Howard Beach residents said they are fed up with the accumulation of trash in Charles Park. Photo courtesy Donna Faiella
Fed up with what they said has been years of neglect of Frank M. Charles Memorial Park, residents and area leaders are calling on the U.S. National Park Service to transform the space into what individuals said it should be: The gem of Howard Beach.
“The National Parks Service tends to neglect national parks in urban areas on the east coast,” Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder (D-Rockaway Park) said. “The west coast tends to get all the attention, and the east coast, particularly in New York, continues to be the red-headed step-child. It’s unfortunate because Charles Park can really be a jewel in Howard Beach, and more often than not it’s in a state of uncleanliness and disrepair.”
Among a myriad issues at Charles Park, a 20-acre green space in Gateway National Recreation Area, residents said maintenance is one of the major problems, with litter often strewn throughout the space and the prevalence of overgrown grass. Following years of this, residents said they are going to start raising their voices to demand change at the park, including by launching a nonprofit – the Charles Park Conservation Society.
“No matter what kind of work is done there – like the cleanups we’ve done in the past – it just gets neglected all over again,” said Joe Campisi, a founding member of the Charles Park Conservation Society. “We just recently did a cleanup, but it’s already getting messed up again.”
Howard Beach resident Donna Faiella, who has gone to Charles Park for about 15 years, said she has been devastated by the decline of the park – which she said has been particularly noticeable following Hurricane Sandy.
“There are problems with the grass, the lawn, the handball courts,” she said. “I play tennis there, and there’s litter and bottles all over. It’s just really very unkempt. There are garbage pails overflowing. Everything [National Park Service] does is done very cheaply. They painted the benches last year, and it’s already chipping. They resurfaced the tennis courts a couple years ago, and they’re already cracked. It’s really upsetting.”
Additionally, Campisi stressed that he and other conservation society members would like to see the federal government repair the “beat up and rusted” fences, as well as work on the “overgrown bushes.”
Following years of maintenance problems at Charles Park, residents said they are raising their voices to urge the federal government to care for the green space. Photo courtesy Donna Faiella
“Charles Park needs love and attention,” Goldfeder said. “A very small investment from National Park Service will go a long way in making Charles Park the gem it should be. To put staff there and clean it up once a week – you’re not talking about a tremendous amount of money.”
National Park Service did not respond to a call for comment.
Residents said they too are going to try to do more to clean up the area, and Campisi said the conservation society expects to soon hold another cleanup. For more information on upcoming cleanups, visit the Charles Park Conservation Society Facebook page or email charlesparkcs@gmail.com.
“It would be nice to have a group of people who’d come once a month, pick a project, and do it,” Campisi said. “I’d love that.”
Residents stressed that should Charles Park be better maintained, people would likely be more mindful of not leaving trash in the area.
“It’s a beautiful spot in a beautiful neighborhood, but it’s an absolute disgrace the way it is now,” Faiella said. “It’s a natural habitat that could be so much better.”
By Anna Gustafson
