Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Center Edgewood topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
East End residents press council for parking, generator and safety fixes at new Edgewood Park center
Summary
Residents and neighborhood leaders urged the council to fund parking-lot repairs, add a generator and address illegal dumping near the new Edgewood Park community center; council members said staff is working to identify funding and partners.
Residents near Edgewood Park told the council they appreciated a new community center design but are concerned that the project lacks funding for a usable parking lot, a generator for emergency sheltering, and persistent illegal dumping on nearby streets.
Cynthia Forbes, vice president of Super Neighborhood Council No. 72 and president of the Precinct 239 Civic Club, said arquitects delivered a “beautiful” design but that the parking lot remains riddled with potholes and is not in the current CIP. She said the community needs funding for an expanded overlay or a full rebuild of the lot and also requested a generator to support cooling and warming during outages.
Forbes also raised repeated illegal dumping on Vassar Road and Wayside, and said cleanup efforts are undone within days. Councilmember Shabazz and Councilmember Davis responded that city staff have identified potential funding and partners and are working with community leaders and nearby development projects, including Gulf Gate Terrace, which has engaged on neighborhood improvements.
Charles Brandyberg, who said he lives one block from the park, urged the city to ensure a safety barrier around a planned detention pond to keep children from wandering into the water; he also reiterated the generator and pavilion needs for seniors.
Councilmembers said they have engaged with the community, identified potential resources for the parking lot and pledged further follow-up. Staff were asked to provide specific funding options and to coordinate cleanup and code enforcement where illegal dumping is recurring.
