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Hudson
Reporter July 28. 2001 Dear Editor-in-Chief Caren Lissner, Eugene Mulero's excellent July 22 story "Piece of the Park" exposed the park Development Corporation's (DC) commercial amphitheater plan for the fiasco it would be. As he reported, their proposal would create the same kind of traffic jams, blocking public access on concert days, that was soundly defeated by strong public opposition in 1986. It is angering but not surprising that this DC proposal was brought back from the dead despite the Hudson Reporter's positive stories on Liberty State Park's 25th birthday and the history of successful fights against commercialization, ("The First Quarter" by Stephen Silver, 6/10, and "A Place of Hopes and Dreams" by Crystal Proenza, 6/17). It is appalling that the DCcontinues to ignore the clear public mandate against private venues within the park. A 1992 study bt the NJ Department of Environmetal Protection (DEP) concluded that a privatized amphitheater would need at least 10,000 seats to operate proiftably. Though the DEP deserves credit for saying no for now, they left the door open. The DC's and the country's largest concert promotion company have declared their intention of re-submitting their plan. This new threat is further proof that the state must end its relationship with the "public-be-damned" DC. The Friends, part of a new Coalition of local and state organizations, are calling upon the Gubenatorial candidates to pledge to carry out this long overdue action. We urge people to contact the Jim McGreevey and Bret Schundler campaigns and ask that they support that position. I must condemn a few statements by the DC president Peter Ylvisaker in Mr. Mulero's story. PY's self-serving view that, "some development has to be allowed to maintain the park" is totally false. After public meetings, feasibility studies and an international design competition, there will be state funding (and corporate grants sought by The Friends and LSP Conservancy) to creatively complete the 185 acre Interior natural area with trails and a 45 acre open space perimeter. Ylvisaker wrongly takes credit for park playgrounds. The upgrade of the small playground was paid for by the DEP and the new large playground was paid for by Green Acres funds and strongly advocated for by The Friends. the development Corporation had nothing to do with either. Ylvisaker says that he's always listened. He listens to developers but not to the public's clear voice. He refuses to accept the public explicit mandate against any further privatization of the park's free and green spaces. The new governor must liberate this uplifting American green park from the arrogant Development Corporation. Sincerely, Sam
Pesin |