Jersey City’s Brunswick Community Garden and Ward E Councilman James Solomon are committing to preserving the space after a developer made an attempt to seize a portion of the land.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Basically, unfortunately, a real estate developer is trying to take a portion of the garden you see behind us and we’re not gonna let ’em do it,” Solomon said in a social media post yesterday, referring to the ongoing saga with the 6th Street Embankment.
” … So the city is going to take legal action starting at our next council meeting to basically ensure that this portion, that there’s no legal questions, and it’s a part of the garden.”
A copy of the June 26th Jersey City Council agenda has a resolution to renew a professional services agreement with Seattle-based attorney Charles Montagne to provide legal counsel to the city regarding Conrail’s abandonment of the 6th Street Embankment.
The contract is for one year and is not to exceed $150,000, the local measure says.
The federal Surface Transportation Board (STB) held a virtual public meeting in September indicating they have been working on a Memorandum of Agreement with Control for years, explaining some of what that has entailed.
For nearly three decades, the community at large has used a portion of an alleyway that traverses the Brunswick Community Garden for public gardening purposes with no complaints from any property owner until very recently.
In response to those complaints, Solomon and other Jersey City officials will take action to ensure the garden remains fully intact and in the hands of the community.
“The Brunswick Community Garden has been a vital, vibrant part of our Downtown community for over 25 years, built on city property for our community. Recently, a developer purchased a neighboring lot and is requesting the city destroy a portion of the garden to reopen an alleyway. We will not do that,” Solomon said in a statement.
“That’s why I’m working with the administration to defend the public interest by keeping the garden in the hands of the people – and I’m proud to partner with the Brunswick Community Garden to ensure the garden remains a green, open community treasure.”
Brunswick Street Community Garden Board of Directors President Clara Richardson thanked the city’s efforts to preserve the green space.
“The Community of Brunswick Garden is grateful for the city’s support in maintaining this extraordinary community space. The existing boundaries provide a green oasis where people can experience and learn about plants and nature. The protection offered by the Embankment wall makes the garden a safe and nurturing place for a diversity of creatures, including many pollinators,” she added.
The wall itself is an integral part of the Garden with much to teach about microclimates and nature in general. The growing conditions right up against the wall —with all that earth behind it— are very different than in the southern part of the garden. The simple physics lesson of heat and mass is re-experienced each year.”
She added that the garden currently has membership with 125 Jersey City households and anyone interested in volunteering can click here.
To protect the garden, Jersey City will either purchase, or utilize its eminent domain powers to acquire the portion of the private alleyway easement that traverses the Brunswick Community Garden from the affected private property owners.
Once complete, it will then add the land to the lot currently occupied by the Brunswick Community Garden.
