Filtration Plant Clears Hurdle

By JORDAN MOSS

In the first procedural blow to Bronx residents fighting a city plan to build a water filtration plant in Van Cortlandt Park, the New York City Planning Commission voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal by a vote of 10 to 1 on June 1.

Only the Bronx borough president's appointee to the commission, Jacob Ward, voted no.

In the last three months, each of the three community boards surrounding the park voted unanimously against building the plant at Mosholu Golf Course in the park, followed by another unanimous rejection at the Bronx borough board.

Only the City Council can stop the plan now. Hearings are scheduled in the Land Use Committee for June 22 and a vote by the full Council is expected some time in July.

June Eisland, the Norwood councilwoman who chairs the Land Use Committee, was disappointed by the commission's action.

"While it was not unexpected, I had hoped that commissioners other than the Bronx member would vote against siting in Van Cortlandt Park," Eisland said. "The taking of park land is a bad precedent to set and, as I've said many times, filtration alternatives would be far better and far cheaper."

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