A bad deal for Cranston

To the Editor:

The now withdrawn proposal to change Doric Park was a bad deal not just for the residents of Doric Park neighborhood but for all of Cranston. In exchange for a turf field that would have dramatically changed the park, the City would have given the NEFC the exclusive license of the field over forty percent during the week, all of Sunday, and eighty five percent during peak Summer hours which are July 1 through the second week of August.

We would have seen one of the two basketball courts destroyed to make room for more parking, a six foot black chain link fence installed, an undetermined amount of trees removed, part of the walking track removed, and a turf field which would have made many activities now there unfeasible. The announcement of this deal was also poorly executed.

Without first speaking to the residents of the Doric Park neighborhood, the Mayor held a press conference at the park to announce the deal. I will give the mayor credit, he spent some time afterwards to answer questions. However, the residents who made their opinion felt there seemed betrayed as much as confused, asking the Mayor why he wouldn’t come talk to them first about this.

It was previously noted elsewhere that the annual cost of fees for NEFC participation ranges from $1,400 to $2,600, a figure that would leave many wanting participants out in the cold. A public space like our public parks should not have a price tag attached to it.

I was lucky enough to frequently use Doric Park when I was younger and I want to see future generations have the same chance to utilize the park like I did. It’s one of those pieces that helps bring not just the neighborhood together but the city. We need more pieces like that, not less.

Robert Santurri Jr.

Egan Road

Cranston