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NYC Parks greenlights city’s first public observatory. Now comes the paperwork.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Jun 2, 2022
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Courtesy of Amateur Astronomers Association of NY
By
Rosemary Misdary
Published Jun 2, 2022
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An observatory dome, used by community college students for more than 40 years to see millions of light years away from Earth, is a half-mile closer to becoming New York City’s first public observatory.
The city’s Parks Department granted initial approval of the plan on May 25th, a day after the dome was evicted by Nassau Community College in Garden City due to renovations. Since last autumn, the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York has sought to move the observatory to the grassy banks of the Jerome Reservoir, across from The Bronx High School of Science.
Following its eviction last week on May 24th, the astronomers association temporarily moved the observatory half a mile down the road to the Cradle of Aviation Museum. Riggers lifted the 12-foot high, 6-foot wide dome off the ground around 10:30 a.m. and loaded the half-ton structure onto a boom truck.
The ride to the Cradle of Aviation Museum was less than five minutes, but the entire ordeal cost more than $3,000. While the association will have to pay to move it a second time, it has received donations to help defray those moving expenses.
According to email correspondence, parks officials say the association will need to file additional paperwork with their agency and others to receive the necessary permits to ultimately land the observatory at the Jerome Reservoir. The process could take months.
“Not even a suggestion of a moving date [from the parks department],” said Bart Fried, vice president of the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York. who oversees the project. “There are numerous permits and reviews ahead of us.”
A big rig loads up the half-ton observatory, May 24th, 2022.
Courtesy of Amateur Astronomers Association of NY
The galvanized steel cupola was initially rescued from landing in a scrap pile by Dr. Tom Bruckner, chair of the physical sciences department at Nassau Community College. The college decided to replace the dome with a green roof and open-air mounted telescopes.
Bruckner sent a callout for new owners, and the Amateur Astronomers Association put dibs on the dome with the idea of making it the first-ever public observatory in New York City.
After more than nearly a year of rejected sites in municipal parks, the organization was worried they might have to abort their mission and give up. In a last-minute scramble, local astronomers managed to hold on to the observatory, which can fit three people inside.
The observatory stands 12 feet and holds three people at a time.
Courtesy of Amateur Astronomers Association of NY
Next, the association must submit plans, obtain a Parks construction permit and be approved by the Department of Buildings and the city’s Public Design Committee. The parks department told Gothamist there is no word yet on how long it could take to win the permits.
This paperwork means a grand opening planned for this summer will need to be paused, but the local astronomers said they plan to repaint and clean the dome while it waits in its temporary home.
Tagged
astronomy
space
new york city
parks department
bronx
Amateur Astronomers Association of New York
nassau community college
Rosemary Misdary
Rosemary is health & science reporter. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 646-544-9524.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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