New Rochelle Councilman Calls for Scrapping Park Plan Over Privatization Fears

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (November 13, 2025) — City Council member Matt Stern called for the city to withdraw the current Flowers Park request for proposals and ensure any improvements have support from nearby residents and park users.

Stern, who represents District Six, said two months into the process, he has not met a single person excited about the ideas put forth.

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The city issued the RFP about two months ago with ideas including a pool, community center, better bathrooms and concessions, and fixing flooding, but it included language that raised red flags about the public park potentially slipping away.

Over the last month, Stern spoke with neighbors who use the park four or five times a week, members of the Fosina family and former elected officials who helped bring previous improvements to the park.

No one in the process could say who brought the idea for a stadium or practice field, and it did not involve most city council members, Stern said. A proposal of this scale that affects the entire city should not have gone out without input from the community or council members, he added.

Stern said he has heard worries about losing a loved park and changing the character of a place that carries the names of people who built New Rochelle.

“I get it — if I thought someone was going to try to take something from my kids, I’d fight like hell too,” Stern said.

While he does not think that was the intent, the best ideas for Flowers Park need to start with the people, not developers, Stern said.

“I believe, and I’ve been telling my colleagues, that we need to scrap this RFP, pause, ask New Rochelle residents what they want for Flowers Park and for their own neighborhoods,” Stern said. “And then let’s do it right.”

“Let’s keep our public parks fully public the way that they’re meant to be,” he said.

Stern said residents with thoughts can email him at mstern@newrochelleny.gov.

This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.