The formal process to review plans for a new Yankee Stadium has begun - and it has galvanized opposition to the project. Less than six months after the project was announced, Highbridge residents are mobilizing to prevent its realization and to save Mullaly and Macombs Dam parks from destruction.

A new group called Save Our Parks, part of the advocacy group Bronx Voices for Equal Inclusion has begun circulating petitions in a vigorous effort to derail the stadium project that was quickly supported by city and state officials after it was formally announced in June.

Community Board 4 will hold a public hearing on the proposal Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. at 1650 Selwyn Avenue.

"The fundamental idea is wrong," said John Rozankowski, a resident, at an October meeting of Community Board 4's parks committee. "We are losing a playground for children. Why take it away?"

The community board must approve the new stadium plan as part of the city's Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). A draft "environmental impact study" has been
completed and is available for anyone to review from the Department of Parks and Recreation.

The project would not only replace the parks with artificial substitutes, it would require the destruction of dozens of tall, old trees and leave thousands of people, including children, without any parks for a significant time while the stadium was being built, he added. According to the parks department, while the stadium would be built in roughly three years, more than four years would pass before all the new parks would be done. Other residents at the meeting, echoed Rozankowski's views and no one spoke in favor of the plan. Residents expressed concern particularly about being excluded from the plan's development.

"You could have done anything you wanted in this area and you'd have had the community behind you 100 percent" if public input had been sought, Rozankowski said.
"But you stole the parks - without our permission, without a vote."

"I'm horrified," said Kitty Cotter, who lives about one block from Mullaly Park. "This project is going to make me move. It's going to hurt Highbridge. It's going to hurt it very badly."
When reached by phone, Yankees President Randy Levine declined to comment on residents' criticisms.

"I haven't been at that meeting, but I will say, we're going through the ULURP process and give the process the opportunity," he said. "And we'll discuss everything. If there are legitimate concerns and we can address them then we will try to do that."

Board Member Mary Blassingame said the proposal to build a new stadium coupled with a proposal to redevelop the Bronx Terminal Market was an unprecedented set of huge development proposals for the community. And she criticized the speed that the project had been introduced for review and approval by the board. The board has 60 days to review the project.