Keep the green in FDR Park
As a retired science teacher and the grandparent of an athletic little boy, I read with interest the article by Mark Zimmaro about drastic changes to FDR Park (“Tree removal in FDR Park, soccer fields to come,” May 15).
The removal of hundreds of trees, including trees sacred to native people, plus the installation of over a dozen artificial ballfields, seems really excessive to me. It certainly does not match the vision of our founder William Penn’s “green country town.”
I totally understand the impact this will have on the environment. Animal habitats have already been destroyed. Fewer trees mean less clean air in an already polluted city atmosphere. So it is understandable why local environmental groups like Green Party of Pennsylvania and neighborhood organizations like Packer Park Civic Association would join forces to object to the drastic changes to FDR Park.
In fairness, Zimmaro included a letter from the Parks and Recreation Department defending the alterations to the park. It includes plans for planting thousands of new trees. I just hope this message is sincere and that the health and safety of the neighboring community plus the whole city are protected.
Gloria C. Endres
