Letter To Editor: Attend July 8th Public Hearing On Construction Of Braddock Park Pre-School

In a letter to the editor received by Hudson TV, North Bergen resident Robert Walden encourages residents to attend this week’s public hearing at North Bergen High School on July 8th concerning the construction of a pre-school in Braddock Park:

NO SCHOOL IN BRADDOCK PARK !

Attend a public hearing (no ZOOM) and/or send emails to prevent North Bergen from building a 2-story preschool in Braddock Park.
July 8 (Tuesday) at 6 P.M. at the North Bergen High School (7417 Kennedy Blvd.)

ALL NJ RESIDENTS CAN SPEAK and SEND EMAILS BECAUSE THIS ISSUE AFFECTS ALL GREEN ACRES “PROTECTED” PARKS THROUGHOUT HUDSON COUNTY and NJ.

This “diversion” of park land will bring more people, vehicles, accidents, pollution, garbage, artificial surfaces, flooding and noise to Braddock Park, which is supposed to be protected by NJ DEP for recreation and open space, not for schools.

North Bergen’s contention that in 24 years there hasn’t been a site in the community for a preschool is absurd. NB promised to place ALL its preschoolers into elementary schools and sabotaged the plan after NB voters approved $65 million for it.

The North Bergen BOE owns nearly 5 acres of land on 64th Street where a preschool can be built, or NB can build a preschool on the many acres of land its plans to redevelop, or classrooms can be added onto the library and community centers.

IMPORTANT: Whether you can attend the hearing or not, please email the following and say you oppose the diversion of Braddock Park for school use:

Nancy.Lawrence@dep.nj.gov

buildingsandgrounds@northbergen.org

“It shall be the Department’s presumption that there is a feasible, reasonable and available alternative not involving parkland for the project for which an applicant seeks to divert…The use of parkland for other than recreation and conservation purposes should be a last resort.” –N.J.A.C. 7:36-26.1.

Robert Walden

North Bergen