Did anybody hear what the reason was that T&M didn't show up at last Thursday nights Open Space meeting?

I am glad to hear from DanL that the ballfields are most likely not coming to Reservoir 3. I got to City Hall around 7 and could only stay an hour, so I must have missed that part. I had volunteered at Reservoir 3 last summer and had e-mailed them to see if we had to mobilize and did not hear back - this might be why......

The summary Minnie posted about how community feedback on a whole has been handled is rough, however.

Will brave the lovely breeze forecasted tonight to go the meeting on Hancock Avenue in the Heights. Ws it only last week that I was complaining about the unnaturally warm weather? Whatever was I thinking?

There are more of these Ward meetings coming up.

January 25, 2007 6:00 - 9:00 PM
School #28, 167 Hancock Ave.

February 6, 2007 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Hank Gallo Hall, Lincoln Park

February 27, 2007 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Pershing Field Community Center, 201 Central Avenue


For those of you that were not present at last Tuesday nights Ward E meeting at City Hall... here is the presentation that was made by the head of the Jersey City Parks Coalition.
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The Jersey City Parks Coalition's Concerns With the T&M Park Master Plan Proposal

The Jersey City Parks Coalition (JCPC) is deeply concerned with the process and the emerging results of the T&M led Park Master Plan for our City.

The JCPC oversees Ercel Webb Park, Van Vorst Park, Pershing Field, Sgt. Anthony Park, Arlington Park, Hamilton Park, Cornelius Parker Park, 1st Street Park, Izetta-McDuffy Park, and Speer Cemetery. Our group members have led many hundreds of residents to design our City's only successful community park renovations at Van Vorst and Ercel Webb Parks. We have completed plans for the renovation of Pershing Field and contributed to nearly completed plans for Hamilton Park. In 2006 alone, our members fundraised over seventy thousand dollars for our City's parks and community gardens. The oldest of our groups began this work in 1991. The Jersey City Parks Coalition constitutes the majority of established J. C. Park groups and we invite all others to join our common efforts. Our park leaders carry the voices and visions of residents and we know how to design, develop and protect our City's parks.

Our biggest concerns with the T&M led processes are:

(1) The City has failed to engage and inspire resident participation in this park planning process.
(2) Claims by T&M that they have incorporated resident feedback into the proposed park plans is largely false;
(3) In both current and proposed park plans, there is a continuing domination of active sports facilities and a neglect of passive park resources.

NON-ENGAGEMENT OF RESIDENTS

The first five T&M led public meetings had from twelve participants (including two City officials and two JCPC leaders) to 90 participants, 70 of whom were Pershing Field Garden Friends members attending their regularly scheduled meeting to support the presentation of their long worked on Pershing Field renovation and Reservoir Sanctuary plans. In a City of a quarter of a million residents, only 170 attended these five T&M meetings. In JCPC led processes, over several meetings and ballots, Van Vorst had input from 551 residents, Ercel Webb from 180 residents, & Pershing Field from over 320 residents. How can the City and T&M plan an entire park system based on much less input than went into any one of the JCPC led Park Master Plans?

At every T&M meeting, residents complained that none of their neighbors even knew that these meetings were taking place or why they were important. At each meeting, the T&M leader said he was aware of this complaint and would pass it onto City officials, however nothing has been done differently going into the second series of meetings. Most of the City's 65 parks received NO input from participants.

The City who has been responsible to engage resident participation hasn't visited a single community group to engage and inspire residents, it hasn't known the contact information for community and park leaders, and has contented itself with having the newspapers publish a small ad a few days beforehand simply stating that a park planning meeting is happening. There's a big difference between meeting the legal announcement requirements for City business and effectively engaging residents in a creative planning process.

NON-UTILIZATION OF RESIDENT FEEDBACK

T&M's proposal asserts that "across several well attended meeting...(they've) incorporated residents' feedback". As we've seen, the meetings were NOT well attended. Now let us look at how residents' feedback was NOT incorporated.

1. Rosalyn Browne, the president of the group overseeing Ercel Webb Park told T&M, "We desperately need the security cameras installed that were planned for and promised by the City years ago. Much of the vandalism and crime that has damaged this newly renovated park could have been effectively combated with these cameras. Residents also want the basketball courts they asked for and were in our City plans; and finally we need an irrigation system for our extensive lawns and gardens. T&M states that "nothing further is proposed for Ercel Webb Park".

2. George Fontenette, the president of the group overseeing Arlington Park told T&M, "The most important need for our park is a perimeter fence to make the park safe and to keep young children from running into the surrounding roadways and getting killed." T&M did NOT propose a perimeter fence.

3. Marcia Adams, the leader of the group overseeing Cornelius Parker Park, " In order for this park to become a safe, functional park, the City must acquire the three empty adjacent lots in addition to the three adjacent empty lots they already own so that the park can reach the streets on at least two sides and become visible, safe, have sunlight and double in size. And please don't place a dog run in this tiny less than an acre passive park which is intended mostly for toddlers and seniors" Councilwoman Viola Richardson told T&M she agreed with the critical need of buying and utilizing the six adjacent properties to properly develop this park. T&M did NOT propose to enlarge this park and DID propose a dog run in it.

4. Laura Skolar, the president of the group overseeing Pershing Field told T&M, "Hundreds of residents voted for and designed: (a) specific location of the several specially designed re-located children?s play areas, (b) the possible inclusion of the City's first skateboard park planned for the SE corner, (c) the re-creation of the beautiful original bandstand, (d) irrigation systems for the numerous gardens and lawn areas, (e) extensive landscaping and gardens for this largest City park, (f) the collapsible bandstands to effectively serve the audiences around the athletic fields and a much needed field house, (g) the beautiful, integrated design for the veterans memorial area, (h) an improved running track, and (i) improved lighting and benches for the tennis courts." T&M omitted this resident feedback from their proposal.

5. Florence Holmes, the president of the group overseeing Isetta McDuffy Park told T&M, " This park most needs an irrigation system to water the gardens. And don't place seating and a bulletin board at this tiny park because it promotes vandalism and takes up a third of the space." T&M proposed the seating and bulletin board and didn't propose the irrigation system.

6. Marc Wesson, one of the Directors of the group overseeing Van Vorst Park has stated, "We need an irrigation system for our lawns (which would cost about $ 25,000.) or they die off during droughts." T&M did not propose a lawn irrigation system for this park.

7. Michele Egar, the president of the group overseeing First Street Park told T&M, "Please ask for quick action on our park which has been abandoned by the City for twenty years, in part because of an unsound adjacent building." And she further suggests that the City buy the adjacent property where the doomed building is standing so that the community can double the size of this desperately needed park space." T&M proposed that no action be taken on this park for another ten years.

8. Michele Egar, who is also a member of the group overseeing Mary Benson Park asks, "Why has T&M proposed plans for this park that include athletic fields when this parkland was deeded by Mary Benson to the City to be used only as a passive/children's park?"

9. Janet Allen, the President of one of the groups overseeing Hamilton Park told T&M "The HPNA balloting results show that residents want NUMEROUS irrigated garden areas and extensive landscaping. And please don't remove any of our healthy ancient trees. And residents on the HPNA ballots clearly want open park space far more than active athletic fields such as tennis and basketball courts, especially since alternate sites for these courts have been located within two blocks of the park." T&M did not propose numerous irrigated garden areas and extensive landscaping for this park. Their plans show the removal of several healthy ancient trees. And T&M proposes to take up over 20% of the park with the basketball and tennis courts.

10. Barbara Petrick, the president of the group overseeing Sgt. Anthony Park told T&M, " This park's strongest need is for an irrigation system and then better designed garden areas. We also need our dog run resurfaced. And who proposed a gazebo as nobody in our group or any residents we know would want one here?" T&M omitted all these requests from their proposal.

11. Midge Schley who is the president of the group overseeing Speer Cemetery wants to ask T&M ?Why have you omitted the City's oldest cemetery from this City's Park Master Plan? You've included the nearby Apple Tree House, so historic sites as well as parks are included in the Park Master Plan. Based on our efforts, the City has secured funds and is proceeding with plans to install a historic fence, approved and in part designed by a top state expert brought in by our group. And at a meeting we had with the City, the Assistant Business Administrator and Head of Architecture began to explore the renovation of this neglected historic J.C. gem. So, why have you omitted this site from your proposed plans?"

12. Regarding Four Corners Park in Paulus' Hook, T&M states that this is Jersey City's oldest historic park dating back to the Revolutionary War era. How could T&M propose plans for this special historic park without securing the lost fourth corner? For the past 20 years, the fourth corner was "borrowed" as a temporary site for a day care center. Over ten years ago, a nearby permanent alternate site was located for this day care center, but a politician didn't want to be seen as "displacing" children; even though this move would have given the children a superior environment and would have restored this sacred park's integrity. So, nothing has been done. And there is no room for a dog run in this small ancient park, especially when alternate nearby sites exist. Could T&M please include the restoration of the lost fourth corner in its proposal for the renovation of Four Corners Park?

CONCLUSION

Those of us who have attended these meetings know that despite assertions to the contrary, our voices and needs regarding our community's parks have not been effectively incorporated into what is being proposed. Without radical change, the park renovations proposed by T&M are DOA...dead on arrival; and the results cannot go to the Council to be voted on.

T&M's work will still have benefited the City by giving a helpful overview of park development costs, sources of fundraising, and how to plan such work over the course of a decade.

It is the people...the communities and the park groups, not an outside firm hired by the City that should determine how our parks are developed. We call for all interested citizens and park groups to join the Jersey City Parks Coalition at this critical time in our City's development.

Dr. Clifford Waldman
Jersey City Parks Coalition

As per the consultant at the Recreation Master Plan draft meeting this evening, Plan B, ballfield is out.

The Reservior Alliance is likely the best source to confirm,

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Thanks for your support of Reservoir 3. One of the reasons I love it is it is so wild-looking, like the sections of Liberty State Park behind the "Keep Out: Hazardous Materials" signs)

Liberty State Park is gorgeous - and huge - but putting ballfields there might not work - and not for the obvious reasons.

Last summer, the Jersey Journal wrote an article that said that although it is one of the most heavily visited parks in the state, many Hudson County residents have never gone there because they found it too hard to get to.

A lot of residents don't have cars. Before I bought a bike, I hardly ever went to Liberty. When I lived in the Western Slope part of the Height; I had to take three modes of transportation to get there. I had to take PATH to Journal Square and then one of the PATH lines to either Exchange Place or Pavonia-Newport and board the Light Rail to the Liberty Stop and then wait for the free shuttle bus.

Once I moved east of Central Avenue, my options improved slight. I could either take the Central Avenue bus (#231) to the park and then catch the shuttle or walk down to the 2nd Street Light Rail stop and then the shuttle. (It is a long walk, but the #87 bus, which stops near the 2nd Street Light Rail st ation, tends to treat its bus schedule like some people treat marriage - just a piece of paper.) Last summer, the 231 stopped runing to the Park, so there's only the Light Rail.

Reservoir 3 is smack in the middle of a residential-shopping area. Perhaps that is why many residents in other parts of the city only need one bus to get there. Folks downtown can catch a northbound #86 or commuter van and walk six blocks. Folks living near Journal Square can choose from two Kennedy Blid lines (#88 local and #125 to NY) which leave you a short walk away and the #83, #87 and #231, which stop at or very near Reservoir 3.

However, I digress. When I got into that discussion with the Pershing Fields employee, II suggested the western section of Leonard Gordon Park (the one with the bear and buffalo statues on Kennedy Blvd. in the Heights) for a third ballpark. He said the kids didn't want to walk five short blocks.

So, the faction that says a third baseball field should be built there is going to whine that Liberty State Park is too far. Of course, they could rent a bus - Steve Lipski, among others, are generous supporters, but why do that when they can have a ball field right next to the two in Pershing Fields. (They need a third one for practice, I believe.)

So, I suspect it will be a fight to the end.

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While I am all for preserving the Reservoir, I'd like to point out that the 1,200 acre Liberty State Park provides lots of open space in Jersey City (13% of the total JC land area).

The Reservoir is unique. It should be preserved.

Put the ballfields in LSP (I think there is already a plan to that effect).

Be careful what you ask for. The key word is PASSIVE. And ask them to put a daisy on top!

Yes - they believe if you pave it, they will come. I say our signed should be updated to "Welcome to Ugly City", "Height's Blight" - well, you get the idea.

I remember April 2005, the first year Reservoir 3 was open every Saturday. There was a big festival. Healy, who lives in the area, was supposed to show. He didn't, but when Janaan Tea Shop opened on Grove and Third a few weeks later, there he was. Very interesting......

I think these folks think they are emulating our neighbor to the east. While the mile-square city has a lot of development; Hoboken has a surprising amount of open, passive space, too and LOT OF TREE-LINED STREETS.

As a matter of fact, some bright and shining Pershing Fields' employee told me last summer if I liked open, passive space so much, I should go to Hoboken's River Park.

I asked why I should take the #87 or bike to Hoboken when I live four and half blocks away from Reservoir 3?

I am going to go to City Hall tonight and Hancock Avenue on Thursday, because we got to stick together to overcome Smoking Joe's Baseball mafia (loved that one) and the pols who support them with our taxes.

I don't have anything against kids and resent the way some factions paint people who are anti-ball fields as anty-child. Not all kids are into sports. Where are they - and we - going to go?

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Don't know MCA but email Jennifer to find out:

Jennifer Meyer
Embankment Preservation Coalition
email: jmeyer@embankment.org
web: http://www.embankment.org

Healy and T&M will probably have signs that say:

"Make My Recreation: Pave the Reservoir"

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I'm going to show up as well. Will someone be handing out MAKE MY PARK signs, or is this not that kind of meeting?

I am not surprised to see it retitled Recreation....When I checked out the Reservoir 3 Plans, the one without ball fields, Plan A, was listed first HOWEVER, when the actual layouts were shown, Plan B with its football and baseball field is the first one pictured. Coincidinkey? I think not. I am going to make City Hall's Meeting regarding the Embankment. To paraphrase one of our founding fathers, Ben Franklin, if we don't hang together, we will all hang separately.

JC Heights - if you and yours visited Reservoir 3 last year, as I suspect you might have - I often worked the little info table.

WARD E: an opportunity to view park plans and give comments is tonight:

Tuesday January 23rd
City Hall
280 Grove Street, 2nd Floor
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Many people have attended meetings on the subject and with high hopes of having our parks renovated and improved. However, the real magic comes from showing up at the most important meetings were the big decisions are truely made. Like this one tonight.

There are approx. 67-plus parks in Jersey City but many of these parks are not going to be renovated. In fact, very few parks will see improvements. Much of the focus in this plan calls for creating new parks and not exactly passive parks... they call for more ballfields.

Wake up Ward E... don't complain when it's too late!

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... catastrophic systemic breakdown.

Just reviewing this again and realized that the draft report is now titled "Recreation Master Plan".

While the draft report does discuss open space needs and deficit, it proposses covering green space with recreational facilities in existing mostly passive parks, rather than centralizing athletic fields and the like in athletic complexes with ammenities to support both ad hoc use and official leagues.

In the draft, there are many proposals to pave over green space to introduce or increase recreational facilities throughout the downtown and the city. While changing the recreational element could makes sense to meet current favor, it would seem counter productive reduce greenspace.

What do others think?

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And we need to protect our brownstones. I have a nice view out my brick/brownstone window. A room with a view. I plan to keep it that way!

not mellowing - just not interested in Pavonia. you know i am all about the brownstones. now get that dog run finished.

Quote:And to think I was getting concerned that you might be mellowing (see lack of response to NWA thread)?nice to have you back sweetheart.

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and if you make suggestions, please don't think that ANY of them will be considered. Proof point = VVP Dog Run

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[HPNA-JC-Public] Public Meeting for Open Space/Parks Master Plan (Ward E)

The public meeting date for parks and open space in Ward E is scheduled for next Tuesday evening. Details:

Tuesday,January 23, 2007
6:00 - 9:00 PM
City Hall, Anna Cucci Memorial
Council Chambers (2nd Floor)
280 Grove Street

This meeting is to review and provide feedback on the full report created by T&M, addressing park space in Ward E (including Hamilton Park). A copy of the Master Plan created by T&M is available for download at the City's website: http://www.cityofjerseycity.com/arch/
(warning, this is a large 8MB file).

The HPNA report compiling the balloting results for the community's desires for Hamilton Park's renovation can be downloaded through the documents section of our website at http://www.hamiltonpark.org/

Please come out next week to give your input on T&M's Master Plan.

Jen Greely

Ward E

The public meeting for comment on T&M?s proposals for the downtown parks and open spaces, including Hamilton and Van Vorst Parks, is on Tuesday January 23, 2007 @ City Hall, 6pm.-9pm.

Please visit this site to see what is being proposed for your parks / green spaces and if you have comments, objections, or questions; the above date is the time to express them.
http://www.cityofjerseycity.com/arch/
.

If you pass up this opportunity, you will be accepting T&M?s design and will not be able to effect any changes once implemented.

Hamilton Park is the largest of the downtown parks to be discussed and will have its first renovation since the 1970?s. A small fraction of downtown residents have been heard from to give input into what is being presented as a community consensus. As for my opinion, there are not enough decorative gardens, passive areas, and though T&M proposes reseeding the lawns, they do not provide for a supplemental sprinkler system to keep the lawns alive. You also have the issues of tennis courts, a dog run, and children?s play areas.

Please be proactive and participate in this decision making process for your park system.

Attention WARD A

Your public meeting to give comment on the T&M Parks & Open Space/Recreation Master plan is tonight:

Tuesday January 16, 2007
6:00 - 9:00 PM
Moose Hall, 60 West Side Avenue

Bring your own snacks!

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Get on the Reservoir Alliance website for information and how to give support! http://www.jcreservoir.org/

I didn't take your comment as having racial overtures. I simply wanted to properly construe the statement. Thanks.

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Hmm, I suppose you could construe that as racial, I meant political cronies and the usual corrupt & nepotistic insiders.

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Please expand on your theory. Who are these "right" people?

Let's hear it for polo fields and hunky guys wearing Ralph Lauren jerseys, boots and smelling like men.

Reality is that open space (and open space funds) are not just for green passive parks. The T&M report clearly reads "Recreation Master Plan" and is an indication to the direction the city is going with this. If we don't like it we will have to mobolize or the Smokin Joe's are going to win. The emphasis on PASSIVE is key and demanding the city take care of the passive parks that we have. Let's get a good turnout at these meetings and send a good strong stinky message that there needs to be more balance.

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I've had a theory for a while now that the battle over the reservior is about delaying and dissapointing till the "right" people have made their investments near the new "Central Park" of the Heights.

The 'master plan' makes for some good reading and research for those looking to buy a home. An idea to get in early before any of 'it' gets built.

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They have to be talking about the camp liberty property.

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Brew- Where did you see this info about Camp Liberty--point me in the direction. thx