Community Board 11 wants their piece of the pie from City Hall this budget season.
The board — covering Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, Van Nest, Allerton and Pelham Garden— has recommended 40 items as part of its expense and capital budget proposals for this year’s municipal budget.
The requests are a prioritized list of wants and needs from the communities the board covers.
The top three budget requests for the capital projects include a commitment of funding for phase two for the north side of Pehlam Parkway, an expansion and renovation of the Van Nest playground, and the Rehabilitation of Pelham Parkway, and to add angle parking along a nine block strech along Morris Park Avenue.
The top three requests for expense projects in the city’s budget were to increase community board budgets to $350,000, increase funding for youth recreation and after school programs for community district 11, and increase police patrol operations.
CB 11 district manager Jeremy Warneke said the reconstruction of Pelham Parkway south has been at the top of CB 11’s budget priorities for years.
“We have been pushing for the reconstruction of pelham parkway since at least 1995,” Warneke said. “It’s been priority for 30 years or more.”
With the south side of Pelham Parkway nearly complete, the board is eager to start and complete the north side. Reconstruction on the north side is set to begin in fiscal year 2014.
The board’s top expense budget request in an increase in budgets alotted to each board. The increase will allow Community Boards to continue to perform charter mandates and also to hire a planner as mandated by the City Charter, Warneke said.
The renovation and expansion of Van Nest Playground has been at the top of the board’s budget priorities since 2010, Warneke said.
“I believe they are currently in the design phases,” Warneke said. “We have been pushing this for a few years. The community has a serious lack of open recreational spaces for residents. The playground is very small and not adequate to fill the need of the community. It is also in need of a major overhaul as it is old and run down.”
Another request high on the board’s list of capitol budget requests is to create an eight-block strech of angle parking on Morris Park Avenue from Tenbroeck Avenue to Radcliff Avenues.
The request is supported by the Morris Park Community Association.
According to members of the board, the parking will “add additional metered parking on the Morris Park business strip and will prevent the loss of more businesses due to the lack of parking.”
Kirsten Sanchez can be reach via e-mail at ksanchez@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 742-3394
