When It Comes to Parks, Colavita Strikes Out

Eastchester, Tuckahoe, and Bronxville offer a world of potential for residents who want to take advantage of our beautiful outdoor spaces. That potential, however, is squandered by the current Town Supervisor. Like most aspects of our town that he has overseen for nearly two decades, there is still no comprehensive plan for improving or even maintaining our parks and recreational facilities.

Together with Niamh Hartnett and Eileen DeLucia, my fellow candidates on the Eastchester Now slate for Town Board, we have been listening to our neighbors through both casual conversation and focus groups to hear what needs to change about our town and its government. Maintaining and improving our playing fields and other green spaces consistently comes up as a priority for town residents.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be a priority for the current town administration. Playing fields and tennis courts are in short supply and lacking in sorely-needed maintenance. Even more problematic, some facilities aren’t available at times because they have been rented for private uses rather than public access.

Eastchester, Tuckahoe, and Bronxville are desirable places to live in no small part because of the recreational opportunities they can offer to all residents. We need a unified and comprehensive partnership between Eastchester’s town government, two villages, and three school districts. It is the only way to assess and meet the recreational needs of all residents, and to efficiently keep up with maintenance needs ensuring our spaces are well kept and safe to use.

As part of this comprehensive approach, Eastchester should also partner with Westchester County to secure long-term access to Scout Field for town and village residents.

Another essential element of Eastchester’s recreation strategy must be to plan for the future use of a financially stable Lake Isle Country Club. It is vital that Lake Isle continues to be affordable and accessible to all town residents. The Eastchester Now team is also committed to keeping public tennis courts and fields available solely for public use, not for private rental that excludes the public.

In order to assure that town recreational plans are informed by the public’s interests, the Eastchester Town Board should engage in regular two-way communication with all town and village residents and work with our villages and school districts to assess present and future community recreational needs.

In Eastchester, Tuckahoe, and Bronxville, we prioritize family and community. Our parks and recreational facilities are critical infrastructure that allow us to come together, enjoy one another’s company, and take pride in the town we’ve built. In the face of Covid-19, having accessible and available outdoor space has proven more important than ever. Let’s send a new team to the Eastchester Town Board this November and realize the change we so desperately need.

John Eickemeyer is running for supervisor in the Town of Eastchester, which includes the villages of Tuckahoe and Bronxville. He is part of the Democratic slate of candidates known as Eastchester Now, together with Niamh Hartnett Merluccio and Eileen DeLucia, who are running to be councilmembers. For information about how they will bring a new direction to Eastchester, visit www.eastchesternow.com.