VCPA calls for increase in Parks budget

To the editor,

Van Cortlandt Park Alliance appreciates The Riverdale Press’s reporting on concerns surrounding the condition of the soccer field at Van Cortlandt Park Stadium. We strongly support the Riverdale Soccer Club and other community groups that provide extracurricular opportunities for young people in Van Cortlandt Park. For many families, public parks are the only spaces for young people to learn, play, and participate in organized activities, making the safety and reliability of these facilities especially important.

Van Cortlandt Park is one of the Bronx’s most vital public spaces, providing free access to yearround recreation amenities, miles of hiking trails, and the natural world. Its continued use depends on thoughtful care and long-term investment to ensure that park users of all ages can participate safely and confidently.

To that end, Van Cortlandt Park Alliance (VCPA) has been advocating for increasing the Parks Department’s budget from 0.5% of the city’s overall budget to at least 1%. A larger budget for Parks would go a long way toward adding the staff needed to repair fields and process contracts. Deferred maintenance, infrastructure failure, and snail’s-pace capital projects are a result of years of disinvestment. That is why partner groups like ours are necessary.

Our work centers on volunteer management, environmental education, cultural programming, and advocacy related to environmental issues and park history. VCPA does not manage park facilities, issue permits, or oversee maintenance or capital construction projects.

Like Riverdale Soccer Club and Community Board 8, we believe that Van Cortlandt Park and the Bronx deserve better!

Sincerely,
Judy Mills-Johnson, Board Chair
Van Cortlandt Park Alliance