Please proceed.
Are you for or against this project?
I am 100% against this project.
Well, thank you.
If that's the case, could you try to concentrate on something different than what we've already
heard?
Because we have heard from the first two presentations were kind of inclusive.
So if you can think of something different.
Well, with all due respect for, I think my opinion as a local resident is just as valid, but I promise you I will keep it quick.
I just want to say I've sat by for years and years and watched more and more areas of my beloved park get taken over for private sports fields that then become inaccessible to the public.
The last thing we need in our neighborhood is more sports fields.
And to think that someone thinks that sports fields would better accompany one of the oldest houses, yes, the oldest, in South Philadelphia would be better than that trees is an absolute disgrace.
We don't need more people coming into our neighborhood.
We don't need more sports fields.
And none of us here in this meeting will be alive to see any of the newly planted trees become the size of the trees that you want to cut down.
Not you specifically.
And so, yes, I'm against it, and I'm here to protect my beloved park.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you for calling in.
We appreciate it.
Next hand, please.
Next hand is Danielle Nelson.
They have been unmuted and allowed to speak.
Hello.
Good afternoon.
Could you state your name, please, and spell for the court stenographer?
It's Danielle Nelson.
That's D-A-N-I-E-L-L-E.
and nelson is n-e-l-s-o-n all right do you swear or firm to tell the truth the whole truth nothing
but the truth yes are you a neighbor yes uh are you for or against this project i am for the project
okay could you please let us know your comments um as being a neighbor i've been in the area for
years my children go to this park um we have family functions at the park we have like sports
Um, we have family functions at the park. We have like sports themes. We just like to go to the park
themes we just like
to have fun. My children go to a daycare near the park and we have family fun day every year. It's
just supportive of the family to show their appreciation, you know, for the kids coming to
the daycare. So I think that more, um, you know, things for the children to do at the park would
suit the park because it is a park and it's a family park. Okay. Uh, thank you very much for
taking time to close. We appreciate it. Next hand, please. We have David Gibson. They have been
allowed to speak. Hi, could you state your name, please, and spell it for the court stenographer?
Can you hear me? I can. David Gibson, David, D-A-V-I-D, Gibson, G-I-B-S-O-N. Right. You
swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? I certainly do.
Are you a neighbor? I am. Are you for this project or against? I'm opposed to the special
exception. Okay, and could you let us know if there's something different than what you've
already heard? Well, first of all, I'm in agreement with the Conservancy and with the experts that
acknowledge the park is experiencing groundwater flooding, but I'm in disagreement about how to
address this issue. It's practical and irresponsible to spend millions of dollars trying to engineer a
high and dry athletic zone inside a 100-year flood zone in the age of rising tides. A more
practical approach would be to decrease the hardscaping install boardwalks facilitate more
passive recreation there are better places for fields in our city places where grass fields
would solve the field crisis and add additional green space to our city rather than destroying
it um also i i bike down there all the time and you know i would just it's just a beautiful space
pretty wild i like it the way it is i don't want to see it change please tell the conservancy to
design a better alternative. I'm sure there are many other alternatives. Pretty much what I have
to say. Thank you very much for your comments. Next hand, please. Here we have Elowen Corbyn.
They have been unmuted and allowed to speak. Hello. Hi, good afternoon. Could you state your
name, please, and spell it for the court stenographer? Sure. It's an unusual one.
That's okay.
Elowen Corby, E-L-O-W-Y-N.
Last name Corby, C-O-R-B as in boy, Y.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, nothing but the truth.
Are you a neighbor?
I live in Point Breeze.
Are you in favor of this project or against it?
In opposition, against it.
And there's been a lot of testimony.
is there anything additional you can offer yes there is i will do this all right so almost 19
000 people have already collectively signed petitions in opposition to this plan both rcos
have voted overwhelmingly against it and they've submitted hundreds of letters of opposition
none of the fdr plan has ever been discussed before city council there have been no hearings
called. The Parks Commission hasn't had any public meetings since 2019. It is wrong that a privately
funded non-government entity like the Conservancy can clear-cut this much public space without an
explicit mandate from the public. Too many people have been disqualified and silenced from even
making a comment here. It is shameful and it is undemocratic. I would like to see the board
ask the Conservancy for a range of alternative plans that would save some of these trees.
Thank you very much for calling us and taking the time.
Next hand, please.
Here we have Adam Woods.
They have been unmuted and allowed to speak.
Hi, good afternoon.
Could you state your name and spell, please, for the court sonographer?
My name is Adam Woods, A-D-A-M-W-O-O-D-S.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Are you a neighbor?
I am. I live in South Philly.
Are you in favor of this project or against?
I am opposed to this project.
Okay. And you've heard a lot of testimony before you. Is there anything different in your opposition that we haven't heard?
Yeah, I would just like to state that this plan undermines the Philly tree plan, which states that the preservation of our existing canopy is a primary goal for the city.
It undermines the Philadelphia Tree Canopy Assessment, which found that between 2008 and 2018, Philadelphia lost 6% of its canopy.
It undermines the Philadelphia Climate Action Playbook, which states that we need to use nature as a solution and that trees help remove carbon pollution while managing heat, clearing pollutants from the air, and managing stormwater runoff.
clearing pollutants from the air, and managing stormwater runoff.
It's as if one hand of the city doesn't know or consider important what the other is doing
it's as if
or the goals it has set.
The field crisis is real, but we should not be forced to choose between our fields and
our natural resources.
These fields need to be put in neighborhoods where kids can actually access them and where
they do not require the demolition of our green spaces.
Thanks for listening.
Thank you for your comments.
Next hand, please.
Chair, we have Whitney Peeling. They have been unmuted and allowed to speak.
Hi, could you state your name and spell it, please, for the court stenographer?
For Whitney Peeling. That's W-H-I-T-N-E-Y-P, like Peter, E-E-L-I-N-G.
Right. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Are you a neighbor?
I am. I live in South Philly.
Are you in favor of this project or against?
I am against.
And you've heard a lot of people testify prior to you.
Is there anything different that you could offer to us?
Yeah, a bit different.
At the moment, these trees are the only thing standing in the way of the rollout of more toxic artificial turf.
And the dangers of that turf have been repeatedly documented locally in the Enquirer and in publications worldwide, including peer-reviewed journals.
The introduction of that turf would introduce toxic PFAS chemicals and microplastics into the surrounding ecosystem and have a negative effect on our children's health, including my own child.
um it's going to poison our kids and we can't talk about supporting our young people while
installing toxic turf at the same time and these turf companies they're profiting off of our
children while robbing them of good help good health sorry and a habitable planet and i'd like
the board to require the conservancy to go back to the drawing board thank you very much for your
comments and taking the time is there well who's the next hand please chair the next hand is dito
van rigersburg they have been unmuted and allowed to speak
hi could you state your name please and spell for the court sonographer
hello it's mary long it's dito d-i-t-o another word van v-a-n another word rigersburg r-e-i
G-E-R-S
B-E-R-G
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth
Are you a neighbor?
I am, I live in South Korea
Are you in favor of this project or against?
I'm against
Okay, and we've had quite a bit of reasons why
Is there anything different in your
comments?
I want to talk about water
So, raising the level of the park and displacing immersion and existing wetland with parking
lots and plastic turf will displace water into other areas, and water will always go
somewhere. So, in addition, the former refinery site is being raised to the west by Hillco.
The Army Corps of Engineers is proposing to build levees to raise the Schuylkill banks.
the navy yard is bringing in fill and raising every building they construct to the southeast
so collectively these developments will intensify flooding throughout south philly
where we have used where we used to have a permeable buffer at the golf course that
absorbed the water we will now have a giant concrete and plastic built environment that
endangers neighborhoods where people live so i'm asking that you please consider how many reasons
there are to mandate a viable alternative to the current iteration of this plan thank you for your
comments next hand please here we have someone by the name of shandell they have been unmuted and
allowed to speak sure hello how are you could you state your name please and spell for the court
stenographer. My name is Shandell Jackson. First name S-H-A-N-D-E-L-L. Last name Jackson. J-A-C-K-S-O-N.
You swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
I affirm. Are you a neighbor? Yes. Are you for this project or against? I am for this project.
Could you, we've had one other person testify today. Could you offer us anything different
than what you've already heard? I just want to say to y'all, this is a project. So this
for us this is our home family of many generations has come here this place is where our family gets
Family of many generations has come here. This place is where our family gets together and have family outings and have family day for us.
together and have out
The FDR Park could be better, have a better place for the youth, a place where we can say that our superstars started from their basketball or football career as children.
It's a shame that we have to travel to a place like the Chamonix Park when we actually have the great space here.
There are places like Lake Point in Georgia that serves 30 sports sports year round places like Grand Park that started on the cornfield and now has 26 baseball, softball, diamond, 31 multipurpose field of soccer, football and lacrosse and just added basketball and volleyball, not to mention having food and beverage service on their site and on site restaurant.
Why can't our youth have the same and share better things in life, especially when we have the area to do so?
There are plenty of athletics people from Philly, but one named Rasul Butler is currently from South Philadelphia.
Let's create more stars. The children deserve it, and we must start by making things better.
Thank you for taking the time to call us. We appreciate that.
Next hand, please.
Tara, the next person is Beatrice Zovich. They have been unmuted and allowed to speak.
I thank you. Could you state your name, please, and spell for the stenographer?
Yes, Beatrice Zovich. Beatrice is B-E-A-T-R-I-C-E, Zovich, Z-O-V-I-C-H.
Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
Are you a neighbor?
Are you for this project or against?
Against.
Is there anything additional that you haven't heard to tell us?
Go ahead.
So I would like to draw your attention to the sports complex on city-owned land proposed to undergo a $2.5 billion renovation, which finds room for hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues, but not a single field for our children, which is literally across the street from FDR Park.
I would also like to mention a vacant lot at 3100 South Christopher Columbus Boulevard, as well as a vacant lot just across Patterson Avenue at 3400 South Broad Street, both of which are over a million square feet.
When we zoom out and look at these vacant lots, it's clear that the city has space for recreational fields.
So why are we being forced to choose between our children and our natural resources?
Why is the city forcing more development in South Philly's most precious green space?
The city needs to do better. Please tell the Conservancy to go back to the drawing board.