DEP outlines Parkchester–Morris Park Cloudburst plan; public meeting set for June 5

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection on May 20 updated the Housing, Land Use, Sanitation and Environmental Protection committee on the Parkchester–Morris Park Cloudburst hub, a stormwater-management project that will place porous concrete panels in street parking lanes and install subsurface storage at school and playground sites to reduce flooding in identified stormwater ‘hot spots.’

The presentation, delivered by Effie Artizzoni, Bronx borough commissioner for the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and project staff including Alicia Langdon and consultants from AKRF, summarized design features, outreach results and a schedule that advances the project to final design in late 2025. "This project... is fully funded through city funds," Langdon said, noting that while some Cloudburst projects face potential federal funding cuts, the Parkchester–Morris Park hub is not affected.

The Cloudburst program targets intense, short-duration rain events that can overwhelm the sewer system. DEP staff showed a map of modeled flooding hotspots in the Parkchester–Morris Park sewer shed and said the hub is one of four in design across the city. The plan pairs surface amenities with below‑surface stormwater infrastructure: precast porous concrete panels placed in parking lanes to allow infiltration, and large subsurface storage chambers under open areas such as the PS 83 yard, Concerta Playground and Castle Hill open space to temporarily hold and then slowly release stormwater.

Consultant Patrick Parral (AKRF) described the panels and storage chambers and showed construction photos from an existing Brooklyn project. He said the porous panels are designed to carry vehicular loads so parking is intended to continue on those panels. "Cars, large vehicles can drive and park on top of these," he said.

DEP staff reviewed outreach performed in 2024 and 2025. The team said it distributed roughly 60 completed surveys specific to Morris Park Avenue and held in‑person events in both Morris Park and Parkchester. Responses favored added trees and shading, followed by lighting and learning-station signage; seating and bike racks were not widely preferred by the business community on Morris Park Avenue and therefore are not in the current design. Marissa Sawyers, a landscape architect on the team, said the current park concept proposes more than 20 new trees and planting areas and places active play in the center of Concerta Playground while creating a green perimeter that integrates stormwater features.

Committee members asked about coordination with Metro‑North, because a Metro‑North station is planned in the Morris Park area. DEP said coordination to date has been limited to identifying proposed improvements near MTA facilities and that questions tying the Cloudburst work to the transit project are likely to arise in the community. Committee members also asked whether the project’s funding is at risk under potential future federal cuts; Langdon replied that this hub is fully funded by city funds and is already well into design.

DEP said the project began preliminary design in 2023, submitted 30% design last fall and a 60% design in March 2025; the team expects to reach 90% design in July, complete design in fall 2025, and report back with construction-level updates toward the end of 2025 and into early 2026. DEP also asked the community board to promote a broader virtual meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 5, where staff will solicit feedback on site graphics and proposed artwork for Concerta Playground and on interpretive signage.

At the committee’s request, DEP agreed to email the presentation and registration details to community board members so printed materials can be shared at an upcoming board meeting. DEP staff said they will circulate a registration link and materials in the days following the presentation.

No formal votes or policy actions were taken at the meeting. The presentation and discussion were an informational update and part of continued community engagement and interagency coordination.