this and other parks in the greater Front Street Neighborhood. The City should take note and save themselves some serious money in an economy that demads so. Hats off to Pat Bissell for getting the ball rolling for this new friends group.

Posted by: -fairhavener- | July 16, 2008 3:43 PM

Didn't there used to be a beach there with sand? What's wrong with that? People, including kids, used to swim in the river all the time. And that's when it WAS polluted.

Posted by: Yair | July 16, 2008 4:44 PM

Can somebody explain to me the $500,000 price tag for a splash pad and amenities? I wondered this about the splash pad at Lighthouse Point, which a couple of years ago had a sign proudly stating its cost at $300,000. It's just a concrete pad and some plumbing! How can it cost more than the price of constructing an entire house???

Posted by: Chris Ozyck | July 16, 2008 5:25 PM

Nice coverage as usual on neighborhood news - just two quick comments on my quotes-

1. My comment on pools was to the effect of some city leadership had forward thinking, so that more pools were going into schools in a city with three rivers. I have no idea what the mayor thinks but I know other City staffers who have pushed this idea and it's a good one.
2. My comment on the "city is present" was to address resident concerns of playground equipment safety and that Doreen was representing Christy Hass the cities playground inspector. I am hopeful some good thinking will be put forth on the part of residents and the city on park/ waters edge safety especially for the younger unsupervised youth.

Posted by: Fedupwithliberals | July 16, 2008 10:23 PM

YAIR,

Apparantly, you have not seen our new bustops in downtown.

Posted by: KAMB | July 17, 2008 2:56 AM

ALl of that money to build a pad is a joke. One cold build a 2000 sq ft home for that price. Thats why our taxes are so high. City and govenrment pay way to much becuase they dont foot the bill.

Posted by: Walt | July 17, 2008 6:21 AM

Went to Dover Beach only once when I was a kid in Fair Haven.

After seeing real @$%@ floating by ( There was a sewer overflow nearby) I decided to seek different places to cool off.

Even then fishers were on the bridge, and I never heard of folks getting ill from the fish from this River, which was second only to Mill River in filth.

If it is true , as said above, that blues now come to that section of the River it is an amazing tribute to the success of water clean-up efforts.

Would never have believed that the dumps of Q Terrace (new when I lived nearby) could become the attractive area that it now seems to be.

My skepticism says that the area will be a dump again in ten years because of tenant and City neglect, but I hope to be proven wrong.

Don't know what a "gabion" is that Dez is promoting, but it certainly does seem that some good method, costing much less than the original repair proposal, could be found,

Good luck, current Fair Haveners!

Posted by: Kevin Ewing | July 17, 2008 8:26 AM

It is always good when the people become engaged in governance of their communities. The diversity of people, skills and experience in the room shows great promise. This is a very beautiful park and area. I look forward to what it will become with the efforts of so many neighbors and partners.

And oh yeah... I'll probably be flipping more vegi-burgers than ribs at the BBQ (though I hope we slip some beef or chicken in there for the carnivores.)

Posted by: -fairhavener- | July 17, 2008 1:57 PM

"My skepticism says that the area will be a dump again in ten years because of tenant and City neglect, but I hope to be proven wrong."

I am a bit more optimistic, but that seems to be the sentiment of many around here.

Posted by: JackNH | July 18, 2008 4:45 AM

Fairhavener; I want to be optimistic too. I live on Front ST and want it to stay nice. But all my friends say Q Terrace will be a mess in ten years. It's beautiful now. What can we do to keep it the way it is?

Posted by: DEZ | July 18, 2008 11:01 AM

I have great hope for Q Terrace. Again, I was most impressed with the residents who attended the meeting. Jack NH and others, the way you can help is to get involved with any one of the community groups that have formed or are forming in the greater Front Street neighborhood. Friends of Dover Beach is the newest, and Pat Bissell is the point person for the group for now. There needs to be a physical shift as well as a mind shift for this to succeed. The more people who are involved who truly care, the more the caring residents of Q Terrace are bolstered in their actions to have ownership of their neighborhood, not just reside in it. We all know that environment plays a key role in the shaping of our children. Any part of that environment that can be improved upon will only help those who may need it most. Positive associations between the residents of Q Terrace and the neighborhood as well as a huge infrastructure re-do are key to the success of Dover Beach Park.

$600K Goes Only So Far At Dover Beach

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