On Tuesday the 27th of May, construction is set to begin on the long awaited restoration of water service for Isham Park. The project was funded during the tenure of NYC Council Member Robert Jackson during the summer of 2011.
Jennifer Hoppa, Administrator for Northern Manhattan Parks sent out this letter today:
Dear Friends of Isham Park,
I wanted to make sure you knew that the Isham Park Water Service construction contractor is slated to start work in Isham Park next Tuesday, May 27th. The capital contract involves several work areas:
-along Seaman and Isham Street
-at Seaman Avenue and 214th
-the Isham Alley at 212th Street
-Up along the perimeter of Bruce's Garden at Park Terrace East and Park Terrace East Circle. (No work will take place inside the confines of Bruce's Garden.)
-At the [Isham] Family Memorial Bench Circle
-At the bluestone circle area on the upper lawn
NYC Parks has worked with the local girlscout troups in the Alley to transplant plants so that they won't be compromised during the Alley's water line installation and drainage swale installation. Our gardeners will also be moving some shrubs at Seaman/Isham and Seaman/214th Street to new locations to make room for RPZ's (backflow preventers as required by DEP) for water service.
As part of this contract and related to it, Parks has identified four storm damaged trees that are dying and/or destabilized that will need to be removed. These are invasive Norway Maples on the slope up from 212th Street (and some members of the community have long requested that these potential dangers be removed). One other tree slated to come out is just the shaft of a black locust (no branches or leaves). As you may have noticed, several new trees have already been planted along the Seaman Avenue perimeter of Isham Park, as part of our street tree planting contract. Also, replacement trees have been installed along Park Terrace West.
NYC Parks developed a draft Landscape Plan for Isham Park, a part of which identified tree species to install in the park to enhance the landscape and replace some lost trees. As the water service project advances, we will meet with the community again to get their input on this plan before doing any installations (which will occur post water service construction project, so there will be access to water for sustaining the trees during their establishment period).
Let me know if you have any questions.
Best,
Jennifer M. Hoppa
Jennifer M. Hoppa
Administrator Northern Manhattan Parks
Executive Director Fort Tryon Park Trust
741 Fort Washington Avenue
New York, NY 10040nyc.gov/parks
