Comments on: Brick City Documentary http://thisamericanriver.com/2009/09/brick-city-documentary/ Afloat on New Jersey's Passaic Wed, 25 Aug 2010 11:56:33 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Joseph Nardone http://thisamericanriver.com/2009/09/brick-city-documentary/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Joseph Nardone Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:14:52 +0000 http://thisamericanriver.com/?p=120#comment-7 Referring the "Brick City Documentary," I am not sure that Mr. Whitaker has his facts correct. As a citizen who has been involved with trying to get the Passaic waterfornt established for the last 10 to 15 years, I correct Mr. Whitaker in that no public boat dock has been installed by the City in the downtown area. What the City has been doing is giving boat tours of the Passaic in conjuction with the proposed riverfornt park which have been originating from the PVSC dock on Wilson Ave. where the Passaic and the Hackensack rivers converge into Newark Bay. The PVSC dock is the only access to the Passaic. As for an 11-acre park, at the last meeting of the Newark Riverfront Development Framework, the City had hired a consultant who was testing the see how the community would react to development on the Passaic and the park be damned. Plants were placed in the meeting either by the consultant or the City to advocate riverfront development to defray the cost of the park maintenance. Other city parks are not being subjected to the same requirement, which to me, means that the City is prejudiced against the Ironbound section. If Mr. Whitaker did his reasearch, he would have seen that the Ironbound is all ready heavily developed and does not need more development. The City had all ways said that there would be no development on the riverfront only a park and it appears that the City is reneging on its prior commitment. Essex County has recently created a new county park near the Essex County Court House which is the first county park in years. It seems that the county knows how to acquire money to acquire land as opposed to the City which seems incapable to do the same. No one is worrying about the cost of upkeep on that park but the riverfront park is subjected to a different standard. Remember in this tough economic time both the city and the county are having financial problems but the county seems to be better qualified to handle the problems. If that is the case, then the City should legally surrender the development of the riverfront park to the county and allow their experts to develop the park as only a park. There were many perfectly good economic suggestions made to see the park develop as an economic benefit to the City. It appears that the City, its consultant and its employees were not listening or decided not to listen or that they lack the abilities to do the job correctly. Maybe Mr. Whitaker should come to the Ironbound and speak to its residents before he make anymore irresponsible statements. Referring the “Brick City Documentary,” I am not sure that Mr. Whitaker has his facts correct. As a citizen who has been involved with trying to get the Passaic waterfornt established for the last 10 to 15 years, I correct Mr. Whitaker in that no public boat dock has been installed by the City in the downtown area. What the City has been doing is giving boat tours of the Passaic in conjuction with the proposed riverfornt park which have been originating from the PVSC dock on Wilson Ave. where the Passaic and the Hackensack rivers converge into Newark Bay. The PVSC dock is the only access to the Passaic.

As for an 11-acre park, at the last meeting of the Newark Riverfront Development Framework, the City had hired a consultant who was testing the see how the community would react to development on the Passaic and the park be damned. Plants were placed in the meeting either by the consultant or the City to advocate riverfront development to defray the cost of the park maintenance. Other city parks are not being subjected to the same requirement, which to me, means that the City is prejudiced against the Ironbound section. If Mr. Whitaker did his reasearch, he would have seen that the Ironbound is all ready heavily developed and does not need more development. The City had all ways said that there would be no development on the riverfront only a park and it appears that the City is reneging on its prior commitment.

Essex County has recently created a new county park near the Essex County Court House which is the first county park in years. It seems that the county knows how to acquire money to acquire land as opposed to the City which seems incapable to do the same. No one is worrying about the cost of upkeep on that park but the riverfront park is subjected to a different standard. Remember in this tough economic time both the city and the county are having financial problems but the county seems to be better qualified to handle the problems. If that is the case, then the City should legally surrender the development of the riverfront park to the county and allow their experts to develop the park as only a park. There were many perfectly good economic suggestions made to see the park develop as an economic benefit to the City. It appears that the City, its consultant and its employees were not listening or decided not to listen or that they lack the abilities to do the job correctly. Maybe Mr. Whitaker should come to the Ironbound and speak to its residents before he make anymore irresponsible statements.

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