by David Cruz 

In some instances, a vacant lot serves as a makeshift refuge for the homeless. Other times it’s stash site for drug dealers. Makeshift basketball tournaments have been organized there. But residents have mostly viewed it as a dumping ground, and whether good or bad the only play area.

Now some Bedford Park residents are renewing their push to convert the ad hoc landfill on Decatur Avenue and Oliver Place into a playground. Though no parkland is in the works, the lot is now set for a desperately needed cleanup job thanks to its local councilman.

Shanequa Charles, a resident of Decatur Avenue and Community Board 7 member, has gathered over 200 signatures on Dec. 12 under “Our Kids Matter” banner. She’s calling on the New York City Department of Transportation to demap Oliver Place, where the hilly lot rests.

“There’s nowhere else to play,” said Charles. “The closest thing is 188th Street and Webster Avenue, crossing major intersections. That’s a very far walk for a person to take their children.”

DOT has long owned the property, though Charles notes the issue has largely become a hot potato, with DOT passing the buck to the New York City Department of Parks.

It’s the only open space where children can play, according to residents. But it does invite a host of problems, mainly children spill out of the lot and onto incoming traffic.

This is not the first attempt at pushing for repairs. Sally Young, a longtime resident of Decatur Avenue, initially grabbed headlines in getting the park repaired, including lobbying the New York Botanical Garden for help.

“The kids need a place because the parents aren’t taking them anywhere,” said Young. “There’s no other alternative.”

Back then conditions were worse–at one time the property had been used as a dumping ground by restaurant workers who flung discarded food and trash to the site. Piles of trash went up as high as six feet, according to Young.

“Anything’s better than a garbage dump,” she said.

For now, Councilman Ritchie Torres has pledged a Dec. 19 top to bottom cleanup of the wide space.

The city Department of Transportation did not return calls. Anyone interested in signing the petition can call (347) 318-5410.