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Parks & Public Spaces
Community Board Five appeal to New York City to restore the bowling greens in the Mineral Springs area of Central Park to provide more inclusive and accessible recreational activities for its neighbors
At the regularly scheduled monthly Community Board Five meeting on Thursday, July 08, 2021, the following resolution passed with a vote of 26 in favor; 0 opposed; 4 abstaining:
WHEREAS, Community Board Five supports safe, inclusive, and accessible recreational spaces and activities for its residents; and
WHEREAS, Lawn sports originally began in lower Manhattan via City Council resolution in 1733, and will soon celebrate their centennial anniversary in the Mineral Springs area of Central Park, located just north of Sheep Meadow, in 2026; and
WHEREAS, Lawn sports generally allow for balanced competition regardless of age, gender, or ability, are innately socially distanced activities that provide meaningful connectedness and community and that build player balance, coordination, and confidence; and
WHEREAS, The advanced age and deteriorating state of the bowling greens make participation more difficult and risky; and
WHEREAS, The New York Lawn Bowling and Croquet Clubs regularly serve hundreds of New Yorkers offering free lessons and community events, and upgrades would create additional capacity and interest; and
WHEREAS, The upgrades have the support of Achilles International as well as the Special Olympics, noting the limited opportunities currently available for residents with different abilities within Central Park, along with other adjoining community boards, World Bowls, Bowls USA, and the US Croquet Association; and
WHEREAS, Maintenance is currently managed by the New York City Parks Department and stewarded by the Central Park Conservancy, however, several major capital improvements are required after a century of wear and tear including ground leveling and irrigation; and
WHEREAS, The original Moorish design of the Mineral Springs Pavilion and Central Park Lawn Sports Center has been lost in recent renovations, and current facilities are sparse and overcrowded; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, Community Board Five urges New York City and specific governing entities, including the New York City Parks and Recreation Department and the Central Park Conservancy, to rehabilitate the aforementioned lawn for bowling, croquet, and other recreational activities to a best-in-class facility with safe conditions, and to restore the Mineral Springs buildings to historical appropriateness with increased functionality.