Dear Editor:
The Jersey City Reporter 12/11 article, “Battle for Liberty State Park continues” with its biased sub-headline that the “plan would help LSP and other parks get out of debt” unfairly quotes heavily and unquestioningly from Governor Christie’s NJDEP development proposals.
The governor has launched an attack against the quality of life of the urban people and also an attack on the meaning to all Americans of this parkland. The report is full of fallacies and misinformation and severely endangers LSP with commercialization and privatization plans.
The proposals which include a hotel, commercial amphitheater, amusement park and leasing out of waterfront lawns for far too many large-scale events, would severely harm public access by causing weekend traffic jams and park peacefulness on crowded non-winter weekends, take away open space, lease out the historic terminal, etc.
For LSP’s almost 40 years, the overwhelming majority has always wanted a free and green open space park without commercialization and privatization behind Lady Liberty and Ellis Island. Park users have fought against politicians and developers, who see our priceless open space as wasted space, and the people must fight again to protect LSP for future generations!
The report got the acreage wrong as LSP is 600 acres of land and 600 of water – and the planned Interior natural area with trails is 235 of the 600. Not counting roads, parking lots, buildings, Liberty Walk, already leased land, existing natural area uplands, etc. the 38 acres is a much higher percentage of available open space. Also, the negative impacts of these plans go far beyond the acres involved as public access to and use of the park is threatened.
The report is based on the governor’s false premise that LSP should pay for itself. Parks serve the public good and are not meant to generate revenue with long-term leases. The article buys-in to the deceptive spin that LSP has a “deficit”. How can a park have a deficit? Playgrounds, picnic areas, paths, trees and grass are not supposed to make money.
LSP has $3.5 million a year in operational costs and actually raises $1.5 million (from marina, restaurants, ferry concession, and special events) and therefore LSP only needs $2 million a year from the $39 million legislative allocation for all state parks – a small fraction of the overall state budget. New York’s Governor Cuomo announced a five year plan, “Renewing the stewardship of our state park system” to invest $900 million on its state parks.
I urge people to go to our home page www.folsp.org and to get involved to prevent our green urban sanctuary from being turned into a commercial venue.
Sam Pesin
President of the Friends of Liberty State Park