Brentwood Officials, Residents Call For Reopening of Roberto Clemente Park

BRENTWOOD, NY - Local officials and residents came together on Wednesday to demand the reopening of Roberto Clemente Park in Brentwood.

Legislator Monica R. Martinez (D-9 th LD), Samuel Gonzalez, a longtime Brentwood resident, union president and Town Board candidate, and a coalition of community leaders held a conference in front of the padlocked chain linked fence to demand the Town of Islip to reopen the park on Wednesday afternoon.

The park was shut down after it was discovered that garbage had been illegally dumped in the park in 2014. During the eight-month investigation, dangerous toxins, including Colbalt, Dieldrin and Asbestos, were found at the park.

Last year, a local resident started a petition for the Town of Islip officials to reopen the park which claimed the Town of Islip, in partnership with Roberto Clemente Jr. claimed that the town was "going to make sure the park was reopened soon" and be the "best park in the town."

The Town Board had also allegedly made claims that they would refurbish the park and its Olympic-size swimming pool, but has "failed to deliver on any of those promises," according to Martinez.

Earlier this year, the Town Board dropped the pool from their plan, offering no explanation to Brentwood residents, Martinez said.

However, town officials have said that the park needs to “completely safe” before it can be reopened, according to a report in Newsday.

An Islip Town spokesperson told Newsday that the pool is expected to reopen in 2018 and that the community has been "apprised of ongoing park renovations as recently as last week."

“The moment the park is completely safe, it will be reopened for our community,” Smith said according to Newsday. “Every possible effort is being made to make certain that happens as quickly as possible.”

However, Gonzalez said that for the past four years the Town Board has been holding press conferences promising the Brentwood community that Roberto Clemente Park, including its pool, would open soon.

“Yet, again this year, our children face another long, hot, humid summer with fewer options for healthy outdoor recreation than in other parts of the town," he said.

Before a crowd of local residents and community leaders, Gonzalez listed a detailed a list of community expectations for the Islip Town Board including:

• To restore the Olympic-size pool to the park rehabilitation plan
• To establish a transparent community engagement process with regular milestone updates delivered during open meetings held in the evening and on weekends when working people are able to attend
• To provide additional summer recreation opportunities for Brentwood’s families, including regular shuttle buses from Brentwood to the nearest town-owned pool at no additional cost to residents
• To make a full accounting of the monies that were earmarked for the pool

“These are not outrageous demands,” Gonzalez said. “Put the pool back in the plan and get the park opened before the Fourth of July. Our children have waited long enough.”

As a replacement for the park, now that school is out, Martinez announced that registration is open for the Summer Youth Connection program she established.

The program will offer dance instruction, a basketball clinic, open gym, youth mentoring, career and college prep counseling and other healthy activities.