Dozens of residents, youth coaches and community leaders turned out at the City Council’s Oct. 15 public session to oppose an RFP that would seek a private master developer to operate Flowers Park (also called City Park/Facina Field). Speakers said the park — used for youth soccer, Little League, youth football and other activities — should remain in public hands and that there was no prior public engagement on the plan.

Multiple speakers warned that private control would raise user fees and restrict access for nonprofit youth programs that rely on free or low-cost fields. “The park is the soul of New Rochelle,” said Yvonne Smith Kilgore, a lifelong resident, urging elected officials to keep the space public. Parents and nonprofit coaches described practices and weekend programs that draw hundreds of children and families to the park, and several speakers asked the council to halt the RFP while the community is consulted.

A petition displayed at the meeting — Stop the takeover: restore the people’s voice — called for an immediate halt to the plan, full public disclosure of the decision timeline and an impact study on use, access and affordability. Kwame Dixon, who read the petition’s demands, urged the council to “stop the takeover, restore the people's voice, protect Flowers Park.” He said more than 1,000 signatures had been collected by the time of the meeting.

Speakers cited the park’s history and community role. Arthur Flowers, whose family has deep ties to the site, said the loss of fields would end many nonprofit programs that depend on the existing layout and storage facilities. Several speakers said Flowers Park benefited from prior county, state and federal funds and warned that repurposing the park could trigger grant clawbacks.

Residents expressed specific concerns about (1) loss of free splash-pad access and other low-cost amenities, (2) reduced field time for nonprofit programs and local youth, (3) lack of transparency in the RFP process and (4) traffic and parking impacts from a proposed large-scale redevelopment mentioned by speakers. Several speakers asked the council to pursue alternative financing such as a park conservancy or developer surcharges dedicated to maintenance rather than privatization.

Some speakers acknowledged the city’s fiscal constraints and said they support investment in parks; their request was that any plan be publicly vetted and protect community use. A number of speakers urged an immediate pause: “Moratorium,” said multiple participants and neighborhood advocates who asked the council to stop new approvals until a public review is completed.

Ending: Residents asked the council to withdraw or pause the RFP, hold public hearings and study legal, fiscal and recreation impacts before transferring operational control of the park. The council did not respond to speakers during the hearing; the mayor closed the public-comment period and moved on to other items.