FRIENDS OF
KENSINGTON PLAYGROUND
Fighting to Save Dwight's "Town Green" From Development
"The liberal provision of parks in a city is one of the surest manifestations of the…degree of civilization, and progressiveness of its citizens."—John Charles Olmsted
25 Kensington Street, New Haven CT
THE FIGHT TO SAVE KENSINGTON PLAYGROUND
Friends of Kensington Playground is fighting to save Kensington Playground from development into a 15-unit apartment building and 15-car surface parking lot. (Because the developer is converting 8 existing apartments into office space, there will be a net gain of only 7 units of housing.)
Kensington Playground is the only public playground in the urban, low-income Dwight neighborhood of New Haven. The splash pad in Kensington Playground didn't work from 2017-2021, and was repaired in 2022 after pressure from Friends of Kensington Playground.
In October 2020 the New Haven Board of Alders sold Kensington Playground for $1 to The Community Builders, so that affordable housing could be built on the park. They did so despite outcry and testimony from many residents.
In November 2020 Friends of Kensington Playground filed a lawsuit to stop the sale of the parkland, citing the Connecticut Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) and CT Statute 7-131n (sometimes called the park replacement statute). In addition, separate from the legal complaint, we requested both a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and a Section 106 (of the National Historic Preservation Act) Review.
In January 2021, we provided the City with a list of alternative building sites. We support affordable housing, but not on our park.
It is worth noting that Dwight has the lowest park acreage per capita in the city––even with Kensington Playground––according to the New Haven ParkScore Index, September 2021.
Besides holding Halloween and Holiday events, and bicycle, clothing and school supplies giveaways in Kensington Playground, Friends of Kensington Playground obtained written approval from every Community Management Teams (CMTs) for a resolution to present to city officials, mandating at least one playground per neighborhood with a playscape, (working) splashpad, and tall trees.
Friends of Kensington Playground’s ongoing lawsuit over lack of due process in the decision to develop Kensington Playground has led to a change in the developer’s plans, enabling renovation of their existing properties to proceed independently. We remain hopeful that our efforts will result in the city reclaiming and saving this valuable and irreplaceable neighborhood greenspace.
If we save Kensington Playground, Friends of Kensington Playground is committed to adding a playscape to the playground.
To read our latest update, visit our GoFundMe page
Our video was filmed, edited, and produced by Collin at Tangible Planet Photography. https://www.tangibleplanet.com
Thanks, Collin!
THE LEGAL FIGHT
Our legal fight against the sale of Kensington Playground consists of several elements:
In November 2020, we filed a legal complaint against the City of New Haven citing CEPA and 7-131n.
CEPA, the Connecticut Environmental Policy Act, establishes a process by which state agencies must identify and review their proposed “actions which may significantly affect the environment”. The core purpose of CEPA is to provide a public process for state agencies to identify and assess the extent to which their proposed actions may potentially affect the environment, and to evaluate alternatives to avoid or minimize such impacts.
CT General Statute 7-131n requires that when a municipality takes land previously intended for use as park or for other recreational or open space purposes, it must hold a dedicated public hearing on the issue, replace the parkland with parkland of equal value and size, and provide the public with the replacement land at the public hearing.
In November 2020, separate from the legal complaint, we requested both a NEPA Review and a Section 106 Review.
The National Environment Policy Act (NEPA ) requires preservation of aspects of our historic, cultural and environmental heritage as much as possible. Since the Federal government is funding part of the construction on the parkland, a NEPA review is appropriate.
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires review and consideration of federal or federally funded activities that can have an impact on properties listed in or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The proposed construction is within the Dwight Street National Historic District on land eligible for the National Register. Thus, a Section 106 review is required.
In January 2021, through our attorney, we provided the City of New Haven with several alternative building sites. You can review that document here.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us through the contact button,
or call Pat at two zero three 285-5077.
DONATE AND HELP US SAVE THIS PLAYGROUND AND PARK
Our strength is amplified with collective action, and you can help make a difference with Friends of Kensington Playground right now! The support we receive is a huge driver of the good work we do in addressing some of society’s most challenging problems. Get in touch today and join our community in making a lasting impact.
THE GREAT GIVE 2023
May 3-4, 2023
Friends of Kensington Playground will be participating in The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s The Great Give 2023 this Wednesday, May 3, and Thursday, May 4.
We are excited to announce that we have an exclusive $1000 “Save Kensington Playground” Challenge, sponsored by members of Friends of Kensington Playground. If you donate during The Great Give, your gift will go towards unlocking this money! Just use this link or search for “Friends of Kensington Playground” on TheGreatGive.org website.
In order to continue our work, we need your support. Any and all amounts will help make a difference. Once this park land and these trees that provide shade and clean the air are gone, there is no getting them back. Please help us.
MAKE A DONATION AND HELP US SAVE THIS PLAYGROUND AND PARK
Show Your Support
We are appealing to the community for donations to help with legal costs and, if we win, to improve the parks's playscape.
We will accept donations through our Save Kensington Playground GoFundMe campaign here
If you prefer to donate by check, please send your check payable to Friends of Kensington Playground, c/o 66 Edgewood Ave., New Haven, CT 06511.
Note: Friends of Kensington Playground is a 501(c)(3) charity. Donations are tax deductible.
This drawing was made by a child who lives adjacent to Kensington Playground.
MEDIA COVERAGE
OPINION: PLAYGROUNDS ARE NEEDED IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD
NEW HAVEN REGISTER
February 19, 2023
If you have raised children in the city, you know how important it is to be able to get to a playground. Playgrounds and parks are vital for children who live in cities in order to have safe spaces to run and jump, swing and climb. Vigorous play is essential for children’s health, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Read more here
OPINION: BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHOUT BULLDOZING PLAYGROUND
- NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
December 23, 2022
These holidays offer a moment of grace. John McCutcheon’s song, “Christmas in the Trenches,” a true story, about the Christmas Eve truce in the midst of World War I when German and European soldiers, for one night, traded chocolate, played soccer at midnight, and sang “Silent Night” in German and English, was such a moment.
Read more here
JUDGE KEEPS KENSINGTON PLAYGROUND LAWSUIT ALIVE
NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
June 16, 2022
A Kensington Playground-focused lawsuit got a new lease on life, after a state judge rejected the city’s request to strike down the case.
That means that a parks group is now allowed to keep trying to prove that New Haven violated a state environmental law by agreeing to sell a Dwight public greenspace.
Read more here
PARK CASE Q: MIGHT TREES REMAIN STANDING?
NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
March 10, 2022
Maybe the developer will build around the trees?
A city-hired attorney offered that defense in state court during the latest hearing about whether or not New Haven violated a state environmental law by agreeing to sell a Dwight public greenspace.
Read more here
GRASSROOTS QUEST AIMS TO SAVE PLAYGROUNDS
NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
July 6, 2021
A proposal is making the rounds of New Haven neighborhood meetings. Its pitch: The Board of Parks Commissioners should never give up the only public park in a neighborhood, and it should always ensure each neighborhood has at least one playground with a playscape and a splash pad or water element.
Read more here
JUDGE SIDES WITH CITY, DISMISSES HALF OF KENSINGTON PLAYGROUND LAWSUIT
NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
June 17, 2021
A state judge threw out half of a lawsuit about the future of Kensington Playground, after agreeing with the city that a Dwight resident and a neighborhood parks group do not have legal standing to sue the city for selling the public greenspace.
Read more here
PARK CASE Q: CAN CITY “TAKE” FROM ITSELF?
NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
June 3, 2021
The first court hearing in a months-long dispute over the future of Kensington Playground raised a broader question: Can the city be accused of “taking” land that it already owns?
Read more here
PARK DEAL SPAWNS DUELING ENVIRO REPORTS
NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
May 3, 2021
A city-commissioned report concluded that converting Kensington Playground into affordable apartments will not harm the environment. A group of neighbors strongly disagreed and took to the streets Monday to say so.
Read more here
LEAD, PARK, RICCI SUITS ENTER NEW PHASES NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
April 20, 2021
FIGHT CONTINUES OVER KENSINGTON PARK: Court arguments in a lawsuit against the city for selling a public park in the Dwight neighborhood to an affordable housing developer, meanwhile, will soon be heard by a state judge. A remote hearing in the case is newly scheduled for June 2.
Read more here
KIDS GET WHEELS AT KENSINGTON PLAYGROUND
NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
April 17, 2021
Winter Carter, 5, received a new bike on Saturday morning — and jumped for joy.
She was one of the 13 children who took bike and safety lessons and received refurbished bikes at the latest event to build public support for saving Kenginston Playground from becoming the site of new housing.
Read more here
KIDS’ EASTER EVENT HIGHLIGHTS QUEST TO SAVE KENSINGTON PLAYGROUND
NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
April 5, 2021
Friends of Kensington Playground and Upon This Rock Ministries distributed 45 Easter baskets and 30 bags filled of canned goods to Dwight residents on Saturday.
Read more here
MAYOR JOINS PARKS GROUP, AS (ANOTHER) PARKS GROUP SUES CITY
NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
November 19,20
New Haven’s mayor joined a national coalition seeking more money for urban parks — while a group seeking to save an urban park in his backyard sued the city for selling it.
Read more here
CITY SELLS PARK; HOUSING CALL PREVAILS
NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
October 20, 2020
The Board of Alders voted overwhelmingly in support of trading a Kensington Street park for 15 new affordable apartments — but only after an impassioned debate about the relative merits of building low-income housing atop public green space.
Read more here
NEW HOUSING OK’D AFTER PARK SALE DEBATE
NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
October, 1, 2020
City plans to trade Kensington Playground for 15 new affordable apartments won a key aldermanic approval — but not before over a dozen Dwight neighbors gathered in the public greenspace to voice their live-streamed, virtual opposition to replacing urban parkland with housing.
Read more here
KENSINGTON PARK-TO-HOUSING DEAL ADVANCES
NEW HAVEN INDEPENDENT
September 2, 2020
An affordable housing developer’s plans to build 15 apartments atop Kensington Park moved ahead — on the condition that the developer invest $80,000 in improving a nearby park in Dwight, and that the city set aside a comparable amount of new public park space in Newhallville.
Read more here
NEW HAVEN’S KENSINGTON PARK ADVOCATES LAUD JUDGE’S DECISION NOT TO DISMISS SUIT AGAINST CITY
NEW HAVEN REGISTER
June 17, 2022
A Superior Court judge kept alive a 2020 lawsuit seeking to prevent the city from selling a Kensington Street playground, ruling against a motion by the city to dismiss the suit and saying the environmental issues it raises are serious enough to merit further investigation.
Read more here
KIDS ONCE AGAIN SPLASHING IN NEW HAVEN PLAYGROUND
NEW HAVEN REGISTER
June 25, 2022
While adults continue the larger fight over the elimination of Kensington Playground, in the meantime, at least the kids in the Dwight neighborhood will get to experience one of the joys of summer missing for the past five years.
Read more here
OPINION: KENSINGTON PLAYGROUND – DWIGHT’S IRREPLACEABLE GREENSPACE
CT MIRROR
August 24, 2021
Friends of Kensington Playground (FOKP) – a group mainly of Dwight residents most of whom live close to Kensington Playground (KP) and have been active in New Haven’s Dwight community efforts for decades – agree with Delisa Tolson that the playground was once neglected and dangerous, unsafe for children and families. However, several years ago Captain Healy set Kensington Playground as his top priority when he became the New Haven Police Department’s Dwight district manager and began the park’s transformation.
Read more here
LETTER: ‘OFFICIALS IGNORED THE VOICES OF THE PEOPLE’ IN SELLING CT PLAYGROUND
NEW HAVEN REGISTER
July 4, 2021
In the Dwight neighborhood of New Haven there is a struggle to save Kensington Playground, our only public playground. City officials want to give the playground away for affordable housing. Neighbors believe there are other places such housing can be built in this neighborhood. We believe the decision to give away the playground was made in an undemocratic way. Friends of Kensington Playground has sued the city and filed complaints with federal agencies. Read more here
A PLAYGROUND IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD
A Safe Place for Children to Play
In July, 2021, Friends of Kensington Playground asked the New Haven Board of Park Commissioners to adopt
a park policy with the following elements:
Every neighborhood in the City would have at least one playground;
Each playground would be fully equipped with at least a playscape, a splash pad and mature trees;
In a neighborhood with only one playground, that playground would not be sold or given away.
Every community management team (CMT) in the City endorsed this
proposal.
To learn more, read our presentation here and the accompanying narrative here
And here is information on Park Maintenance that we provided to the Park Commission in April 2023.
AIR QUALITY AND PARKS IN THE DWIGHT NEIGHBORHOOD: A SURVEY
Purple Monitor Project
Power to Play Project
In order to prepare to update the neighborhood plan created by the Dwight neighborhood years ago, three neighborhood organizations united to survey the neighborhood in the summer of 2022. We especially thank our neighbors that took the time to talk with us as we conducted surveys. Youth@Work of the City of New Haven graciously provided summer interns to design and conduct the survey, and to do other activities to engage young and old members of the community. We also thank to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development for supporting this effort with a grant to support our neighborhood organizing efforts.
Read the report here
The Greater Dwight Development Corporation (GDDC) is sponsoring a project to address air quality issues. Kensington Playground is an important asset because the trees clean the air and provide a cool spot on a hot day.
Read the Purple Monitor Fact Sheet here
Read the Dwight Community Health Profile here
LINKS TO DOCUMENTS
Access to Important Documents Made Easy
Here are quick links to useful documents that we cite often:
New Haven ParkScore Index, September 2021
Kensington Square II Fully Executed Environmental Assessment (scroll way down the page).
Letter from the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP)
THANK YOU
The following businesses and organizations have provided financial and in-kind support to us, and for that we are most grateful:
Dunkin'
Bikes for Kids
Brick Oven Pizza
Chapel West Special Services District
Devil's Gear Bike Shop
Edge of the Woods Market
Greater Dwight Development Corporation
Kryptonite
New Haven Friends Meeting
New Haven Reads
St. Martin de Porres Church
Stop and Shop
Woodbridge True Value Hardware
We are also grateful to all the individuals who have generously donated their time, money, services, and goods. We couldn't do it without you!
Thank you!
IN SUPPORT OF URBAN PARKS
These articles may be of interest to you.
MAKING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY A WAY OF LIFE: AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS POLICY EXPLAINED
Committed to Quality
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants, children, teens, and children with special needs have time for physical activity each day.
Read more here
HOW HEAT AFFECTS HEALTH: AN OVERLOOKED OUTCOME OF CLIMATE CHANGE
CT Mirror
By 1 p.m., it was 95 degrees in Norwalk on what would turn out to be the last day of the third mini-heat wave of this summer.
Or maybe it was the fourth.
It was hot, again. The humidity was off the charts, again. And the air quality was lousy, again.
Read more
AIR QUALITY CAN AFFECT HEALTH. CLIMATE CHANGE IS WORSENING BOTH.
CT Mirror
Sandra Rapp has had breathing problems for at least 20 years. She was a heavy smoker — a habit she gave up 30 years ago — spent many years working in manufacturing and has lived near the pollution and heat of highways in New Haven and Waterbury for decades.
Read more
REDLINING MEANS 45 MILLION AMERICANS ARE BREATHING DIRTIER AIR, 50 YEARS AFTER IT ENDED
By Darryl Fears
The Washington Post, March 9, 2022
Decades of federal housing discrimination did not only depress home values, lower job opportunities and spur poverty in communities deemed undesirable because of race. It’s why 45 million Americans are breathing dirtier air today, according to a landmark study released Wednesday.
The practice known as redlining was outlawed more than a half-century ago, but it continues to impact people who live in neighborhoods that government mortgage officers shunned for 30 years because people of color and immigrants lived in them.
Read more
UNDERSTANDING CHILD-FRIENDLY URBAN DESIGN
Brookings Institute, October 21, 2021
To address children’s language and spatial skills, cities around the world are beginning to invest in Playful Learning Landscapes (PLL)—installations and programming that promote children and families’ learning through play in the public realm. A new PLL metrics frameworkprovides a roadmap to collect data that demonstrates PLL’s tremendous potential to narrow opportunity gaps while creating more livable and playful cities. Read more here
TO COMBAT GUN VIOLENCE, CLEAN UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD
New York Times, October 8, 2021
Until a Black man turns 45, his most likely cause of death is homicide. After each such violent death, traumatic shock waves pierce through family and friends. Whole neighborhoods suffer. In some communities with high rates of violent crime, babies are more likely to be born early, children are more likely to struggle in school and adults are more likely to report being depressed, as well as face increased risk of heart disease.
read more here
TREES COULD BE A MENTAL, PHYSICAL AND CLIMATE CHANGE ANTIDOTE
NPR, September 18, 2021
A growing body of research shows the many ways trees improves our mental and physical health. There's a push to understand more. Read more
WHY AN EAST HARLEM STREET IS 31 DEGREES HOTTER THAN CENTRAL PARK WEST
New York Times, August 20, 2021
If you want to map inequality in New York, you can just count trees. Read more here
AS RISING HEAT BAKES U.S. CITIES, THE POOR OFTEN FEEL IT MOST
NPR - MEG ANDERSON, SEAN MCMINN · SEPTEMBER 3, 2019
NPR analyzed 97 of the most populous U.S. cities using the median household income from U.S. Census Bureau data and thermal satellite images from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey. In more than three-quarters of those cities, we found that where it's hotter, it also tends to be poorer. And at least 69 had an even stronger relationship than Baltimore, the first city we mapped.
This means that as the planet warms, the urban poor in dozens of large U.S. cities will actually experience more heat than the wealthy, simply by virtue of where they live. And not only will more people get sick from rising temperatures in the future, we found they likely already are. Read more
IN DEFENSE OF TALL TREES: IDENTIFY THE VALUABLE AND STRONGEST LARGE TREES IN CITIES AND TOWNS. THEN WORK TO KEEP THEM.
2015 article by CT DEEP Urban Forestry Coordinator Chris Donnelly
In the wake of recent storms in Connecticut, residents have criticized tall trees as threats to public safety and the reliability of electricity and cable lines. Yet, tall trees are very much a natural part of the Connecticut landscape.
Read more
DEADLY AIR POLLUTANT ‘DISPROPORTIONATELY AND SYSTEMATICALLY’ HARMS AMERICANS OF COLOR, STUDY FINDS
The Washington Post, April 28, 2021
By Juliet Eilperin and Darryl Fears
Nearly every source of the nation’s most pervasive and deadly air pollutantdisproportionately affects Americans of color, regardless of their state or income level, according to a study published Wednesday. The analysis of fine-particle matter, which includes soot, shows how decisions made decades ago about where to build highways and industrial plants continue to harm the health of Black, Latino and Asian Americans today.
Read more
PEOPLE OF COLOR BREATHE MORE HAZARDOUS AIR. THE SOURCES ARE EVERYWHERE.
New York Times, April 29, 2021
By Hiroko Tabuchi and Nadja Popovich
Over the years, a mountain of evidence has brought to light a stark injustice: Compared with white Americans, people of color in the United States suffer disproportionately from exposure to pollution.
Now, a new study on a particularly harmful type of air pollution shows just how broadly those disparities hold true. Black Americans are exposed to more pollution from every type of source, including industry, agriculture, all manner of vehicles, construction, residential sources and even emissions from restaurants. People of color more broadly, including Black and Hispanic people and Asian-Americans, are exposed to more pollution from nearly every source.
Read more
E.P.A. TO REVIEW RULES ON SOOT LINKED TO DEATHS, WHICH TRUMP DECLINED TO TIGHTEN
New York Times, June 10, 2021
The Biden administration says it will consider tougher limits on a deadly air pollutant that disproportionately affects low-income and minority communities.
The Biden administration will reconsider federal limits on fine industrial soot, one of the most common and deadliest forms of air pollution, with an eye toward imposing tough new rules on emissions from power plants, factories and other industrial facilities. Read more here.
In Dwight, we are in the 85th percentile in CT for this deadly particulate matter. We are in the 90th percentile in New England and in the 74th percentile in the nation.
See data from EPA here.
SINCE WHEN HAVE TREES EXISTED ONLY FOR RICH AMERICANS?
NY Times, June 30, 2021
Rich Americans enjoy almost 50 percent more greenery in their environment compared with lower-income communities.
Read more
YOU LIVE HERE. GET INVOLVED.
TAG SALE!
Friday 5/26 and Saturday 5/27
9 am to 1 pm
91 Edgewood Avenue, just before Dwight
Park in the lot next door.
Power, Hand, and Garden Tools
Illustration Art Books and Frames
Kitchenware
Oriental Rugs
Coffee and Side Tables, Desk, Chairs, Bookcases
and more
Not to be missed!
All proceeds benefit the Friends of Kensington Playground
SPRING FESTIVAL
SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 1-3 P.M.
Join us for the fun family friendly event celebrating Spring!
HOLIDAY CELEBRATION!
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 3-5 PM
Update: Thank you to everyone who joined us! We had a wonderful time, choosing kids books, making ornaments and decorating the tree, playing in leaves, and drinking hot chocolate and eating cookies. See our Facebook page for images from the event.
Join us for a HOLIDAY CELEBRATION around the Christmas Tree in Kensington Playground as we celebrate Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, New Year’s Eve, and 3 Kings Day.
PUMPKIN FESTIVAL!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1-4 P.M.
Join us for this fun, free family orientated event! Kid's can decorate pumpkins and play Pumpkin Balloon Pop. There will be cider and refreshments for everyone, and the splash pad will be turned into a colorful ballon arch for taking festive pictures.
Renee's Closet will be giving away free clothing, too.
NEIGHBORHOOD COOKOUT!
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2-4 PM
Join us for a fun, free Neighborhood Cookout on Saturday, August 6 from 2-4 PM in Kensington Playground. We’ll have chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers, as well as family friendly games including corn hole.
Enjoy the coolest spot in our neighborhood—the Kensington Playground splash pad!
We need volunteers to help staff this event, and we welcome donations to cover the cost of this event.
clicking ‘Create a page from this item’ in the edit panel.
EASTER EVENT!
SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 1-3 PM
Update: Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make this an egg-cellent event. We were hop-py to see you! Here's a slideshow of the fun!
Join us for this fun, free event! There will be games and activities for children and their families, including:
Easter Basket Giveaway
Photos with Easter Bunny
Easter Egg Hunt
Easter Bonnet Decorating and Parade
Books for Kids
Renee's Closet Clothing Giveaway
HOLIDAY CELEBRATION!
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12, 3-4:30 P.M.
UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who joined us for this event! Kids, families, and neighbors gathered around a Christmas tree to drink hot chocolate, eat delicious cookies and clementines, create holiday ornaments, and decorate the tree. Kids chose free books compliments of New Haven. At 4 p.m. when we turned on the lights, the park was filled with song as Tangled Up In Blue, Yale’s Folk Music Group, led a carol sing. It was heartwarming to see so many residents using the playground. Click here to see images from the event.
HALLOWEEN PARTY!
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31 FROM 1-4
Update: Thank you to everyone who joined us for this event! Kids decorated pumpkins, played games, and trick or treated for candy, and enjoyed delicious food with their families. Thanks to all the organizations, businesses, and individuals who made our event possible. Here's a slideshow of the event.
Join us for this family friendly event! Food, music, sweets, and cider, including Chicken Wings from Mama Mary's Soul Food.
There will also be pumpkin decorating and games for kids!
All free!
Costumes welcome. Please wear a mask.
RENEE’S CLOSET, POP-UP VACCINATION CLINIC
SATURDAY, AUGUST 21
10 AM - 1 PM
Update: We had a wonderful event! Thanks to all who attended! Thanks to Griffin Health and our volunteers!
Free walk up vaccination clinic, and a clothing and back-to-school supplies giveaway.
Free and open to all!
MISS MAE'S SINGING AND STORYTELLING
SATURDAY, JUNE 12 AT 1:30 PM
Update: Thanks to everyone who joined us for this event, and to Miss Mae for her wonderful stories and songs.
Miss Mae will be in Kensington Playground! Join us for this free, fun kids event. Refreshments provided. Bring a chair.
Miss Mae is part of Arts and Ideas Festival's "Arts on Call
RENEÉ'S CLOSET, A CLOTHING GIVEAWAY
SATURDAY MAY 22, 10 AM - 1 PM
Update: Thank you to everyone who joins us for this great event. We gave away lots of clothing, books, and household items -- All free! Some folks filled a bag, others shopped for a new outfit. Everyone snagged a deal.
SIDEWALK CHALK ART
SATURDAY, MAY 15, 10 AM
Update: Thank you to everyone who joined us for this fun event!
Drawing and painting with chalk in Kensington Playground! We had a wonderful time using stencils, chalk and spray chalk on the sidewalks of the park.
KID'S BICYCLE SAFETY CLINIC
SATURDAY 4/17 10 AM
13 kids left with bicycles, helmets, lights, locks, and the skills to ride safety. Friends of Kensington Playground is grateful to all of the sponsors and individuals that made this event possible, including: Bikes for Kids, Chapel West, The Devil's Gear Bike Shop, Kryptonite Bike Locks, New Haven Department of Parks and Recreation, St Martin de Porres Church, and Upon This Rock Ministries, Paul Hammer, and Joel La Chance.
FOOD PANTRY, EASTER BASKET GIVEAWAY
SATURDAY 4/3 AT 10 AM
UPDATE: We had a wonderful event in the park. We met many new neighbor, lots of kids, and saw old friends.
Thanks to all who participated, and to Upon This Rock Ministries for holding the food pantry.
PARK CLEAN-UP
SATURDAY 11/21 AT 10 AM
Update: Thanks to everyone who came out to rake leaves with us. We have had a great time: terrific weather in the fall weather, meeting new neighbors, and
BOARD OF ALDERS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING
9/30 AT 6 PM.
Update: Despite powerful testimony against the deal, the BOA CDC voted in favor of the deal. Now the deal heads to the full BOA for a vote in mid Oct.
and check back here for more updates.
Read more in the New Haven Independent here
and in the New Haven Register here
Thank you to everyone who stood up for the playground and the children of Dwight neighborhood.
Tell the Board of Alders what YOU want the space to be! A better playground? Affordable ownership housing?
Let your voice be heard.
Join us in the playground on Wednesday, Sept 30 at 6 PM when we attend this meeting via Zoom.
SIGN-MAKING
SAT. 9/12/20
Update: Thank you to everyone who came out and joined us. The highlight of the morning was creating a "Kids Play Here. Pick up after your dog." sign and poop bag station.
Join us in the playground Saturday morning, 9/1/20, at 10 AM to continue making signs opposing the sale of Kensington Playground to Community Builders for $1, so that housing and parking can be built over the parkland.
Materials and refreshments will be provided.
Please wear a mask.
COMMUNITY MEETING
WED 9/9/20 AT 6:30 PM IN THE PLAYGROUND
Update: Thanks to everyone who came out and made signs with us. We had a great night.
Join us Wednesday night for a community discussion about the playground. Tell us how you use the park and how we can make the playground better. We'll discuss how we can work together to save Kensington Playground.
Refreshments provided.
Please wear a mask.
DWIGHT CENTRAL MANAGEMENT TEAM MEETING 9/1/20
Update: Thank you to everyone who came out and joined us at the meeting on Zoom in the Playground!
Your voice is important and appreciated.
Fight for what you want the space to be! Tell the DCMT Meeting on Tuesday, Sept 1 at 6:30 PM what YOU want to happen! Join the Community Meeting by computer on Zoom from the playground.
Photo Credit: Emily Hayes, New Haven Independent, March 9, 2020; image taken at an earlier DCMT meeting.
PLAYGROUND
CLEANUP
8/29/20
Update: Thanks to all the volunteers who joined us for this successful event!
Do you want the playground gone or made a good playground? If the neighborhood wants to get rid of the playground, should more rental housing be built, or affordable OWNERSHIP housing by a developer with a good track record?
Come for a playground cleanup and conversation, Saturday, August 29, 2020, 10 a.m. Rakes, leaf bags, disposable gloves, snacks provided. Please wear a mask.
WHO WE ARE
We meet on Saturday at 10 a.m.
The Friends of Kensington Playground are a group of neighbors concerned about the sale of Kensington Playground. Despite outcry from the neighborhood, the City of New Haven voted to sell our park for $1 to The Community Builders (TCB), so that a 15-unit apartment building and a 15-space surface parking lot could be built on the parkland. Because 8 existing TCB apartments will be converted to TCB office space, there is a net gain of only 7 units
We campaigned against the sale at numerous city meetings, collected signatures and testimony against the sale, and door knocked to make residents aware of the sale.
In November 2020, we filed a lawsuit against the city over the sale citing CEPA and 7131-n. Separately, we also requested a NEPA review (since federal monies will fund the apartment building construction) and a Section 106 review (since the playground is within our historic district).
To join us and get involved, reach out to us through the contact button.
