WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Efforts to curb illegal activities inside a public plaza that locals say has become an encampment for homeless men include new "no smoking" signs and a push to install spotlights that some believe will discourage unsavory behavior at the green space.
Juan Pablo Duarte Square, which separates Broadway from St. Nicholas Avenue at West 170th Street, has seen an influx of homeless men who leave behind trash, drug paraphernalia and even human waste, according to a group of local gardeners who have worked to beautify the space.
The Parks Department recently added a sign at the plaza notifying park users that the area falls under the city’s ban on smoking in public places. While the agency said the ban has been in effect since 2011, residents noted that the sign — which also prohibits loitering and encampments — was posted last week.
State Sen. Adriano Espaillat, who has been working to improve conditions in the square with other community leaders, first began speaking to the Parks Department about the issue this summer. He said that clarifying the smoking rules could help to crack down on other kinds of substance abuse in the park, including marijuana smoking, which was openly viewed on a recent visit to the space.
He has also proposed adding more lighting to the park to increase the public’s sense of safety in the area.
“The NYPD and Parks Department have already answered our request for additional enforcement, but there's more we can do to ensure it remains safe and clean," he told DNAinfo New York. "Additional lighting will discourage illegal behavior.”
Espaillat would like to see spotlights installed on top of two street lamps that border the park on 170th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue. The spotlights would be directed into the square to add a safer feel and deter illegal behavior in the park, said Jonathan Davis, a spokesman for Espaillat’s office.
“We see these proposals as a common-sense approach to maintain safety and quality of life in the park,” Davis said, noting that the lighting would ultimately need to be approved by the Parks Department, the Department of Transportation and Con Edison.
The square, which was once a concrete traffic island, was designated a Greenstreet by the city in 2001. Since then, the Washington Heights Gardening Crew has helped transform the area into a thriving green space.
A spokeswoman for DOT said the agency recently installed a spotlight at the southern end of the plaza and that it was working with the Parks Department to find a solution based on Espaillat’s proposal.
Phil Abramson, a spokesman for the Parks Department, agreed.
“NYC Parks continues to coordinate with the Department of Homeless Services, NYPD, community stakeholders and our Parks Enforcement Patrol on improving conditions at the Juan Pablo Duarte Greenstreet through patrols, outreach and enforcement,” he said. “Parks is also working closely with the City's Department of Transportation on further improving lighting conditions at this site.”
Elizabeth Matthews, a spokeswoman for Con Edison, said the utility would only weigh in on the proposal if the DOT approves it.
