Dear Editor:
As many of you know, two weeks ago I submitted an open space initiative that creates nearly 20 acres of new parks, which include soccer and baseball fields, a swimming pool and adjacent recreation center and an ice-skating rink, among other amenities. This proposal would increase our community’s open space from the existing 40 acres to nearly 60, a major goal outlined in the City’s Master Plan.
I would like to take this opportunity to explain how my open space initiative adheres to the Master Plan. It is widely acknowledged that Hoboken currently has a deficit of open space. The Master Plan’s Open Space, Recreation and Conservation Plan element states that this deficit can be overcome, stating it “will require the will to ensure that new open space amenities are provided at every possible opportunity, such as in conjunction with large-scale development projects, redevelopment plans or government action.”
Working with our master planners, Paul Grygiel and John Shapiro of Phillips Preiss Shapiro Associates after numerous community meetings during the process, I along with my staff sought to utilize these principles to develop my open space initiative. The Master Plan’s Open Space Concept Map shows approximately 20 acres of additional land that could possibly be converted to parks and open space during the plan’s time horizon of up to 20 years. In the course of one year, we have already identified nearly that much and we hope to add more, especially in the City’s southern section.
Therefore, my proposed plan goes a long way to reaching the goal of 20 acres of new open space. Furthermore, my open space proposals are clearly consistent with a number of Master Plan recommendations by “providing a full range of active recreation uses in new parks, building a public swimming pool, involving the private sector in creating open space, encouraging Stevens to provide public access to its recreation facilities, providing more recreation and parks through better utilization of land,” such as the skating rink atop the Stevens garage.
It should also be noted that the Master Plan always anticipated some population growth in Hoboken, a fact that was noted by our master planners at the open space forum. It was determined that 60 acres of open space will be adequate to improve the open space ratio, even if the City adds a reasonable number of new residents. This ratio in 2000 was .78 acres per 1,000 residents. Even if the City’s population were to grow from our current 40,000 residents to 50,000 in the coming years, providing 60 acres of open space would result in a ratio of 1.2 acres per 1,000 residents, or a 47 percent improvement.
I am proud that by working with the community we developed a comprehensive and far reaching Master Plan. The community wants open space and so does this administration. Two weeks ago, we began a process that will make it happen.
Mayor David Roberts