Petition to stop development at Liberty State Park

Gov Christie wants to lease part of Liberty State Park to private developers.  At this point I have no trust in any project that man does, and don't feel confident that this will be for the public's best interest. 

Please read and consider signing.   If you support this then please also consider sharing on social media.

http://www.savelsp.org/

I've followed the links to the actual report.  As much as I distrust anything that Gov. Christie wants, I'm having trouble disagreeing with what I see in the report.  I'm wondering if the opposition to it has more to do with opposing Christie than with coming up with best plans for our parkland.

http://dng.northjersey.com/media_server/tr/2015/11/24dep/dep_lsp_report.pdf

There is no discussion of touching the main central portion of the park, other than environmental remediation of a currently closed portion.  What is discussed is creating a new adaptive reuse solution for the unused historic train shed and the storm damaged historic terminal building attached to it (previously mis-used as queuing/screening space for Statue of Liberty boats), as well as development of family attractions along the entry road (other side of the shopping mall), where visitors now drive in past equipment dumps and maintenance yards.

I'm open to explanations of why these are bad ideas, but am not yet convinced that they don't merit further exploration.

http://www.njtvonline.org/news/video/controversial-development-proposals-for-liberty-state-park-released/

By Brenda Flanagan
Correspondent
Imagine in your mind’s eye Liberty State Park — with its historic waterfront vistas —  totally transformed into a modern venue including a convention center, hotel, extra restaurants and more. That’s how it’s envisioned by a new state report. Visitors of the park had mixed reviews of the new vision.

“Yeah, I do think it would be good,” said Paula Roca from St. Louis, Mo. “There’s plenty of space, still, it seems like.”

“Less is better. There’s too much crazy going on already. Just keep it simple,” said Chloe Snyder from Anchorage, Alaska.

New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection released long-sought details of a controversial proposal to make the park self-sustaining by developing about 38 of its roughly 1,200 acres into revenue-generating ventures that would plug a $2 million annual operating deficit. The north zone’s train shed could become a “low-rise” hotel with restaurants and a museum, while its Terminal Building could feature another restaurant, conference center and catering hall.  The central zone’s lawn would host daily public events — ranging from art classes, to dance bands to vendor carts. And the south zone’s waterfront would be transformed into a boathouse and marina complex, with an indoor sports field house, amusement park and even an amphitheater.

The Sierra Club’s Toni Granato found little to praise.
“This plan is really only to benefit the corporations and developers that are choosing to build hotels and restaurants and other private commercial development here,” Granato said.
“And this is an attack on the spirit, purpose and meaning of this great park behind Lady Liberty,” said Sam Pesin.

Pesin — an ardent park advocate — says the DEP’s proposal would intensely commercialize Liberty State Park. Where the DEP sees wasted space, he sees sacred space.

“The park should be a free, open space,” he said. “Hotels should go outside of Liberty State Park in Jersey City and be ratables for Jersey City and surrounding towns. The park already brings in a million and a half each year from the two restaurants, marina and ferry concessions.”

“We’ve been one of the most vocal opponents. Liberty State Park is a jewel for the entire state of New Jersey. No development in Liberty State Park is acceptable and we think that it needs to stay exactly how it is,” said Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop.

New Jersey lawmakers and environmental advocates had pushed for release of a 20,000 consultant’s study of ways to develop the park, but the DEP has consistently refused, and instead, offered this proposal, noting: “…we are recommending the hiring of a master planner to conceive new enhancements for underused or unused areas of Liberty State Park, as well as some areas in need of repair, to increase visitation, while maintaining the character and spirit of the park.”

The DEP says it will discuss the development proposals with so-called “stakeholders” and community and local leaders. It should count on getting an earful.

The state of the train shed and depot right now is deplorably decrepit and weed-filled.  If Sierra Club thinks that this is just great, let them come up with the funds to plug the ongoing deficit and leave it to rot.  If they do this with some solid level of integrity, what's the issue?  Could be a win win for everyone.  Fulop is merely a twit, period.

"Give me your tired,  your poor"  Be sure to make hotel reservations in advance.

They had it better then than what's there now.

I'm not sure the use of the former terminal for queueing for Statue of Liberty (and I presume Ellis Island) boats is a misuse.  After all, the majority of immigrants who passed through Ellis Island not only didn't settle in NYC, they never set foot in NYC.  They mostly went directly to the various train terminals in New Jersey like the Central of N.J. for trips further west or south.  And until Penn Sta. in NYC was built, even those traveling on the Pa.R.R. transferred by ferry to a station on the N.J. side to continue their journey.  So I actually can't see a more historically fitting use.

ctrzaska said:

They had it better then than what's there now.

No doubt    We haven't been there in years but it is interesting to think of how many of our grandparents came through there

The first sight of Lady Liberty in the harbor must have been thrilling

I take your point, but much of the space was not being used for a thoughtful reflection on the experience, but simply as a place for Homeland Security to have people wait in line and be scanned (been there, done that).

The space was not well designed for that purpose, and I suspect the Park Service came up with a different solution after Sandy, since the proposal says that that function is not going back into the building.  

chopin said:

I'm not sure the use of the former terminal for queueing for Statue of Liberty (and I presume Ellis Island) boats is a misuse.  After all, the majority of immigrants who passed through Ellis Island not only didn't settle in NYC, they never set foot in NYC.  They mostly went directly to the various train terminals in New Jersey like the Central of N.J. for trips further west or south.  And until Penn Sta. in NYC was built, even those traveling on the Pa.R.R. transferred by ferry to a station on the N.J. side to continue their journey.  So I actually can't see a more historically fitting use.

Maybe they can build a miniature golf course and put swan boats in the harbor.

Sounds like a land grab like Joe D did with the Rez, i.e...Macloons boat house and the really thought out gates to the swan boats  Where was the petition for that POS?

Yes...that area was sooooo much nicer when it was a scraggly gravel and dirt overflow lot and a falling-down abandoned house behind a fence keeping the reservoir off-limits to everyone.  Do you actually remember what that area looked like 10+ years ago?  I do.

Mountainchef said:

Sounds like a land grab like Joe D did with the Rez, i.e...Macloons boat house and the really thought out gates to the swan boats  Where was the petition for that POS?

Where the terminal complex is concerned, I think we have here an example of what I think of as the Old-Stone-House/Village Hall/EIES problem. Historic buildings that are not economical to renovate unless the work is done by someone with commercial motives. 

Would we rather bemoan watching a historic building decay, bemoan an expensive taxpayer funded renovation, or bemoan historically-sensitive redevelopment for commercial purposes? Not an easy set of choices.

I agree with Susan -  too soon to form an opinion.  

And since politicians are lining up on both sides to support/criticize it is best to just any proposal on it's own merits.  

And although I don't agree with the way Joe D went about putting in the golf course/McCloone's that areas is much improved.  No question those projects do not meet the intent of the reservation and the county by ignoring that land for years made it easy for them to move forward.  

the question for the long term is more about whether we will ever be able to fund our historic structures as well as to preserve our parks (forget about expanding them).