Letter to the Editor
The City Council kicked off the New Year by passing the Open Space Ordinance with a 7-1 vote. As sponsors of this resolution, we are excited about enabling Hoboken to acquire the land needed for more park space before the opportunity is lost. We believe that new open space represents an important investment in Hoboken’s future, and we want to thank everyone for supporting the measure.
We thank Mayor Roberts for initially proposing the open space initiative, as well as Councilwoman LaBruno, Councilwoman Mason, and Councilman Ramos for supporting the measure when the Council first voted on the open space referendum. Most importantly, thank you to the 63% of Hoboken voters who voted yes on November 6th. Your voices sent a clear message to us, your elected representatives, that the creation of more active open space is an important priority that must be followed through on.
Given the conflicts that have arisen among competing groups as to the appropriate uses of Church Square Park and Maxwell Place Park, it is clear that Hoboken needs more recreational park space. This measure will give us the tools to do something about it. Hoboken has less than 1 acre per 1,000 residents, compared to New York City’s 2.5 acres per 1,000 residents. We need to correct that imbalance now, while we still can.
Next week, we will start to meet with community leaders, using the master plan as a template to identify potential acquisition opportunities. We will determine a plan to secure this fast evaporating land as soon as possible. The creation of an Open Space Trust Fund triples the amount of potential grant funding available to us, enabling us to acquire new open space in a fiscally responsible way.
Thank you again for your support on these important initiatives that improve our quality of life.
Dawn Zimmer and Peter Cunningham
4th Ward and 5th Ward Council Members
Dawn Zimmer
59 Madison Street Apt. #2
Tel: 646.831.4890
Peter Cunningham
1009 Garden Street
Tel: 201.965.3059