ISSUES

Park Conditions

Parks are a tremendous benefit to a community. They provide increased economic value, combat crime, improve health and wellness, increase property values, improve the environment, and build neighborhood identity. They are the perfect space for residents of the East Trenton neighborhood to interact with each other and develop a sense of community. 

Despite the value that parks bring to a community, several of the parks in East Trenton are poorly maintained. The East Trenton Collaborative has begun to address this issue by organizing the Parks Conditions Community Organizing Committee to determine the best way to come together to make our parks great. 

The Parks Conditions Committee is a resident-led initiative that was established in January 2020. Its mission is to improve existing park spaces in the East Trenton neighborhood to ensure that they are safe and open to the community, that proper attention and care is given to these public spaces, and to establish ongoing community interaction with public officials about park quality and safety. As of late 2022, the Parks Conditions Committee meetings temporarily coincide with the Traffic Safety Committee, due to an overlap of goals as well as resident members, in an attempt to streamline committee objectives.

The Parks Conditions Committee meets regularly to work towards the following goals:

• Update outdated and unsafe equipment available at parks.

• Encourage regular park maintenance from the city.

• Improve park safety by installing protective equipment near water features.

• Strengthen relationships with local stakeholders to protect and expand programming at the parks.

• Make the parks in East Trenton healthy places for recreation and community building.

The committee collaborates with the City of Trenton’s Recreation, Natural Resources, and Culture department whose director, Maria Richardson, has become a partner in park improvement efforts.

The Parks Conditions Committee is composed of seven East Trenton residents and is looking to grow! If you are interested in joining, contact Shereyl.

Our Progress So Far

Parks Conditions Committee members has been hard at work advocating for improving park conditions in the East Trenton community.

collaborating with the city of Trenton and brs inc

Through research efforts, the Parks Conditions Committee learned that the city of Trenton had approved $348,000 to improve 60 Trenton parks and that BRS Inc (Brownfield Redevelopment Solutions Inc.) was approved by the city council to handle all park improvements and maintenance including replacing park equipment. The Parks Conditions Committee was able to work with BRS to offer input on the recent work done at George Page Park along the Assunpink Creek. Hetzel Field is currently targeted for the next wave of improvements, and these improvements will also reflect comments and suggestions from the Parks Conditions Committee.

east trenton open streets

Throughout the Summer of 2020, the Parks Conditions Committee and the Traffic Safety Community Organizing Committee, in partnership with the Trenton Health Team and the City of Trenton organized a series of Open Streets Events at George Page Park alongside Lawrence Street to give East Trenton residents more options to spend time outside safely during the pandemic. Temporarily closing the street and offering games and activities allowed residents to have more space to be outside and socialize while maintaining proper social distancing policies and allowed safer street crossing to access to George Page Park. This resulted in a wave of improvements, from the repaving of the road and addition of speed bumps along George Page Park, to the installation of a decorative crosswalk so drivers are more aware of pedestrians entering and exiting the park. Two Senior Bingo events were also held in George Page Park during the Open Streets project to improve park activation and provide our senior residents with safe recreational opportunities. 

The second series of Open streets events kicked off the following Summer of 2021, this time with varying events being held at George Page Park, Sonny Vereen Park, and Breunig Ave Park. This series was created as a way to once again activate our city parks and draw attention to traffic safety concerns in the community, but also as a way to engage with residents and one another safely during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Some activities at these events included a pop-up skate park, a bike repair station, food trucks, and bingo.