As we report in this issue, the Parks Department is about to embark on a desperately needed rehab of Williamsbridge Oval Park, Norwood’s most active and much loved green space. The $13.5 million allocated for the project – from that controversial deal that swapped the giant filtration plant being built in nearby Van Cortlandt Park for improvements to Bronx parks – sounds like a lot of money, but it is, unfortunately, not sufficient to address all the park’s needs.

For example, the original political agreement ratified by the City Council, known as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), called for a skate park and a revived multi-use area on the eastern side of the park. That was abandoned in favor of replacing the section of the promenade behind the park house and adding a senior sitting area, two other projects also included in the MOU (the MOU overstated the number of parks projects that could be completed with the filtration money and all had to be scaled back about 7 percent). These are obviously tough choices to make and park advocates and local residents can decide if they’re the right ones.

But we feel that the park’s perimeter fence which is in a dangerous state of disrepair (see photo) is in a whole other category. Its deteriorating condition was well evident even back in 2004 when it, too, was included in the MOU.

Two large sections of the fence have fallen down into the park and are still lying there as we write this. They could have just as easily fallen onto a car or a person. So, this is a safety issue and should not be a matter of hoping that Council Member Oliver Koppell is successful securing the money in next year’s budget negotiations. What if he’s not? Or what if there is another competing priority elsewhere in his district?

This public safety matter should not be left to the political process. The Parks Department needs to identify money within its budget, or secure funding at the next possible opportunity, to replace the perimeter fence.

We are also worried that the pool of filtration money for Bronx parks is going to increasingly become an excuse for not addressing pressing needs in local parks. “Well, we’re already spending $13.5 million in the Oval and now you want us to fix the fence?” That kind of thing.

Politicians and city officials who pushed the filtration plant deal vowed that the resulting parks money would be an addition to the normal budgeting for capital improvements and maintenance, not a replacement. When and how soon the fence around the Oval is fixed will give us a sense of whether or not we should have any faith in that commitment.