A state judge has shot down Mayor Bloomberg’s plan to rent sports fields on Randalls Island to private schools because the administration failed to follow the legally required land-use review process when it made the deal. The plan was for private schools to pay $2.6 million a year for the next two decades in exchange for use of the renovated fields during peak hours from 3pm to 6pm. The Parks Department had agreed to contribute $65 million to refurbishing 36 sports fields and building new fields on 12.5 acres of the island.
The lawsuit was filed by Norman Siegel, former head of the NYCLU, and a group of East Harlem activists and parents who weren’t too thrilled with the thought of their kids getting stuck on the sidelines while the fancy boys and girls from the Upper East Side frolicked on the immaculate fields. An ebullient Siegel spoke to the press after the ruling: “This sends a strong and important message that the rule of law applies to everyone, including the city and city agencies. Moreover, it says you can fight City Hall, and sometimes you can win.”
The Sun notes that private schools "already get permits for exclusive use during after-school hours for most of the 36 fields currently on the island." Last month Richard Davis, chairman of the Randall's Island Sports Foundation, pointed out that the project would have actually provided more fields for public schools: "Right now maybe two fields are available for public schools. After this project is done, 20 will be."
The deal had been pushed through via the city’s Franchise and Concession Review Committee, whose members are in Bloomberg’s pocket; the judge agreed that it should have been submitted to the Uniform Land Use Review Process, which requires approval from the City Planning Commission and the City Council, as well as reviews by the local community board and the borough president. The city is now “considering its options.” 15% of the project is completed, but the other 85% is in for a long wait.
