DONIGIAN PARK
also known as 'Valley Street Park'

Introduction
Park Perceptions - Results of Interview
Understanding the Interview Results
Park Crime - Understanding the Context of Crime

INTRODUCTION

Park Profile
Neighborhood: Olneyville
Location: Valley Street, corner of Barstow Street
Size: 4.83 acres
Facilities: Baseball Field, Basketball Court, Playground, Walking Path

Park Context - Donigian Park in Olneyville

Olneyville is located in the central western segment of Providence, and is one of the city's most disadvantaged neighborhoods. The median family income in 1990 was $16,857, almost half of the city's average of $28,342. The population is approximately 6,500 (comprising a mere 0.04% of the Providence population), and 60% of this is Hispanic according to the 2000 census.

Olneyville has very little open space within its borders. Donigian Park and Joslin Playground are the only two parks currently in existence, although the Parks Department will be breaking ground for Riverside Mills Park along the Woonasquatucket River in April 2002. Click here for a map of the open space in Olneyville.

Look at the Providence Plan's Olneyville Neighborhood Profile: http://www.provplan.org/nprof/olney.html

Park Overview - Facts and Issues
Donigian Park is located along the Woonasquatucket River which winds through the western part of Providence. It is one of the so-called 'anchor parks' of the emerging Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project (WRGP). The vision of the project is a greenway and bike path that will span the entire length of the Woonasquatucket, and will connect the parks that flank the river.

After years of severe neglect, Donigian Park was fully renovated by the City of Providence as part of the Woonasquatucket River Greenway Project. The WRGP actively seeks to develop and sustain programming efforts to promote positive use of the park. The River Rangers program organizes neighborhood youth to act as stewards for the river, and operates in both Donigian Park and Merino Park. Their activities include park clean ups and mural painting, as well as recreational endeavours such as kayaking along the river, and learning about the ecology of the river. During the summer, there is a daily basketball clinic, and this past summer, the Olneyville branch of the Providence Public Library conducted a weekly storytelling hour in the park. A Hispanic softball team plays weekly Sunday games on the baseball field, and the Federal Hill House often organizes Monday morning walks on the walking path. The park is also a popular site for birdwatching by local bird enthusiasts, and a community resident named Sean Kelly has extensively documented the flora and fauna of the area.

Despite the restoration and diverse programming, Donigian Park faces several challenges, especially in terms of crime and nuisance concerns. There have been numerous complaints from residents regarding the situation at the park during Sunday softball games. The neighbors object to the excessive noise, public drinking, littering, and illegal parking associated with these games, and the police are regularly called to respond to the nuisance.

A more serious issue relates to the generally high rate of crime in Olneyville. Sean Kelly, a resident who founded the 'Friends of Donigian' community group, asserts that a great deal of criminal activity occurs in the immediate vicinity of the park, and this activity is driven by the drug trade. He began the group to respond to the poor conditions in and around the park, and aims to work towards shutting down some of the most notorious 'drug houses' nearby, as well as stemming the pollution into the river. He states that drugs are done inside the park on a regular basis (even during daylight hours) and that this happens primarily in the rear wooded area by the river. He also cites prostitution occurring in the park at night. Lisa Aurecchia, the Program Coordinator of the WRGP, also describes crime in the park. The presence of several 'drug houses' across the street, which are notorious for drug activity as well as violence and shootings, are having negative consequences for park conditions. During the summer basketball clinic, fights broke out which were instigated by the people across the street and disrupted the games. Concern regarding this violent situation eventually led to the clinic being moved to an indoor recreational area. Furthermore, Lisa recounted frequent drug use by the river while children were playing in the park. Recognizing this issue, the WGRP received a grant to do selective pruning in the vegetated riverbank area to improve visibility and surveillance. It is hoped that this might deter illicit activity in this region of the park.

Park Perceptions - Results of Interview
Understanding the Interview Results
Park Crime - Understanding the Context of Crime