Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Council

May 19, 2010 Resource Presentation

Willowbrook Property Planning Committee

 Willowbrook Property Planning Committee Overview

More than two years ago, the Council formed the Willowbrook Planning Committee to conduct a study and make recommendations regarding the future use of the property on which the Willowbrook State School was once located.  It is the conviction of the Council that the Willowbrook property and its history have a unique connection to people challenged with disabilities. We are committed that the Willowbrook property must be developed to represent all that it did not represent in the past.  As it once stood isolated, Willowbrook must now be an inclusive, vibrant and thriving presence in the community.  We also believe that our plan soundly engenders OMRDD’s vision of People First as it will enable people of all abilities to flourish and enrich their lives.

We are committed that the present use and the future development of the property should be guided by very specific and enduring principles.  The property must be always used in a manner that is inclusive, progressive, productive, creative, collaborative, sustainably designed and both physically and philosophically universally accessible to people of diverse needs and disabilities.  Our goal is to transform the entire Willowbrook property into a “Center of Excellence,” not only to enrich the lives of people with disabilities but rather people of all abilities. Some services which remain very necessary for people with disabilities are among being proposed.  However wherever appropriate, the property is being seen as a resource for all people to learn and expand their lives.  It is imperative that value be added to the site to ensure that no one will ever forget what happened and to prevent institutionalization from ever happening again.

The Center for Excellence would include:

1. Recognition—A museum and library with a resource and innovative learning center would provide our community with the opportunity to understand the past and prepare for the future.
2. Recreational Center—A new center would be built that would include a gymnasium, an indoor track, a fitness center and a competitive pool and would complement other recreational sites on the property.
3. Camping Sites—Overnight and day camping sites would be created and they would be interspersed with accessible walking trails.
4. Conference Center/Guest Accommodations—This Center would be built to provide much-needed conference facilities on Staten Island.  Such a facility would also be the site of an annual symposium sponsored by OMRDD, IBR and CSI that would highlight best practices in terms of clinical, administrative and research initiatives in the field of developmental disabilities.

 These facilities would provide both employment and training opportunities for people of all abilities.

5.  Crisis Intervention Center—A necessary and much-needed center for people     with challenging behaviors would be established.  This center would provide crisis intervention and stabilization services with in a residential setting which is not available in this area.

  The first step we would like to take is a project called “Making Strides”. This project will develop an accessible walking trail that will have historical markers along its path that will highlight strides made in human rights in the past century. Being an inclusive representation of progress, it will be an educational timeline highlighting our borough’s, city’s, and nation’s progress in all dimensions of human rights.  It will host an annual Making Strides walk/run.  On a daily basis, it will be a wonderful interactive experience for all visitors

Towards these goals, partnering with the Opportunities League offers a new and exciting liaison and resource to focus the vision and begin its implementation with joined hands and commitment to the vision for this property and the generations it will hopefully impact in a proactive and motivational manner.

For more information please contact:  Jackie Tripodi, Community Liaison

at 718-983-5276 at the SIDDC office or the website at www.siddc.org

Committee Co Chairs:

Diane Buglioli @ dbuglioli@veryspecialplace.org

Lorraine DeSantis @ lorraine.desantis@verizen.net