the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Fort Lee NJ, recently, the residents of Fort Lee discovered by accident, that their passive park is at risk of being turned into a 100 car parking lot, a softball field, and a soccer field. The park is home to thousands of trees that fight both air pollution, noise pollution, provide shade to walkers/runners and home to so much wildlife. All of this planning has been done without any notice to any residents.
The tranquility this park provides is necessary for the residents of Fort Lee. As you know, Fort Lee experiences a tremendous amount of automobile congestion due to direct access to the busiest bridge in the world: the George Washington Bridge. Even Wikipedia refers to Fort Lee as “Bridgegate”. Now, almost 8 years later, we are faced with Parkgate. Parkgate will be funded partly by grants; grant money from Green Acres. When I learned that Green Acres was part of the New Jersey Environmental Protection Agency. In researching Green Acres, I have found that Green Acres is known for ripping out grass and trees for AstroTurf and asphalt. And they are part of the NJ Environmental Protection Agency.
As you may know, 1 in 5 American adults suffer from mental illness in a given year (https://www.rethinkstigma.
This park located at the end of N. Central Road in Fort Lee and is also accessible via Hudson Terrace is sandwiched between the 2 heaviest traffic areas in Fort Lee leading up to the bridge, to which, you are absolutely oblivious while enjoying the park. The park offers a zen like atmosphere for Residents to gather their thoughts, to relax, and most importantly, enjoy the nature that surrounds them. This park offers tremendous mental health benefits and during COVID, many residents utilized this park to help with just that. The park offers wide walking paths to allow for social distancing and picnicking on open fields of grass. I watched (and still watch) many children learn to ride their bikes or learn to fly kites in this park, during the pandemic. Hundreds of people walk this park on a daily basis. According to the Palisades Interstate Parkway website, this is a historical landmark? The Palisades Interstate Park is a National Historic Landmark. The natural rolling hills and shaded areas allow for a beautiful submersion into nature. How many urban towns in Bergen County, in New Jersey, in the United States can say the same thing about a park in their town?
In addition, not only do these trees supply mental reprieve, they also help to filter out the tremendous amount of pollution put out by all of the automobiles sitting in traffic. “Emissions from vehicles also contribute to poor air quality. Cutting doesn’t trees not only releases CO2, but also prevents forests from purifying our air. Trees are able to clean the air and absorb harmful airborne particles and gaseous pollutants. Toxins such as nitrogen oxides, ammonia and sulfur dioxide through their leaves, bark and roots. This improves the air quality in the micro-climate around the trees and contributes to a healthier and cleaner environment overall. Tress also soak up the harmful carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. In one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the same volume of carbon monoxide as predicted from a 26,000 mile car journey”. (https://co2living.com/how-
At the last Fort Lee council meeting, Thursday, August 12, Councilman Harvey Sohmer mentioned that softball season is 6 weeks long. We are cutting down a forest of trees for a 6-week season? The mayor of Fort Lee , in the below Bergen Record article states” Folks have to appreciate these decisions are what we believe are in the best interest of the community and not an isolated group who are accustomed to living next to an open area. This could be an area a much larger portion of the community can begin to enjoy.”
There are 300 girls on the softball team out of a population of 45,000. There is already a softball field in Fort Lee, yet there is a need for another? Park supporters are open to opening this park up to a bigger portion of the community. The tell the Ridgewood blog, they are open to having flower and vegetable gardens. Something that maintains the integrity of the beautiful natural habitat it is today.
In addition, the Mayor isolating the non-athletes of the school and the town. The non-athletic students who come to this park to clear their heads. The non-athletic students who come to this park to read their books. He is prioritizing the jocks over the nerds. Catering to a small portion of the population over the overall population. Like Ridgewood it sounds like is all about the “turf field “money .
Bergen Record: https://www.
I think it needs a parking garage
Leave this park alone. Residents of the area use the park.
It will just bring in people from Washington Heights who will play soccer and play their loud music, drink, and litter. Not the Fort Lee residents who would rather it stay a park. There are plenty of parks in Fort Lee already which can be used as well as county parks such as Overpeck. Let’s not develop every inch of land! Usually someone stands to profit from these decisions, so I am suspicious of that as well.
That would be a shame if we lose that park. That is a beautiful park, just what we don’t need another parking lot another ballfield put it somewhere else.
I think the Mayor and rubber stamp council need to resign or not run again.
This park is the called the Palisades Interstate Park and it is owned by the Palisades Interstate Park Commission (PIPC) which was formed in 1900 by the states of New Jersey and New York to PRESERVE the land and it was deemed a “National Historic Landmark”. The PIPC has given their APPROVAL to the Mayor of Fort Lee to COMPLETELY DESECRATE this beautiful and natural park! How is this legally possible that the PIPC is being allowed to have a National Historic Landmark desecrated?? And how is it legally possible that the Mayor of Fort Lee is being allowed to not follow its own Borough Code to prevent environmental degradation; to preserve existing natural resources and to control the indiscriminate and excessive cutting and destruction of trees??