 Borough President Vito Fossella, Council Member Kamillah Hanks Council Member-D49, and Council Member David Carr called for the removal of fencing that was recently installed along the Martling Avenue Bridge by the City Department of Transportation (DOT). The Martling Avenue Bridge bisects Clove Lakes Park between Slosson Avenue and Clove Road. Nearby residents have called the fence an eyesore and said it disrupts their view of the park. “In Medicine, the Hippocratic Oath says ‘do no harm’ and what has happened here is the City of New York has caused harm to this area by putting up a fence that does not belong here,” said Borough President Fossella during a press conference. “This is one of the most beautiful areas in New York City. People come here, they enjoy their walks, their runs, they walk their dogs, their kids play here.” Borough President Fossella said the DOT “claims or believes” the fence was installed to protect pedestrians, but he called it a misinterpretation of the law. “That’s only the case if you’re over a railway or a highway,” he said. “Then, they talk about navigable waters. There is a guy from the ferry here who retired eight years ago. I asked him if we could put a ferry here and he said ‘no.’ So, that violates that one.” There is a glimmer of good news: Borough President Fossella said the issue has “reached the highest levels” after a phone call with the mayor’s office. “They are now engaged,” said Borough President Fossella. “I was crystal clear with them that unless this fence is taken down, it’s unacceptable. To their credit, they have indicated that they will review it and will get back to us as soon as possible with a game plan. But everybody needs to know -- tear this fence down and tear it down now.” Comments are closed.
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