Bench pressed! Ditmas Park residents protest removal of colorful bench

Residents of Ditmas Park are protesting the removal of an artistic bench located in the heart of their neighborhood.

Photo courtesy of Michael Combs

Ditmas Park residents are up in arms regarding an artistic bench that was installed after some locals raised concerns that the bench could attract unhoused people or pose a safety risk to children.

The bench sparked controversy just days after it was created on June 18 during a community workshop led by local designer Michael Combs and hosted by the Flatbush Development Corporation as a part of its Open Streets program. 

Combs began installing the structure on June 19 on Newkirk Avenue and Marlborough Road when he found out the FDC got a complaint from someone worried the bench would attract unhoused people or be unsafe for children to sit or play on. 

He called the comment an “ugly complaint,” as houseless people may need a place to sit as well as the housed. He told Brooklyn Paper he does not blame anyone for their complaints, but instead is looking for the community’s grace in order to reach an amicable solution. 

“People have their own perspectives and have their own traumas and experiences. I’m not going to villianize anyone for a complaint,” he said. “I just prayed that we could reach a peaceful resolution.” 

Locals quickly dropped their initial concerns about unhoused people — however, some still worried the bench was unsafe for children.

Combs responded to that point by returning to the bench and adding extra pieces of wood in between the largest gaps in the rungs of the bench using his child’s own shoe to make sure even the smallest foot couldn’t slip through.

Days after refurbishing the art piece, he heard the landlord of the building closest to the bench received a violation notice from the Department of Transportation, which allegedly threatened to have the structure removed. The case status remains active, according to the agency’s website. 

DOT did…