SECAUCUS – The Hudson County Board of Freeholders will review a parking agreement that uses county-owned land, said Freeholder Bill O’Dea this week, after learning that drivers will be charged to park their vehicles at the new Field Station:Dinosaurs theme park that opened here Memorial Day weekend.
According to County Administrator Abe Antun, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission originally issued conditional approval to allow Field Station:Dinosaurs to operate. At that time, one of the conditions stated “There shall be no separate fee collected for vehicle parking associated with the Dinosaur exhibition park.”
“However, for environmental reasons, all parties had encouraged the use of mass transit,” Antun said. “To encourage the use of mass transit, both the town and NJMC agreed that an environmental fee from patrons choosing to bring vehicles to the exhibit would be the best choice.”
The environmental fee, according to Antun would be used to enhance Secaucus parks and recreation sites throughout town.
“This not acceptable,” O’Dea said. “The county owns the land – not NJMC – not the town of Secaucus – not the tenant Field Station Dinosaurs. Originally, this was not supposed to even be a parking area for this exhibit.”
O’Dea has asked the county to produce a lease with the exhibitor, or show a sublease issued by the town or the NJMC.
“These leases/agreements, side deals need to be reviewed ASAP,” O’Dea said. “Until this is resolved any and all revenue derived from this parking fee needs to be put into a dedicated escrow account.”
He said if the funds are to be used for park improvements, then they should be used to upgrade Laurel Hill County Park which is adjacent to the Dinosaurs exhibit.
“Under any normal lease we, the county should be getting the revenue,” he said. “If the town wants to charge (if permitted by statute) a 15 percent parking tax, like Jersey City and Harrison do, than that is fair.”
O’Dea asked if this project has been reviewed by the Hudson County Planning Board in advance of its opening.
“I am asking for all lease documents to be provided to me electronically immediately,” O’Dea said. “I am also asking for the board resolution and transcript of caucus and meeting where this was discussed. It is my recollection that no paid parking site was ever discussed. In fact if anything the opposite was state, the use of a shuttle from the Frank Lautenberg station lot, which is generally empty on weekends.”
O’Dea said that if the idea is to encourage the use of mass transit, then parking should be banned.