http://town-village.com/2014/05/02/stpcv-undergoing-landscape-renovation/
Shameful, but by now to be expected it seems, Town & Village has another CWCapital PR piece in this week's paper, this time about PCVST landscaping. It's not that there's an interview with the property’s director of horticulture and landscape, Chuck
Hardsell Hartsell, who is just doing the bidding of his masters, CWCapital, but that editor/chief writer Sabina Mollot takes the company line about the conditions of the Oval without questioning them.
Quoting Sabina: "The planting was all part of a renovation that began shortly after
CWCapital took over the property in 2010. At that time the grounds were
overplanted and the Oval, which had drainage issues and swells and dips,
was in a condition that could be described as fair to poor."
Wrong, Sabina. The condition of the Oval before the redesign by CWCapital was not "fair to poor." In fact, the condition was just fine and many people, including myself (who used to spend considerable free time at the Oval), found the gardens and foliage and shading trees quite beautiful and very welcome.
Sabina even has the gall to continue with this astounding statement:
"But these days the Oval is doing much better, far better in fact than expected."
Oh, really, Sabina?
Well, let's take a look at "these days," in particular today, when I took photos of the Oval in the morning. I started at the northern side of the Oval and went around. Click on photos to make them larger.
There used to be a lush garden here:
Trees and foliage dominated this area:
This area, near the chess tables, used to be my favorite lunch hangout. Foliage and flowers insulated one with nature's beauty. No more, as can be seen by this barrenness:
The view from the chess tables. Not very inviting with the intrusion of the new Public Safety office:
The view straight on. Again, the new landscaping "motif" of barrenness rules, forcing one to be aware of the project-like buildings on the other side of the Oval.
The Ugly Offender. The new Public Safety office, with its generators, dominates this part of the Oval:
More of the Ugly Offender. Perhaps Mr. Hartsell can plant cabbages here:
There's no getting away from the blight that is the new Security Office area. I'm sure we'll be charged a new MCI for this, too!
The "barren motif" replaced the lush and lovely foliage and flowers that were here, in front of the the children's playground:
The "garden" area to the left of Oval Cafe. Well done, Mr. Hartsell:
There has been some temporary planting of flowers at parts of the Oval, small spaces where some color blooms. But in this case, at the Oval Cafe, help is needed. Calling Mr. Hartsell and his ace gardeners:
A tangent on our tour. No mention that the Oval Cafe is just for the use of "Residents and Their Guests." Thank you, Dan and CW.
The area near the western chess tables. Lush once, but no more. I do smell the invigorating odor of mulch, however:
The pathetic view from that side of the Oval:
So what do you think, Sabina? Is the Oval these days "doing much better, far better in fact than expected"? You've visited us many times in the past when the Oval was doing much better, and you know it. As I wrote earlier, shameful.
UPDATE: 5/7/2014
Director, Horticulture and Landscape Management at Peter Cooper Village/Stuyvesant Town
Privately Held; 1001-5000 employees;
Real Estate industry
December 2012
–
Present
(1 year 6 months)
Greater New York City Area
Public Company; 501-1000 employees;
Real Estate industry
April 2012
–
December 2012 (9 months)
Greater New York City Area
Privately Held; 5001-10,000 employees;
Environmental Services industry
July 2006
–
December 2011 (5 years 6 months)
