BILL NUMBER: S811

SPONSOR: BIAGGI
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to dedicate and designate Jerome Park as parkland of the city of
New York, and to establish a working group for such park to enhance use
thereof

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is to set in motion a public process by which
most or all of what is known as Jerome Park can either become designated
as park lands or lands that can be readily accessible to the general
public for either outdoor recreational or open space uses or for use as
an urban wildlife or nature sanctuary.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Legislative Intent: Jerome Park, located around the Jerome
Park Reservoir has been used for numerous outdoor recreational and open
              

space purposes for over a century. This area has the potential to incor-
porate additional urban wildlife sanctuary, outdoor recreational and
open space uses for the betterment of the local community. Master plans
authorized by the New York City Parks and Recreation Department and work
by community groups such as the Jerome Park Conservancy and the Friends
of Jerome Park, has advanced the increased use of Jerome Park for addi-
tional outdoor recreational and open space uses and to integrate such
park functions with the adjacently located Fort Independence Park.

Section 2: To achieve the legislative goals articulated in this chapter,
all lands that are contained in Jerome Park, excluding those lands that
are the Reservoir itself and lands bordering the shoreline of such
reservoir that are a distance of ten feet from the outside border of the
shoreline of such Reservoir shall be dedicated and designated as park-
land of the City of New York on January 1, 2023.

Section 3: The Bronx Borough President may assist in convening a working
group for Jerome Park. Such working group shall consist of community
stakeholders to establish an action plan for Jerome Park to help foster
increased outdoor recreational opportunities, enhance community enjoy-
ment of such park and to preserve and enhance open spaces contained
within the park. The working group may identify, recommend the design
of, and financing of capital projects to advance the increased use of
Jerome Park for increased outdoor recreational uses and to enhance open
spaces. Such capital projects may include, but are not limited to, walk-
ing and bicycle pathways; athletic fields, playgrounds; basketball hand-
ball courts; table, seating .and picnic areas; establishment of vista
seating and viewing areas; related parking areas for bicycles; and
nature trails. Membership of such working group shall consist of repre-
sentatives of local civic and community organizations, Lehman College,
surrounding high schools, the local State Senator and Member of Assem-
bly, the local City Councilman, the New York City Parks and Recreation
Department, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and
other community leaders and stakeholders such as youth, parent and
senior citizen organizations.

Section 4: The working group for Jerome Park shall issue, on or before
January 1, 2020, a report and findings to establish an action plan for
Jerome Park to help foster increased outdoor recreational uses and
community enjoyment of such park and to preserve and enhance open spaces
contained within the park.

Section 5: The working group shall remain in existence until January
2025 so that it may help implement a public access and park plan for
Jerome Park. Such implementation period shall be before Jerome Park is
designated as park lands after January 1, 2023 and before such date when
such lands are not dedicated as park lands.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Jerome Park, located around the Jerome Park Reservoir, located in the
Borough of the Bronx, has been used for numerous outdoor recreational
and open space purposes for over a century. Further, such an area has
the potential to incorporate additional urban wildlife sanctuary,
outdoor recreational and open space uses for the betterment of the local
community. Through the auspices of master plans authorized and approved
by the New York City Parks and Recreation Department and work by commu-
nity groups such as the Jerome Park Conservancy and the Friends of
Jerome Park, it is a sound public policy to advance the increased use of
Jerome Park for additional outdoor recreational and open space uses and
to integrate such park functions with the adjacently located Fort Inde-
pendence Park.

Going forward, key elements of the future design of the park should help
to preserve its historic essence, reveal its potential as public space,
link places and events with the park to the surrounding community.
Further, such future development of Jerome Park should frame the beauty
of the reservoir with a new layer of landscape and purpose. The purpose
of this bill is to establish a time table and public process to bring
either the entire Jerome Park to be designated parklands or to, the
maximum extent possible, increase public access to this outdoor recre-
ational and open space resource.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019-2020: S3110/A2300 - Died in Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and
Recreation/Died in Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development

2017-2018: S3993A/A301A - Died in Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and
Recreation/Died in Tourism, Parks, Arts and Sports Development

2015-2016: S1339A/A301A - Died in Rules/Died in Tourism, Parks, Arts and
Sports Development

2013-2014: S7467/S9681 - Died on the Third Reading/Died in Tourism,
Parks, Arts and Sports Development

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately, except that section two of this
act shall take effect January 1, 2023.