New Rochelle Has Spoken: Hands Off Flowers Park
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (October 16, 2025) — Last night’s Citizens to be Heard session ran for 1 hour and 50 minutes, with almost all of it focused on one topic, an RFP to turn over control of Flowers Park to a Master Developer. More than two dozen people (28) spoke on the topic with not a single one expressing support.
The public comments were poignant, emotional, often personal accounts, from a range of speakers including leaders of non-profit youth sports programs like Youth Tackle Football, New Rochelle Football Club (soccer), New Rochelle Lacrosse, parents of children who play at the park and those that grew up playing there, community leaders and members of the Fosina and Flowers families, both names with deep connections to City Park, and many others. More than a few tears were shed.
I compiled a condensed version of the nearly two hours of public comment into a 45 minute video which is dramatic and well-worth watching in its entirety. In particular, watch the remarks by Earl Bradshaw just after the 12 minute mark, Chico Flowers at the 19 minute mark, Dan Fosina at the 23:30 mark and Kwamaine Dixon at the 43 minute mark. Dixon’s online petition exceed 1,000 verified signers during the meeting (that figure is now over 1,500 and growing by the minute). The unedited video is here.
SIGN PETITION HERE: STOP THE TAKEOVER, RESTORE THE PEOPLE'S VOICE , PROTECT FLOWERS PARK
The Request for Master Redeveloper Proposal (RMRP) was announced on September 12 with bids due on October 29. Any questions from potential bidders were due on September 25, 2025 with answers to the questions received to be posted on the City’s website on October 2, 2025. No questions were posted, suggesting either a lack of interest or rigged bidding.
You can read the RMRP here:,5820 - Request for Master Redeveloper Proposal
The petition asks a good question: where did this terrible idea originate and why was their zero effort to engage stakeholders and the public before putting a deal out to bid. As no one in the city offered an explanation last night, I can say what I was told, that Developer Bob Young was involved as was Sara Kaye (her district includes Flowers Park) and Yadira.
There would be no small irony in Yadira engaging in a secret cabal with a developer to privatise City Park. A standard part of her stump speech over the years, the story she has recounted many times to reporters to explain how she began on the road to Mayor of New Rochelle, is how she moved into house in 2007 across from Lincoln Park and found it was not as well maintained as other parks in the city.
“It broke my heart,” she says in her signature stump speech. “This was supposed to be where my kids played, where we built memories—not a symbol of neglect.”
She began to attend neighborhood meetings, then joined the 2017 Lincoln Avenue Task Force, she joined the Library Board then City Council from District 3, serving 2020–2023, then Mayor in 2024.
Lincoln Park, she has said, proves renewal’s power: “Fix one park, one path, one promise—we rebuild trust, reconnect neighborhoods, show New Rochelle’s destined for greatness.
When she was asked, “How do you make sure you know what the community wants?” she replied:
It’s something that I’ve really tried to prioritize as a council member and certainly as mayor. There’s definitely not one way to get feedback. I’m big on talking to the community and having meetings and sharing information and leveraging technology to get feedback from anybody who cares
So much for her concerns about parks and community engagement.
In addition to Yadira and Sara, others were looped in including City Manager Will Melendez, Developer Commissioner Adam Salgado, Parks Commissioner Vin Parise and others. I have written about the RMRP a number of times since it was made public a month ago so it’s fair to say everyone in City Hall knew before last night.
The City Council had the opportunity to discuss the RMRP during their COW Meeting earlier in the day, including questioning Salgado who appeared before Council to discuss other matters. They were silent.
Yadira closed the public comments at about 9:30 pm with a bizarre statement, especially considering the privatisation idea originated with her , and that she deliberately set about to sneak the privatisation plan past the very people she was addressing in the room — and many others.
I would like to heart… deep… deep… thank you and appreciate everyone’s sincere comments and genuine care for our city and suggestions to the council we really do value your input and I know it’s frustrating that we can’t respond but it doesn’t minimise how much of an impact your testimony does have.
At the point, it should be clear to everyone in City government that the people of New Rochelle hate the idea but just as much hate that Yadira & Co. tried to sneak the RMRP through without informing them.
If the RMRP is not rescinded, bids can still be submitted until October 29, a bid award made and a Memorandum of Understanding negotiated and signed. The RMRP needs to be publicly and formally rescinded — today would not be soon enough.
Until then…
SIGN PETITION HERE: STOP THE TAKEOVER, RESTORE THE PEOPLE'S VOICE , PROTECT FLOWERS PARK
