Dear Editor:
In 2001, North Bergen replaced a Hudson County Braddock Park baseball field with a 16 trailer preschool. The baseball field was funded by a Green Acres grant and diverting it to school (non-recreational) usage is illegal.
Green Acres failed to report the illegal diversion during 2001 and 2005 inspections.
Finally, after an inspection in 2010, diversion violation notices were sent to North Bergen-Hudson County and a meeting was held.
A Green Acres memo states: “This meeting was prompted by our Bureau’s post inspection letter sent last month to both parties threatening to withhold funding if the illegal diversion is not resolved.”
This memo was written by the 2005 inspector who failed to report the illegal diversion; he still works for NJDEP.
Nearly 20 years after the illegal 2001 diversion, it still has not been resolved, and incredibly, Green Acres has awarded many more millions of dollars to North Bergen-Hudson County for projects.
Students go to preschool in nearly 20 year old, unsafe trailers which have violated State safety regulations while taxpayer money has been squandered, park land has been lost, and Green Acres has undermined its own regulations.
Robert Walden
