City Controller William Thompson has signed off on the first phase of work at the Ridgewood Reservoir.
The Parks Department can move ahead on a design contract for benches, lighting, fences and steps on the perimeter of the site, Thompson said Wednesday.
The revamped agreement also calls for three conceptual plans for the reservoir area. One of those must be dedicated to passive recreation. And all work must be reviewed by community members and advocates.
"Under this new agreement, we have ensured that the public will have a say in the ongoing design and construction process of the rest of the reservoir each step of the way," Thompson said.
Some advocates want the 50-acre reservoir site, now filled with dense shrubs, trees and wetlands, to remain a natural site. They balked at one Parks Department plan that would include filling in one of the basins and clearing some brush for fields.
But other community groups have lobbied for more aggressive renovations, saying the area - located next to Highland Park on the border of Brooklyn and Queens - desperately needs ballfields.
