‘Transitway’ project planned between Secaucus Junction and the Meadowlands

August 27, 2021

09sectransit02 — A proposed route for the new transit system, via NJ TRANSIT.

NJ TRANSIT has taken the next steps toward the creation of a new transit system between Secaucus Junction and the Meadowlands Sports and Entertainment Complex, including MetLife Stadium and the American Dream mall.

The NJ TRANSIT Board of Directors recently approved a contract with HNTB Corporation of New York for the concept phase of the “Innovation Challenge” Meadowlands Transitway Project. The approximately $3.5 million contract aims to help NJ TRANSIT implement environmentally friendly transit access.

“The Meadowlands Complex is home to many of our state’s premier attractions, including MetLife Stadium and American Dream,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “This forward-thinking initiative by NJ TRANSIT will explore ways to get more people to and from the many sporting and entertainment events and venues in the Meadowlands, in a safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly manner. This is yet another significant step in the reform and transformation of NJ TRANSIT into an agency that once again reliably serves commuters and travelers.”

In the design phase

In February of this year, NJ TRANSIT advertised the RFP for the “Innovation Challenge” at the Meadowlands. By April, four firms had submitted their proposals which were thoroughly evaluated by NJ TRANSIT. HNTB Corporation was chosen to provide Conceptual Development for the project.

The design is expected to be complete by December of 2022. The type of transit has yet to be determined. But the seven-mile-long route from Secaucus to MetLife and American Dream will use NJ TRANSIT and government-owned property.

“Awarding this contract brings us closer to implementing a new, sustainable, and creative public transportation system in the Meadowlands,” said NJ Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ TRANSIT Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “This innovative partnership with the industry will generate environmentally friendly transportation solutions that meet both present and future needs.”

Increasing service

The goal is to increase service capacity to seamlessly move customers between the Meadowlands Sports and Entertainment Complex and Secaucus Junction. The infrastructure investment aims to ensure that the area has the necessary public transportation system in place to attract and maintain some of the world’s largest entertainment and sporting events, creating an economic boost in the region.

“NJ TRANSIT takes another step toward advancing an innovative, original, and environmentally friendly solution that will allow us to seamlessly move far more customers between Secaucus Junction and the Meadowlands Complex,” said NJ TRANSIT President and CEO Kevin Corbett. “This critical initiative will support economic growth in the state, while effectively meeting the anticipated travel demand to New Jersey’s premier sports, retail and entertainment destination.”

The proposals had to include zero emission vehicles or be readily transitioned to zero emission vehicles. Careful attention will be paid to the Hackensack River and its surrounding meadows.

For more information on the NJT “Innovation Challenge” visit njtransit.com/challenge.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

New Bethune Park opens in Jersey City

Hudson Reporter

August 26, 2021

09jcbethune02_7 — Bethune Park opened to the public on August 18. Photo by Mark Koosau

Jersey City has opened the new Bethune Park, across from the Bethune Center on Martin Luther King Drive. It’s not only an outdoor space for residents to mingle, but also a place to host the center’s activities.

COVID-19 made it difficult to acquire lumber and steel. Nevertheless, the park opened August 18, featuring an amphitheater, playground, shaded tables, tables with chessboards, trees, flowers, and the flags of the U.S., New Jersey, and Jersey City. The new space occupies the old Bethune Center parking lot.

“We’ve seen the need for outdoor recreation in urban areas grow exponentially, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and this newest park will serve as a valued extension of the Bethune Center to allow for more outdoor entertainment and children’s programming,” said Mayor Steve Fulop in a statement.

“After being stalled for decades, we were able to work with the community to get this park built, and it can now serve as an incredible asset and addition for the entire community.”

The project was a collaboration with the city, the Bethune Center, and the community. Photo by Mark Koosau

The project, which cost $3.5 million, was funded by the Community Development Block Grant and capital funding, according to the city. It was a collaboration among the city, the Bethune Center, and the community.

“Due to the Bethune Center and the programming, there was a lot we were trying to squeeze into that space,” said City Engineer Paul Russo. “I believe we did three or four different conceptual designs before we landed on the one that everybody agreed that they loved.”

The park is seen as an extension of the Bethune Center, bringing the center’s programming outdoors. “At the Bethune Center, we have cultural events, a stage, a filming room, dance classes, and yoga,” said Alvin Pettit, director of the center. “The park was designed to reflect that in an exterior sort of way.”

The new park is named for the late civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune. A nine-foot statue of her will be added to the space upon its completion in the upcoming months, according to the city.

The park is a new space for the Bethune Center to expand its activities outdoors. Photo by Mark Koosau

Construction for the park began last year. In creating it over the old parking lot, the construction included a land swap that had the old Fulton Park converted to a new parking lot for the center. The Fulton Park plan was opposed by the Jersey City NAACP, which said that the old park was recreational space for residents of Greenville, and the previous parking lot allowed for easier access to the center. It protested at the site last year.

Within a week, the stage and meeting spaces were in use, and future events are planned. “I’d like to just see it as a cultural haven for the community,” Pettit said.

For updates on this and other stories, follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Mark Koosau can be reached at [email protected] or his Twitter @snivyTsutarja.

Secaucus council bonds millions for new senior center

Hudson Reporter

August 26, 2021

09seccouncil02 — The council met at Town Hall at 1203 Paterson Plank Road in August.

The Secaucus Town Council has adopted an ordinance bonding $9,644,000 toward various capital improvements, including the construction of a new senior center.

The council voted unanimously to adopt the bond ordinance at its August meeting. While the bond is for $9.6 million, approximately $7.5 million will be borrowed, and the rest will be drawn from town reserves.

New senior center

Under the ordinance, $7,818,670 will go toward the construction of a new senior center at 101 Centre Ave. While the bond will foot most of the $7.8 million bill, the town has received a number of grants and is using other monies to supplement the project.

The old senior center at the site is currently being demolished, according to Town Administrator Gary Jeffas.

“We’re almost done,” Jeffas said. “They just have to level off some of the ground. So basically the demolition is done and [the new building] is in design.”

Jeffas said the town is currently waiting to get architectural plans back for the new building.

Environmental remediation

The move came after the town realized that oil tanks underneath the old center had been leaking for a number of years. Environmental remediation work needed to be done at the three buildings that composed the old center.

It was cheaper to start from scratch then to remediate the existing center.

“It just made sense, with everything that had to be done, for us to just go ahead and take the building down, do the cleanup of the site, and build the new building,” Jeffas said.

Jeffas said some of the contamination leached under the foundation, which made it cheaper to construct a new building.

No to jackhammers

“You can’t get equipment down there,” Jeffas said. “You literally would have had to have people down there with sledgehammers and jackhammers trying to by hand. Everybody who evaluated it said the cost of doing that by hand, based on the way it is, would be unbelievable. It was not cost effective based on the age of the building and the issues that it had.”

The old center is now being demolished before remediation will begin, which will remove contaminated soil from the site that was formerly beneath the building. Following that, the town will need to send the project out to bid.

“Hopefully, by year’s end, we’ll have some plans back that will be more solidified, and then we can start the [bid] process,” Jeffas said.

Jeffas estimated that the bid process could began by the beginning of next year.

Serving the whole community

While the building will primarily serve as a senior center during the day, it will also serve the rest of the community.

“Our prior senior center, we called it a senior center but it had a very big room where they can do lunches, bingo, or whatever,” Jeffas said. “We’ll have that same thing, maybe even a little bit bigger.”

For the rest of the day and evening, the facility will serve as a town community center for residents to hold events and meetings.

“It will be a community center too,” Jeffas said. “So it will be used by the seniors and then for other needs throughout the community.”

While the construction is ongoing, the community center on Front Street is functioning as a makeshift senior center. When the new senior center opens, it will be larger and more accessible to the handicapped.

Other improvements

Another big ticket item in the capital bond ordinance includes $510,000 for the estimated cost of storm sewer and flood mitigation control improvements at a number of locations and the installation of an automatic pump cleaner at the High School Storm Sewer Pump Station.

The ordinance allots $380,000 in supplemental funding for the construction of a passive park on Farm Road; $308,550 for the resurfacing of various roads; and $189,080 for the estimated costs of other various improvements to public buildings and facilities.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

Secaucus says ‘No’ to recreational cannabis establishments

Hudson Reporter

August 20, 2021

Cigarette,Handmade,With,Cannabis — Only medical marijuana dispensaries will be allowed for now

At a special meeting, just days before the state deadline, the Secaucus Town Council voted to adopt an ordinance prohibiting recreational cannabis establishments.

Municipalities across New Jersey had until Aug. 21 to make a decision on whether or not to prohibit recreational cannabis establishments. If the deadline passes, and a municipality does not act, all recreational cannabis establishments will automatically be permitted under state laws.

While the council was set to hold a public hearing on the matter at its July meeting, it did not act on the ordinance pending further approval from the planning board. The council got its approval and passed the ordinance at its special meeting on August 18.

Saying no, for now

The ordinance prohibits all cannabis establishments, except for delivery services located outside of town.

The only exception would be medical cannabis establishments. Secaucus is home to what is thought to be the only medical cannabis dispensary in Hudson County: Harmony Dispensary.

According to Town Administrator Gary Jeffas, the ordinance is essentially a placeholder. The idea is that these ordinances prohibiting the establishments will uphold the status quo while municipalities work out the details of what establishments they would permit, if any at all.

The council may vote on an ordinance formulated by the town without the pressure of an impending deadline by the state. That ordinance will flesh out the town’s policies in full, as opposed to the ordinance being rushed or the town being subject to the state’s policies if it didn’t act.

Enacting a sales tax

At the July 27 meeting, the council voted unanimously to adopt a two-percent tax on medical cannabis, the “Medical Cannabis Transfer Tax.”

“In the state regulations, you’re allowed to tax cannabis,” Jeffas said at the meeting. “The ordinance is just putting a mechanism in place, whereby any of the medical cannabis… We have a dispensary in town… would be authorized to collect the tax on the sales they generate out of Secaucus.”

Secaucus joins Union City, Weehawken and Guttenberg in passing bans on cannabis establishments other than medical dispensaries. Most of the municipalities that are passing these prohibition ordinances are also doing so as placeholders.

Meanwhile, Bayonne, Jersey City, Hoboken, North Bergen and West New York will allow some forms of recreational cannabis establishments.

WNY eyes medical cannabis?

West New York is also looking to permit medical cannabis establishments.

The West New York Board of Commissioners voted to introduce an ordinance that would change the zoning, in terms of the permitted land uses, to include medical cannabis dispensaries in the C-R Retail District, Service Commercial District, and Controlled Waterfront Development District. The board voted unanimously at its August meeting.

Any medical cannabis dispensary shall be required to submit an application for a license, accompanied by a fee of $6,000, with all documentation as set forth in the application. The annual license renewal fee, payable on the first day of January of each calendar year, is $15,000.

The ordinance does not specify a limit to the number of licenses. But the town is permitting only one recreational cannabis establishment, with similar application and renewal fees.

The town’s ordinance would collect two percent of the receipts from each sale by a medical cannabis dispensary.

The ordinance will be up for a public hearing at the board meeting on Sept. 4 at 6 p.m., held remotely. For more information, go to the town’s website at westnewyork.org and click on the event on the calendar webpage.

Read the ordinance online at: www.westnewyorknj.org/_Content/pdf/ordinances/Ord1621.pdf.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

Hudson County ousts homeless encampment from Braddock Park

Hudson Reporter

August 19, 2021

08nbtrees26 — Deer stand in the now cleared wooded area in Braddock Park. Photo courtesy of Daisy Maxey

Trees, bushes, weeds, poison ivy and other greenery have been cleared from Braddock Park in North Bergen to get rid of a homeless encampment between the lake and the preschool trailers near Bruin Stadium, according to Hudson County spokesperson Jim Kennelly.

At night, homeless people slept in the woods near the trailers, which concerned authorities. While no incidents have been reported, the west side of the lake is a problem area patrolled by police and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Department.

Kennelly said an attempted murder in May prompted the Sheriff’s Department and the North Bergen Police Department to escalate calls for the area’s clearance, especially the removal of large swaths of poison ivy. The goal is to make the area easier to patrol and to discourage the return of the homeless encampment.

‘Refuge destroyed?’

Some residents were dismayed by the removal of trees.

Daisy Maxey, a longtime Union City resident, recently wrote to the Hudson Reporter and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) about the trees.

“That area was beautiful and was a refuge for birds, animals and people,” Maxey wrote. “I walked in the wood earlier this year and was lucky enough to photograph several lovely yellow-shafted Northern Flickers woodpeckers. I walked there again on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, and it was like a bomb had exploded. Trees ripped down, tire marks of a bulldozer through the few remaining trees. I saw two small deer who appeared quite traumatized and desperate; they seem to be stranded there between the highly populated running path around the lake and the busy highway that runs through the park.”

Maxey asked the NJDEP why residents weren’t notified about the plan to clear the trees and if repercussions to wildlife were considered.

“What about the joy this brought the people who used it?” Maxey wrote. “I don’t know why Hudson County cannot tolerate one speck of nature.”

NJDEP approval not needed

According to Kennelly, the county doesn’t have to alert the NJDEP for tree removal.

“The County of Hudson is under no obligation to get approvals for what is considered by DEP as simply maintenance of a passive parks area,” Kennelly said. “In this case: poison ivy, dead weed trees, brush and trash were removed from this area, which in addition to being a home to birds and deer was home to a camp of homeless individuals.”

A representative from NJDEP Green Acres, Maude Snyder, said she understood that “this is very concerning to the residents of Hudson County who have enjoyed this park for over 100 years” but that there was no recourse.

“Unfortunately, Green Acres regulations are limited and in this case do not enable us to regulate the management of local parks,” Snyder said.

Kennelly added that a representative from NJDEP recently complimented the County Division of Parks for its care of all grounds, including that of Braddock Park, after the trees had been cleared.

“In a misguided effort to be watchdogs for nature, those making these claims are actually impeding safety in the park and ‘saving’ little of any significant natural value,” Kenelly said. “The homeless camp, the site of an attempted murder, had to be uncovered. The poison ivy and weed trees, not any mature, healthy tress, needed removal. The brush and trash needed removal. In time some ground cover will return, allowing deer more camouflaged passage. We have an entire bird sanctuary that is part of our park system.”

‘It will grow back’

Birds will still have trees to peck in this area, according to Kennelly. Within a year, new greenery and trees will return, just more spaced out, he said.

The homeless people were not in the park when the wooded area was cleared. Kennelly said they normally sleep in the park at night but are gone during the day.

Kennelly encouraged homeless people sleeping in the park to seek shelter assistance. There are a number of shelters in Hudson County. For a partial list, go to www.hud.gov/states/new_jersey/homeless/shelters/hudson.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

Weehawken opens waterfront pool

Hudson Reporter

August 18, 2021

08weecomplex26 — The new pool complex via the Township of Weehawken

Weehawken has opened its new municipal swimming pool complex along the waterfront.

The over $10.5 million project was largely funded by developer, the Open Space Trust Fund, and some state grants.

The complex consists of a splash park, an infant pool, a family pool and a general swimming pool. It is part of the township’s recreation complex, which includes space for concerts, children’s playgrounds, and a pier.

Years in the making

Hundreds attended the Aug. 17 grand opening, which marked the culmination of three years of work, delayed by the pandemic, weather, and other factors.

“The construction of the complex, as you can imagine, has been greatly hindered by the coronavirus pandemic,” Mayor Richard Turner said in a statement. “Bids were awarded in June of 2019, and the site’s soil and grading preparation began in September 2019, which lasted approximately four months before any construction could begin.”

This was followed by several shutdowns due to snow and weather-related issues in January and February of 2020. The pandemic shutdown came in March of 2020, lasting several months. Work began in earnest in June of 2020 and proceeded until earlier this summer.

“During the construction period, contractors faced the same issues we all faced with employees either being sick or quarantined,” Turner said. “The recent shortage of materials, supplies, and parts on backorder further compounded the timeline.”

However, the project eventually got back on track and is now complete and open to the public

Test run

While the pool will be open only for the remainder of the summer, and possibly longer, it comes at a perfect time as a heat wave melts the county. This year will serve as a test run for next year.

“Obviously it will be a shortened season, and weather permitting, we anticipate opening weekends in September,” Turner said. “In effect, this will be a test period for all of us to experience the complex’s benefits and plan for the entire season opening in May of 2022.”

The pool is open to township residents only. No extended family or friends will be allowed. Admission is free. Proof of residency is required.

Pool times are available at weehawken-nj.us. Register online.

More on the way

This is the first phase of renovations to the recreation complex. According to Turner, there are several other phases to go.

Future plans include renovating nearly an acre of unused space adjacent to the complex.

“Eventually we hope to have a multi-purpose pavilion for ice skating in the winter and various uses in the summer,” Turner said. “When we’re all done, we will probably have the largest contiguous waterfront complex for active and passive recreation other than Liberty State Park.”

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

Latin Grammy Winner Samuel Torres brings his world-class talents to Summer Concerts on the Hudson

Hudson Reporter

August 14, 2021

Samuel Torres photo_congas_skyline_by Juan M. Soria — Samuel Torres (Photo by Juan M. Soria)

Samuel Torres is a Grammy Award-winning winning percussionist, composer, and arranger. A native of Bogotá, Colombia, Torres was exposed to music at an early age thanks, in part, to an extended family of musicians, which included his uncle Edy Martínez, a pianist-arranger who earned fame in the New York salsa scene of the 1970s.

A classically trained percussionist with a degree in music composition, Torres established himself as a musical force in his homeland at a young age. His career took flight when acclaimed Cuban trumpeter Arturo Sandoval asked him to join his group shortly after Torres moved to the U.S.

Since then, Torres has gained renown in his own right through his work as a performer, arranger, and producer in the worlds of Latin jazz, Salsa, Latin Pop and Jazz. He has worked with top artists including Lila Downs, Paquito D’Rivera, Tito Puente, Arturo Sandoval, Chick Corea, Angélique Kidjo, Ricky Martin,

Marc Anthony, Shakira, and Rubén Blades, among others. In addition, Torres has released several albums of his own work, most recently the Latin Grammy Award winning Regreso (2019), which he recorded in collaboration with the New Philharmonic of Bogotá.

Torres will be joined by an 8-piece band and guest vocalist Maria Raquel, who has performed around the world and is known for her powerful voice and unique interpretations of Cumbia and Salsa. Aside from leading her own trio and quartet, Maria is the lead singer of the Astoria Salsa Company.

This concert will take place on Wednesday, August 18th at 7 PM at Lincoln Harbor Park, located just north of the Chart House restaurant, directly on the west bank of the Hudson River in Weehawken, New Jersey. The concert is weather permitting, and a rain date is scheduled for the following night.

Public transportation options include NJ Transit bus #158, the Hudson Bergen Light Rail, and NY Waterway Ferry to Lincoln Harbor. And for those who choose to drive, free parking is available.

The Hudson Riverfront Performing Arts Center, Inc. (HRPAC), a New Jersey nonprofit organization, presents this summer long series of open-air concerts free of charge to the public. Concerts are family friendly. Audience members are asked to bring a lawn chair or blanket and picnicking is permitted on the lawn. For more information including the full summer concert schedule, Covid policy, directions, parking info, rain dates, and updates, please check the HRPAC website…www.hrpac.org… or call the concert info line at 201-716-4540.

Jersey City unveils new mural at Ferris High School

Hudson Reporter

August 13, 2021

08jcmurals19 -1 — The youth program enhances the professionalism of Jersey City's emerging young artists. Photo by Jennifer Brown / City of Jersey City.

Jersey City recently unveiled a new 100-foot mural at Ferris High School, painted by students in the Jersey City Mural Arts Youth Summer Program.

The theme of the mural was Jersey City’s Sister Cities. The creative process involved a series of virtual conversations with representatives from cities across the world.

The young artists were mentored by professional mural artists who offered step-by-step instructions on public art techniques.

“Jersey City has utilized our expansive mural program as an evidence-based approach to fund the creative economy and reduce illegal graffiti while bringing history, character, and global art to enliven previously ignored spaces,” read a statement from the city. “The JCMAP Youth Program strengthens their skills, and enhances the professionalism and employability of Jersey City’s emerging young artists.”

West New York ordinance would bond millions for new library

Hudson Reporter

August 13, 2021

08wnylibrary19 — West New York's current library. It may bond millions for a new one. Photo via Google Maps

The West New York Board of Commissioners has introduced an ordinance that would appropriate $17,000,000 for the construction of a new library. West New York is now home to one library, at 425 60th Street across from Town Hall.

Under the ordinance, the town would bond $4,500,000 toward the cost. Another $12,500,000 will be covered by the New Jersey State Library via the state’s Library Construction Bond Act.

The total estimated cost of the project is $25,000,000, according to the ordinance introduced at the August meeting. It is not clear where the rest of the funding would come from.

Read the ordinance at www.westnewyorknj.org/_Content/pdf/ordinances/Ord1721.pdf.

A public hearing will take place at the board’s Sept. 15 meeting at 6:30 p.m. The board meets via Zoom. For more information, go to the town’s website and click on the event on the calendar webpage.

Details scarce

Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez did not immediately respond to a request for details.

In an interview with the Hudson Reporter, Library Director Weiliang Lai said the project is in its the early stages.

According to Lai, the town is now in the process of issuing the bond after having been approved to receive the state grant a few months ago.

The new site is currently home to a smaller older structure, purchased from the Board of Education by the Town in 2017. The building is the former home of the board’s special services department, at 5602 JFK Blvd.

Lai said the current library will likely be used for something else, however he is not sure what that could entail. There is no time frame yet for when construction will begin.

“We’re still working on the grants,” Lai said.

Old ideas find new life

The idea to build a new library was once part of the platform of Rodriguez’s mayoral opponent, Dr. Felix Roque.

Roque, incumbent mayor at the time, was challenged by Rodriguez in 2019 and lost. During that campaign, Roque said he wanted to construct a new library and turn the current library into a new police headquarters.

While that plan did not come to fruition under Roque, parts of it may see new life under Rodriguez.

Reading is fundamental

In June, the town announced that Little Free Library book exchanges would be coming to all West New York parks beginning the first week of that month.

Little Free Library (LFL) is a nonprofit organization that aims to improve book access by fostering neighborhood book exchange boxes in hopes of inspiring a love of reading and building community.

Following their installation, West New York provided residents with the first round of books, from early childhood books to novels for adults. For more information, go to LittleFreeLibrary.org or westnewyorknj.org.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

Improvements to Secaucus’s Laurel Hill Park underway

Hudson Reporter

August 13, 2021

08secpark19 — Residents will use waterfront walkway at Laurel Hill Park, with the Portal North Bridge in the background.

Laurel Hill Park in Secaucus is undergoing major renovations. Located on the western end of New County Road, the county park is near Meadowlands Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike Exit 15X and County Avenue.

“Laurel Hill Park is getting many upgrades with new facilities and an expansion of offerings for different sports, thanks to Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise,” Mayor Michael Gonnelli said in the town’s August newsletter.

In recent years, the park has evolved from an unused open space to a well-outfitted outdoor area. Currently, there are fields for soccer, baseball and cricket, a boat launch, canoe and kayak rentals, boating tours, children’s playgrounds, fishing pier, dog park and well-maintained walking and bike trails. The park also offers amazing views across the Hackensack.

Work underway

Work has already begun, and upgrades to the largest park in Secaucus are on the way.

They include six new tennis courts, two volleyball courts, two basketball courts, a new parking lot with 50 more spaces and a new playground with aquatic features. The bike and walkway system, parking lots, existing playground, landscaping, gazebo, boat launch and shoreline will be refurbished.

“This is a huge gain for Secaucus. Our residents can enjoy state-of-the-art features, new playgrounds, and extensive pathways right here in Town,” Gonnelli said. “I am happy to see open spaces being upgraded for everyone to use, no matter what outdoor activity you may enjoy. I thank Hudson County Executive DeGise for making Laurel Hill Park a priority.”

Funds for these additions and upgrades have been procured through grants.

Cleaning up the Hackensack

“Additionally, there is a major push underway at both the state and federal levels to clean up contamination in the Hackensack River,” Gonnelli said.

There is state support for federal designation of the Lower Hackensack River as a Superfund site. The designation is the next step toward cleaning up the river.

“We will share updates as these projects progress,” Gonnelli said. “Both these efforts will improve the quality of life for Secaucus residents with more recreational opportunities and better use of our open space.”

According to Gonnelli, “open space builds communities by bringing people together. It is where we meet friends, play, exercise, enjoy music and dance, and take in the beauty of nature. Secaucus is blessed with plenty of open space, so go out and enjoy them this summer.”

Parkland for bridge?

While the park is getting an overhaul, it’s also losing some land. The county is diverting approximately 2.445 acres of a wetland area in the southern portion of the park for a bridge easement for the construction and operation of the planned Portal North Bridge.

Part of the planned Gateway Project, the Portal North Bridge would replace the current Portal Bridge which spans the Hackensack River from Kearny to Secaucus. The approximately 110-year-old, decrepit, swing-style Portal Bridge is notorious for breaking down and getting stuck in the open position for marine traffic, stranding commuters and bringing Amtrak and NJ Transit service to a halt.

The existing right-of-way is not sufficient to accommodate the construction of the new bridge while maintaining operations along the Northeast Corridor. The northern bridge approach structure and a construction and maintenance platform would be permanently located on and over the diverted land.

Compensated for unused wetlands

The area is a tiny sliver of wetlands with no amenities. It is not accessible to the public, except by water.

Prior to the diversion, a public hearing was held before the New Jersey Department of Environment Protection, because the park was partially purchased by NJDEP Green Acres funds.

The land being diverted is appraised at $13,700. As compensation for the land, $54,800 will be deposited into the Garden State Preservation Trust Fund.

NJ Transit has agreed to contribute $179,000 to Hudson County for the waterfront enhancements and trail improvements, among other park upgrades.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].