Hudson TV received the following Letter to the Editor from North Bergen resident Robert Walden regarding a permanent pre-school in Braddock Park:
HOLD NORTH BERGEN & STATE OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE
North Bergen has applied to NJDEP for a “diversion” which if approved, would allow North Bergen to build a 2-story preschool in Braddock Park where a recreational ball field used to be.
1- North Bergen has not disclosed how it would pay for such a school – will a new property tax hike be needed, on top of North Bergen’s recent (approximately) 10% property tax hike?
2- In a special 2018 referendum, North Bergen voters approved the expenditure of $65 million which was supposed to move ALL the preschoolers out of Braddock Park and into renovated elementary school classrooms. This plan is viable, it has already been budgeted and it shouldn’t require a new property tax increase.
3- The current administration continues sending young children to preschool in 24 year old decrepit and unsafe trailers – trailer classrooms are not supposed to be used for more than 5 years.
4- The current preschool location is dangerous and does not meet State guidelines – its roadway is too narrow and it lacks sidewalks.
A pedestrian was run over and killed in a crosswalk a few feet from a parking lot which the preschool uses.
The Hudson County Sheriff’s accident report noted the high amount of pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the area, due to the preschool – the preschool that North Bergen illegally placed in Braddock Park and should not be there.
5- The plans North Bergen submitted to NJDEP for the preschool it wants to build in Braddock Park do not meet State guidelines.
6- Braddock Park is a Hudson County park and it should not be hijacked by 1 of 12 towns in Hudson County in order for it to provide essential services.
North Bergen should provide essential services in the community.
7- The current MOU between Hudson County and North Bergen allows North Bergen to use the Braddock Park diversion site for ANY public purpose.
North Bergen doesn’t need this site for its preschool and North Bergen may decide to use the site instead for a fire station, as it illegally did with its 43th Street park, or maybe it will build a new town hall in the park, etc.
It is time to stop jeopardizing lives, time to stop the betrayal of taxpayers and time to provide state-of-the-art and safe facilities for our young ones and teachers.
Sincerely,
Robert Walden