Even with it’s expansive parkland, it can never hurt to get some more around here. Parkland is for everyone, is pretier than boring-ass asphalt and also hurts less is you go skidding across it. So you would think a Parks Department plan to unify two sections of McCarren Park and add 33,000 square feet of parkland would be greeted with a goddamn parade. Who could possibly not like this plan? People who’d rather have parking apparently.
The Brooklyn Paper reports that the Parks Department wants to unify two pieces of the park by turning a strip of street on Union Avenue between Driggs and North 12th Street from street to parkland. The benefits would include improved drainage, the ability to add a few more planting beds and a dedicated loading zone for vendors participating in McCarren’s farmer’s market. The only opposition? People who don’t want to give up the projected loss of 34 parking spots because they don’t like driving around looking for parking. Or, we could have a contiguous park that can be enjoyed by people both with cars and without cars. The plan will be discussed at the next Community Board 1 meeting, which should be totally free of shouting and bad feelings, and will be held at 6:30pm at the Swingin’ Sixties Senior Center at 211 Ainslie Street.