Bellerose will get a long-awaited community reading garden. Courtesy of Senator Liu’s offi ce
PLANS FOR BELLEROSE COMMUNITY
READING GARDEN MOVE FORWARD
BY JENNA BAGCAL
Plans are finally moving forward
for a Bellerose reading garden the city
had promised the community back in
2014. On Dec. 5, elected officials, the
Parks Department, P.S. 133 leadership
and community and civic leaders announced
the next steps for the Bellerose
Community Reading Garden project
that will lie adjacent to the Bellerose
Playground and P.S. 133 schoolyard.
The city had previously closed off
the garden space where the planned
reading garden will go, despite the
community’s desire to transform the
area. In 2014, former Senator Tony
Avella secured $250,000 in funding but
the project never moved forward.
Two years later, Borough President
Melinda Katz and Councilman Barry
Grodenchik put forth a collective $4.4
million from the city budget that went
toward schoolyard and playground
renovations for P.S. 133. The city
moved forward with the project while
plans for the reading garden fell to the
wayside. Construction is currently
underway and is slated to finish by
spring 2020.
“This reading garden has been long
sought after by the community, and in
fact, should have been part of a comprehensive
TIMESLEDGER | Q 2 NS.COM | DEC. 13-19, 2019
renovation of the P.S. 133
recreation area,” said Senator John
Liu. “However, lack of collaboration in
past years had resulted in this component
of the overall renovation being excluded.
We have worked together with
the parks department, elected officials
and community activists for the last
several months to put this project on a
clear path forward for completion. The
next step is a public scoping meeting,
which is important so that community
input can be incorporated, and I hope
anyone interested will come share
their ideas and suggestions.”
P.S. 133 will host a public scoping
meeting on Friday, Jan. 10, at 3 p.m. At
the meeting, the community can weigh
in on design elements and things they
would like to see put in the reading
garden.
Prior to this project, parents and
community members had advocated
for a decade for the city to make better
use of the garden space. Supporters
thought that a reading garden would
get students “more involved in their
community” and provide a serene environment
for reading.
“The P.S. 133Q schoolyard and Bellerose
playground are almost complete,
and the reading garden is the final
puzzle piece at that site,” said Councilman
Barry Grodenchik.
This reading garden has been long sought
after by the community, and in fact,
should have been part of a comprehensive
renovation of the P.S. 133 recreation area.
State Senator John Liu
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