A feasibility study will determine whether a run down stretch of rail tracks from Rego Park to Ozone Park is a suitable location for a Manhattan-style high-line park. File Photo.
A new Manhattan-style high-line park may be coming to Queens thanks to a $467,000 grant, secured by Governor Cuomo, to study the feasibility of building a greenway on the now-defunct 3.5 miles of railroad track on the old LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch.
But, the grant, announced recently by the Trust for Public Land, was greeted with mixed reactions in the borough where the project has divided residents into three camps: those in favor, those in opposition and those who want the status quo or nothing at all to happen with the section of elevated track that runs from Rego Park to Ozone Park. The TPL is a nationally known, nonprofit land conservation organization.
“The Friends of the QueensWay is thrilled by the grant from the State of New York and extraordinarily grateful to Governor Cuomo, the Trust for Public Land and everyone who has supported and provided input into this effort,” said Travis Terry, a Forest Hills resident and member of the Friends of the Queensway steering committee. The FQW is a group that supports converting the stretch of the Rockaway Beach Branch which runs from Rego Park and Forest Hills to Ozone Park into “High Line-style” parkland for bikers, hikers, joggers and tourists.
Terry is also chief operating officer of Capalino & Company, a Manhattan-based government relations consultancy which worked on the High Line project, a historic 1.5 mile piece of elevated track on the West Side which was converted into a greenway.
According to Marc Matsil, a former parks official in Alaska and now the New York State Director for the Trust for Public land, the feasibility study will begin shortly and will take from six to eight months to complete.
The rendering above details a stretch of restaurants proposed as part of the park plan.
The study will include various tests of soil and groundwater in addition to examination by engineers to test structural integrity and associated costs to turn the elevated line into a linear park. Matsil noted that the new park would serve 250,000 residents who live within one mile while providing a significant economic boost to the borough.
He also emphasized there’s a “tremendous amount of community support” for project, noting that Friends of Queensway is now up to 3,000 members. “Our goal is we want to work with the community.” Matsil noted that one of the hallmarks of TPL is community visioning. “We’ve done a number of greenways and waterfront plans in the past,” he said.
Moreover, Matsil pointed out that he’s heard there’s not much support for reactivating the Rockaway Beach Rail Line.
Council member Karen Koslowitz said she wouldn’t have any reaction until the study was completed. “They applied for the grant and they got it on their own, it’s very nice.”
However, Koslowitz, while preferring to remain neutral on the Queensway project until hearing from her “constituents,” has publicly opposed the idea of reactivating the Rockaway Beach Branch of the LIRR. “I’m not for the Rockaway line, that’s a definite,” she said, adding “Right now, our concern is getting the families affected by Sandy back on track.”
Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates said, “It’s a terrific and unique project as well.” Croft said he was happy to see that funds have now been allocated to do the study.
Commenting on the Queensway, Croft said “We wouldn’t want this park built too similar to the High Line in Manhattan due to the different configuration of the land.” He said the High Line is very “labor intensive,” in particular with relation to the types of landscape work done and the design. He added that he wants Queensway to be a “real” park. But, he again stressed he’s a big fan of the project.
“If there are no plans to get the Rockaway train line going again, then it would be a shame to just let the parcel of land deteriorate and go unused.”
Judy Close, a resident of the Forest Park Coop whose windows face 98th Street and the potential Queensway Park, said she was highly opposed to the park. “I have so many concerns about this project from security to noise. I moved to this area because it was nice and quiet and the Queensway project threatens to undermine that,” Close said. In addition, she said she doesn’t see why the project is needed with the close proximity of Forest Park and all its sports courts and trails.
Further, the Woodhaven Residents Block Association has also come out in favor of the status quo and not doing anything with the abandoned tracks.
The Rockaway Transit Coalition, along with Assemblymen Phil Goldfeder and Mike Miller both favor a reactivation of the Rockaway Branch LIRR line saying it would help ease the commuting woes for people who live in the Rockaways.
Senator Joseph Addabbo, while not taking a position either for or against the Queensway, did question the timing of the grant, especially in the aftermath of Sandy when residents are still rebuilding and in need of help.
“This kind of money really could’ve been used by senior centers that teetered on closing their doors due to lack of discretionary funds or even veteran’s posts in jeopardy or even after-school programs,” Addabbo said. “The idea is…we really could’ve used this money locally for larger community services that were previously funded by discretionary dollars.”
By Alan Krawitz
