Dear Editor:
My father served in the armed forces during World War II and the Korean War. My brother did two tours of duty in Vietnam as a Marine, working his way up from private to sergeant. My great uncle laid down his life for the United States in World War I. I moved to Weehawken seven years ago and love it here. But it is terribly disturbing to read letter after letter to the Reporter calling anyone who supports decent waterfront development an “elitist” and a “spoiled brat” and worse. What I’m trying to get at here is that those of us who support the work the Friends of the Weehawken Waterfront are doing, share the same values as everyone else in this town though our roots may lie elsewhere.
New Jersey is already more densely populated than India. Why do we need more dense development on the waterfront? There certainly is enough traffic here already. Do we need more? These new homes are so expensive that the only ones who will be able to afford them are the truly wealthy. If Weehawkenites already don’t like newcomers like me in town, do you want to invite more in? Another thing that mystifies me is how Carl Goldberg, the developer, professes to love Weehawken but will put up his old, poorer plan to punish us when FWW balked at his “new improved version.” Does Carl Goldberg live here? What is his motive in all of this? Are the Friends out to profit on a better plan? Ask yourself.
And ask the question, why can’t we have a world class waterfront? Not just another version of what was done in West New York.
Finally, I’d just like to pass on a personal observation. About a year ago my job took me to a meeting of the NAIOP–National Association of Industrial and Office Properties. It was billed as a “Public Policy Symposium, Outlook for the Commercial Real Estate Industry.” Now there was an exclusive meeting. Despite its billing as a public policy symposium, members only were allowed. Here’s who was there among other heavyweights. Paul DiGaetano, Majority Leader, NJ General Assembly; Joseph Doria, Jr., Minority Leader of the NJ General Assembly; Richard Codey, Minority Leader of the NJ Senate and John Bennett, Majority Leader of the NJ Senate. There were a lot of people in attendance, including Mr. Carl Goldberg. Do you know that when the panelists took a break he walked up to the front of the room and every one of the Majority and Minority Leaders knew him by name and shook his hand? Now why do you suppose that is? Dear Mayor Turner, there is a lot of power and influence afoot here. And a lot of money to be made as well. Please don’t sell the citizens of Weehawken down the river. We deserve a careful, thoughtful plan, a waterfront we can all enjoy, not an exclusive enclave that blocks our views of the river and chokes our roads. And please those of you reading this, take it easy on your neighbors who may not share your point of view. I go to work every day, enjoy gardening and love my country and town. I am neither a “spoiled brat” nor an “elitist.” Nor do I choose to engage in name-calling. Certainly we should continue this debate with a dignity and spirit that will make us all winners as well as neighbors who love and respect each other no matter what the outcome.
Leandra Little
P.S. Wouldn’t it be great to have a public aquarium down there? Or perhaps a minor-league baseball stadium like the Newark Bears have? How about a museum or a farmers market with cafes along the esplanade? What would you like to see down there? I know I’d like to keep on seeing the river, not dense rows of town houses and high risers. I think our children would too. What legacy will we leave them?