Black leaders and other officials from Jersey City say the state Department of Environmental Protection is “heading in the right direction” after unveiling design plans for the interior portion of Liberty State Park.
During a public meeting Tuesday, DEP officials laid out initial design proposals for the 234 acres of interior parkland in need of remediation. The plan calls for both active and passive recreation, as well as overlook areas and restored uplands, wetlands, wildlife viewing areas, and seven miles of new trails and sidewalks.
Some members of Jersey City’s Black community say they’ve historically been left out of conversations surrounding the future of Liberty State Park, but are feeling encouraged by their recent inclusion.
“I am just thankful the effort has been made to provide more information for us," Rev. Nathanial Legay, president of the Jersey City chapter of the NAACP, said during Tuesday’s meeting.
"Thank you again for providing an avenue for us to participate.”
Jersey City Council President Joyce Watterman is also encouraged by the state’s intent to gather community input. She said she told the DEP that more community meetings focused on the future of Liberty State Park are needed.
“They are reaching out to the community and making sure they got the community input," she said. "So they are heading in the right direction.”
DEP Deputy Commissioner Olivia Glenn said state officials have been meeting with key local stakeholders so the interior parkland meets the needs of the surrounding communities. The DEP has had discussions with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop’s office, the City Council, members of the state legislature, the NAACP, the Friends of Liberty State Park and Liberty State Park For All.
Chris Gadsden, political chair for the Jersey City NAACP, called Tuesday’s meeting a great first step for the DEP.
“A cross-section of voices was heard and I think there was a lot of commonality inside of the meeting,” Gadsden said, adding that the active recreation component of the proposal "is really what people have been talking about all throughout the summer.”
The DEP has not yet determined what types of active recreation amenities — like basketball courts or soccer fields — will be added to the park’s interior. The state agency is still soliciting comment from the public.
Last month, DEP officials gave a broad overview of their plan to remediate the contaminated land, restore wetlands with passive recreation, and add new trails to improve park access.
While the DEP plans to clean and cap the contaminated interior land ― standard practice for polluted ground — voices from the city’s Black community are still calling for a full 100% cleanup of the park’s interior.
Liberty State Park For All, a group funded by Liberty National Golf Course owner Paul Fireman’s charity, wants a “total” cleanup of the land and recreation opportunities for all. Nonetheless, the group’s executive director remains cautiously optimistic about the plans unveiled Tuesday night.
“While I am still looking through the details of the plan, what we saw last night was encouraging at first glance. That said – and as was mentioned many times last night – we have heard these kinds of promises before,” Executive Director Arnold Stovell said in a statement.
“Liberty State Park For All will continue to push for a cleanup at the park that is consistent with standards used in white communities and for active recreation.”
Screenshot of a 21 minute video presentation from the Department of Environmental Protections, which included renderings for the interior of LSP after remediation is finished.EJA
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October 22, 2020 at 04:33AM
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DEP ‘heading in the right direction’ on plan for Liberty State Park’s 230-acre interior, Black leaders say - NJ.com
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