Dear Editor:
For 20 years North Bergen Mayor and State Senator Nick Sacco has resisted moving the NB preschool out of Braddock Park where it has been in violation of NJDEP regulations.
Braddock Park is reserved for recreation and open space use.
We don’t have enough park land in Hudson County.
NB’s 17 trailer preschool violated important safety regulations by having 1, not the required 2 fire exits.
New Jersey Educational Association says school trailers, even if renovated, should never be used more than 20 years.
People who support keeping the preschool in the park cite its beautiful location.
Nobody denies it’s scenic, but for how long?
NB wants to keep the trailers in the park and says eventually it will construct a permanent building, even though several years ago, county and township officials promised they would not.
What’s next – moving other government buildings or condos into Braddock Park?
NB puts revenue ahead of quality school facilities and peoples’ well-being.
Mr. Sacco supported the construction of a power plant in North Bergen which nobody needed or asked for, because it would generate revenue.
It also would have generated a huge amount of sickening pollution in this already very polluted area.
Thankfully, Governor Murphy nixed this bad idea.
NB is not poor as Mr. Sacco claims; it can afford to move the antiquated and unsafe preschool into the community:
Recently, NB had its biggest budget surplus in many years.
NB is receiving $18 million in federal Covid relief funding.
NB is refusing NJDEP’s directive to move the preschool out of the park by 09-01-21.
NB is misspending $65 million which voters approved, for a school reconfiguration plan designed to remove the preschool from Braddock Park.
Please tell officials to preserve Braddock Park by enforcing NJDEP’s directive to remove the NB preschool.
Martha.Sapp@dep.nj.gov
constituent.relations@nj.gov
citizens.services@njoag.gov
Robert Walden
