Civic association president Thomas Joseph Jr. says East Farmingdale residents are frustrated about how long it's taken to get their community park completed.
Newsday photo by Gwen Young
We have just one small park in East Farmingdale, Michel Park. We have been promised upgrades for the park in writing by many Town of Babylon officials but they have not been done. We were promised a new walkway would be finished by the end of last year. The old one was ripped up in November and nothing has been done since. The playing field filled with rocks because lawn plugs the town planted never took hold and children have gotten hurt falling on the rock-filled grounds. No Little League will play there because of the conditions. A town official says there is a plan for the park, but apparently it’s a secret. We thought having a small park, we would see better results, but alas it is forgotten.
--Thomas H. Joseph Jr., president, Residents of East Farmingdale Civic Association
Based on Thomas Joseph’s exhaustive study comparing amenities at all of the town’s parks including pictures to illustrate the differences, we understand why residents are unhappy with the work-in-progress look at Michel Park.
To be fair, some of delays were caused by vandalism and the town’s efforts to repair the damages. And there have been improvements to the park, including a newly-paved parking lot, new playground equipment with safety flooring to avoid injuries and a new irrigation system.
By the end of the summer, there should be more improvements including the long-awaited stamped-asphalt walkway that will ring the perimeter of the park, town spokeswoman Vanessa Baird-Streeter said.
Park officials believe that vandals running vehicles on the field right caused the uneven grass plug problem. That prompted the installation of guardrails to keep them out. Once the walking trail is completed, the grass plantings will be addressed, she said. The bathrooms should be working by the time the park opens within a month.
Anyone who sees vandals in the park should call 911. If police can’t respond quickly, Baird-Streeter said, the town’s public safety officers should be called at 631 422-7600.
Comments (6)
I live by the park and there have not been any vandalism in the park in about 8 years. The town always uses that as an excuse to cover their backs. Besides, it is their job to make sure the gates are locked at night which Public Safety does not always do. This is another example of the Town of Babylon lying to the residents just like when we were told the Park would be worked on.
It is worse than ever.
Town officials should be ashamed. The so called Vandalism is just an excuse to blow off the small hamlet of East Farmingdale. The truth is that East Farmingdale has a huge business tax base that the Town siphons tax money from, and a very small residential community. We get treated as if we are the 'forgotten step children of the Town of Babylon'.
The Town promised the park some FIVE (5) plus years ago that the park would be completed. The town promises are the same for the last 5 years. 'By the end of the summer the park will be complete'. This has been a loonng summer, a 5 year summer.
Others have been working tirelessly for years and have given up on the Town ever doing anything on the park.
Steve it's about time you step up to the plate, make good on your promise to us and stop acting like a politician.
Kevin Norton
(previous president of the Resident of East Farmingdale Civic Association)
Michael Park is a travisty. The Town of Babylon has renaged on every promise they made. From the Town Suervisor down to the Parks commissioner, everyone has passed the buck. The Parks Commissioner even denied meeting and discussing a "Tee" Ball field for the kids. We must have been a different meeting. While this is all going on, the Town still advertises in their park directory, a small baseball field. The parents of Farmingdale Baseball kids are remined daily about the Town of Babylons empty promises. Election day is not far off!
I do not know what vandals the Town of Babylon is talking about. They always wish to blame vandals rather than the town's own incompetence. No one in the community knows of any vandals. To my recollection, there haven't been any police reports of vandals in the park.
There may have been some vehicles on the field while work for the irrigation system was being installed three years ago, but not since. The only vehicles that ride through the park are town vehicles.
Our organization was hoping to conduct a youth program over the summer but is unable to due to safety concerns of Michel Park. East Farmingdale is the third largest of nine hamlets. East Farmingdale is one of two hamlets with out any type of community center (recreational, youth or senior) and one of two hamlets without a town pool, spray park or beach.
All we have been asking is to meet with the town, but of course they do not wish to. We are more than willing to do so on their schedule and convenience but they outright refuse to, stating it would be counterproductive. The town cares more for other hamlets than East Farmingdale.
Ms. Young, thank you for posting our story and giving it some public attention.
Thomas H. Joseph, Jr.
President
Residents of East Farmingdale Civic Association
As long time residents of East Farmingdale (49 years) we have seen the steady decline in the care of Michel Park by the Town of Babylon.
When our children were young the Town ran a day program for young children of this area. They used to play baseball there. Over the years the park has become a useless recreational area and an eyesore.
The small improvements that have been made required a great deal of effort on some members of this community. However, the park is not useful now for the needs of all our children in Farmingdale. A little play yard in nice, but what of the older children? With all the money pouring into the Town of Babylon from all the industry in East Farmingdale, they should be ashamed of themselves for the neglect they foster upon the residents in East Farmingdale. Another glaring situation in this area are the condition of the roads, when one crosses over into East Farmingdale from the Village of Farmingdale the sight of the roads is atrocious.
Why are the needs for our children and community being neglected? Thank you Ms. Young for putting spotlight on this problem it's greatly appreciated.
It is a shame how our town treats us. We are the forgotten ones. They promise and never fulfill what they say. What a shame that we have a park and the kids are unable to use it because of the lack of care the town puts forth. Why are other parks so beautifully taken care of and ours is neglected? Can the town answer that question? We all pay taxes, so why don't we receive the same care and consideration for our park. They keep saying they are going to fix it but when will they?????? They should be ashamed.