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Thursday, January 25, 2007

1/23/07 - T&M Park Master Plan Public Meeting

January 23, 2007
Re: T&M Park Master Plan Public Meeting
City Hall, Jersey City

The Friends of Hamilton Park formed in the spring of 2005 for the purpose of organizing a farmers market, cultural events and to create flower gardens in an effort to bring our community together and to address matters of neglect and crime. We organized seven planting and cleanup events in the past two years and received two grants through the Jersey City Parks Coalition to fund our gardening projects. However, we have no real watering system and maintenance has been a terrible burden.

Recently, we made a point to bring to the City Councils attention that the renovation plans for Hamilton Park contained very few gardens and that a study conducted a year ago showed strong support for adding more gardens, and not less. In fact the study results show that landscaping ranked # 3, behind Dog Run and a Playground. The Jersey City Parks Coalition supported our stand on this issue and we will work together to ensure that Hamilton Park receives its fare share of gardens as was voted for by community residents.

We also learned from the study that residents did not place a high value on the two tennis courts that ranked # 8 on the study; the basketball court received even less support at # 16. I do not believe that items ranked #8 and #16 should be on this plan. We do not want ball courts relocated to other areas of the park to be placed in front of historic homes. The nearby athletic field was intended to be this areas active park. The courts could easily be relocated close by so that residents may continue to use them. However this possibility has not even been considered. I call upon City officials to work out a better plan.

Hamilton Park is located in the historic district and the same ordinance that applies to all homeowners must also apply to this park. A renovation is the opportunity to correct past mistakes.

Janet Allen, President
Friends of Hamilton Park

posted by administrator @ 1/25/2007 07:19:00 PM

Monday, January 15, 2007

Hamilton Park needs renovation

Hamilton Park needs renovation
Sunday January 14, 2007

The Jersey City Reporter
Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor:

Hamilton Park had its last significant overhaul during the early 1970's through the State Green Acres Program that stipulated the creation of active space. Jersey City at that time needed state assistance due to the poor financial condition. Hamilton Park at that time was not an historic neighborhood.

Times have changed, and now Hamilton Park's surrounding neighborhoods are in much better condition - arguably along with our City's finances. Also, Hamilton Park has been an historic neighborhood now for over 25 years. During the past few years, Hamilton Park neighborhood historic homeowners have had the bar raised yet again with regard to the level of complying with historic building codes. I think this higher, enforced standard is both entirely appropriate and needed.

However, I think this also needs to be applied to the plans to renovate Hamilton Park, too. I encourage all to visit the Jersey Room of the beautiful Downtown branch of the Jersey City Free Public Library to see pictures of just how green a space and passive in nature Hamilton Park historically was.

During the three years I operated the Hamilton Park Farmers' Market I had the opportunity to meet many of Hamilton Park's truly "old guard" residents (pre 1960) who fondly shared with me their recollections of how beautiful a space Hamilton Park was as a passive recreation area. Today, I feel the children's play area and dog run are now needed. However, it should end there.

Keeping the to-be renovated Hamilton Park as passive and green as possible is both consistent with and fair to the same standards the surrounding homeowners are now held to and form an historical perspective has integrity.

Alan Singer

posted by administrator @ 1/15/2007 12:25:00 AM

Parks & Open Space Meetings

T&M Associates has been retained by the City to prepare a comprehensive City Parks and Open Space Master Plan for our sixty seven (plus) Parks and Open Space areas. Concept Park Plans have been prepared for several parks, showing a proposed design with new facilities and/or among existing rehabilitated facilities. Input from Jersey City residents is encouraged and welcomed throughout the City Parks and Open Space Master Plan project.

The following public meeting to view the plans and give input/comments will take place as follows:

WARD F
January 9, 2007 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Mary McLeod Bethune Life Center, 140 Martin Luther King Drive

WARD A
January 16, 2007 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Moose Hall, 60 West Side Avenue

WARD E
January 23, 2007 6:00 - 9:00 PM
City Hall, Anna Cucci Memorial Council Chambers, 280 Grove Street

January 25, 2007 6:00 - 9:00 PM
School #28, 167 Hancock Ave.

February 6, 2007 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Hank Gallo Hall, Lincoln Park

February 27, 2007 6:00 - 9:00 PM
Pershing Field Community Center, 201 Central Avenue

The Jersey City Parks Coalition and the Friends of Hamilton Park encourage Jersey City residents to attend these important meetings scheduled throughout our wards to give input and share our concerns.

posted by administrator @ 1/15/2007 12:13:00 AM