http://preservewashingtonsquarepark.comJust as the Parks Dept begins construction on the unpopular redesign of Wash Sq Park, a new study by the top building conservation authority in New York, posted athttp://www.openwsp.com, concludes that Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe deceived the New York City Council when he stated, in Council budget hearings, that it would cost no more to move the park's historic fountain than to keep it where it is. In fact, the study, by the prestigious Building Conservation Associationhttp://www.bcausa.com/portfolio.htmconcludes, it will cost taxpayers an additional $508,000 to move the fountain.http://ny.metro.us/metro/local/articl... The operative paragraph of the study is on the Executive summary, second page (after title page) last paragraph. The study shows that $508,000 of the $2,500,000 total cost of restoring the fountain is associated with moving the fountain, not repairing and restoring it. This has to do with demolishing the perfectly good existing foundation and building a new one, as well as unnecessarily moving every piece of the fountain offsite. In a letter to Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe dated August 6, 2007 (also on www.openwsp.com), City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Council Member Alan Gerson's wrote: "We expect to see the documents after bids are received to confirm that there is no more than a negligible cost to moving the fountain. In the meantime, we will hold you to your City Council testimony dated June 6, 2006http://blip.tv/file/536097that there is no significant cost differential. Should it be otherwise we would oppose moving the fountain." To this day, the Parks Department has refused to provide any documents pertaining to its deceptive claim, which was used to secure city funding for this project. As a result, the Open Washington Square Park Coalition calls upon Comptroller William Thompson to investigate the deliberate misrepresentation with which the Parks Dept received taxpayer funding for this unpopular redesign scheme for Washington Square Park and to use the subpoena powers of his office to investigate a suspicious pattern of circumstances which have led Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and his subordinates to repeatedly deceive the New York City Council, the Community Board, and the public.In addition, we call upon New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Council Member Alan Gerson to stand behind their public letter of August 6, 2007 to Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, and withhold capital funding for the Parks Department until it is willing to disclose and submit for approval a true budget and plan for Washington Square Park. Concerned New Yorkers Please Call TODAY--and spread the word: EMAIL Comptroller William Thompson ataction@comptroller.nyc.govor call 212-669-3916 Council Member Alan Gerson: 212-788-7722 Council Speaker Christine Quinn's Office212-564-7757Grey Elam at extension 100or Kate Seely-Kirk at extension 105FAX 212-564-7347

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