New Jersey State Sen. Angela McKnight is vehemently opposing plans for the future of Liberty State Park, according to Hudson County View.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's plans for the public waterfront park involve entering a new 60-year lease.
The lease will involve the current marina tenant, Suntex Marinas Investors, LLC, broadly known as "Suntex." It will also include the construction of a boat storage warehouse at the state park that is large enough to store superyachts.
As of this writing, the agency's plans for Liberty State Park are still under consideration and require approval from the State House Commission. The State House Commission will make this decision on Jan. 15, per a public notice by the Office of Transactions and Public Land Administration, or OTPLA.
While the decision is quickly approaching, State Sen. McKnight urged the State House Commission to reconsider the impact of NJDEP's plans to privatize and further develop this state property.
According to OTPLA, the proposed contract will bring in a rental income of at least $800,000 per year to help replace Liberty's 3,510-foot linear bulkhead along the Morris Canal Basin. The action will take at least $60 million to carry out. The funding will also help develop recreational facilities throughout an eight-acre lawn area currently leased to Suntex.
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This proposed contract has come under fire by advocates and conservation groups. They've highlighted the controversy surrounding the sale of public green spaces for commercial development. It's especially concerning to them that New Jersey's dedicated agency for environmental protection is orchestrating the sale in this instance.
Building a boat storage warehouse for superyachts encourages such luxury boating vessels to visit the New Jersey harbor. It can promote an extremely wasteful method of travel that generates a large amount of air pollution.
State Sen. McKnight explained that the state park has come a long way from being an industrial wasteland to becoming "a cherished community green space," per the Hudson County View, which areas like Jersey City lack.
"This is sacred ground, and we must safeguard the natural, historic, cultural, recreational, and scenic gifts Liberty State Park affords us," Sen. McKnight said. "I stand with our community in protecting the park we love now and for generations to come."
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