BY DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC | While the future of local groups’ ballfield time remains cloudy, the Battery Park City Authority has no established written guidelines for its permit process, according to its spokesperson.
The Battery Park City community was taken by surprise this year when the authority decided to open up the permit process for the ballfields that neighbors pushed to be built and then carpet with AstroTurf for year-round play.
Downtown Express asked repeatedly about the B.P.C.A.’s permit process and was told by Robin Forst, vice president for external relations, in an email that there were no written guidelines, so it is still not clear how the process works.
“Based on the applications and taking into account the size and demographic group of the applicant with special consideration for youth groups, schools and school-based organizations, we issued the permits yielding over 99 percent of time allocation to local non-profit youth organizations and schools,” Forst wrote.
Forst, who only communicated by email for this article, indicated that the authority gives an unspecified amount of consideration to local groups since demographics does include the “catchment area — if any — and what age groups that the applicant serves.”
Community Board 1 passed a resolution at their full board meeting on Mar. 24 that stated “the new process for assigning permits creates serious concerns and we must examine it for future seasons.” Further, it asked that the B.P.C.A. return to the multi-year permit model for the Downtown Little League, Downtown Soccer League and Manhattan Youth.
In 2012, the authority agreed to three-year permits for the groups. When those permits expired last year, the B.P.C.A. decided to open up the process to gauge interest. Despite the fact that, according to Forst, “at peak times including weekends, weekday afternoons and evenings, virtually 100 percent of the time on the ballfields was permitted in both the spring and fall seasons.”
Anthony Notaro, chairperson of the Battery Park City Committee, said at their Tues., Apr. 7 meeting, “We would like to continue to work with the authority in establishing a formal process for helping with those permit applications.”
Forst did not respond to questions about whether the authority would be developing guidelines. On the B.P.C.A. website, there are guidelines for payment, property disposals and procurement, but no mention of how permits are decided.
Notaro said the Downtown Little League, which lost about 20 hours in field time, seems to be okay with their season.
Freddy Belliard, permit coordinator for the ballfields, told the committee that applications for the summer season, from July 1 through August 31, are online and the deadline is April 15. For the fall season, the process will begin around June, he said.
Tom Goodkind, a committee member, said the idea of open bidding is scary as the community fears losing valued space.
“The idea of using our open space as a cash cow is somewhat offensive,” he said.
