Making our park, step 1
When the city council passed a $20 million open space bond ordinance, I held my vote until we got assurances that we would get strong consideration for a 3rd ward park. After meeting with the mayor, she expressed support for a purchase of land in the 3rd ward. I want to hold the mayor to her promise, but we can’t build a park on a promise. We have to get together and push the idea to the front of the line. While $20 million sounds like a lot of money, it goes fast once you start trying to buy land for open space.
Residents of the 3rd ward have been living without a park for too long. We need one desperately. There is a shortage of public open space in our city and many of our neighbors in other wards feel strongly about getting a park in their ward, too. I believe the vacant lot, roughly and acre and a half adjacent to the Jubilee Center, presents a perfect opportunity for us to grab hold of an idea for a park and get the community behind it.
With that in mind, I felt it was important to get some 3rd ward residents together for a meeting to discuss what we’d like to see replace this neighborhood eyesore. I talk about a park because the bond ordinance is intended for open space acquisition, but we are just beginning this discussion. Consider it a blank canvas. The main point is that we will never have more of a say in what happens to that vacant lot than we do right now. If it’s sold to a private developer, our last best chance for a park in our near-term future will be gone.
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch these video excerpts from our first meeting and join us at future meetings where we hope to organize a group of residents into a working group. Rev. Geoff Curtiss, of the Jubilee Center, graciously allowed the use of the center for the meeting; Principal Rose Perry, of the Hoboken Catholic Academy, talked about the importance of an open space for her students nearby; Assemblyman Ruben Ramos expressed support on the state level for potential remediation efforts, representatives of the Juliana Apartments management said they would do all they could to help the effort and At Large Councilman Dave Mello also expressed support for the land being included in the city’s plans for parks. That’s a pretty good group to start with. How about it? Join us. Contact 3rdwardpark@gmail.com to join the effort.
Almost anything is better than this
