The New Jersey State House Commission approved a proposal to build a Liberty State Park marina, which was opposed by several Hudson County elected officials and residents at a virtual meeting that began at about 10 a.m. and went until roughly 1:30 p.m.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) requested approval for a 60-year lease with Suntex Marina Investors LLC valued at about $122 million for the continued operation and improvement of a large marina building for yacht storage.
They want Suntex to help them pay to replace the deteriorating structure, as well as to acquire the land as part of the redesign process that includes space for active recreation like basketball courts and a football field after a lengthy public portion.
“… It doesn’t belong to the DEP. It belongs to history and the public,” exclaimed state Senator Raj Mukherji (D-32), a lead sponsor of the Liberty State Park Protection Act.
He was also one of several to express dismay with the virtual meeting being hard to follow due to various technical difficulties.
“I think Liberty State Park is not surplus land. It ought not be … a balance sheet item … There were no public hearings to consider this new design. The public should be heard, and it should be more than perfunctory,” Mukherji added.
He said that the symbolism of the Statue of Liberty and the park is heightened when President Donald Trump (R) is threatening immigrants with aggressive actions from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Mukherji added that the proper thing to do would be to allow the next administration to review it, with Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill (D) being sworn in on Tuesday.
“I want to echo my disappointment that this is not a true public meeting. It should be rescheduled,” newly seated Assemblywoman Katie Brennan (D-32) said during her remarks.
“We need to invest in our public resources and should not be relying on this … to make a business venture out of the park,” she argued.
That was the theme of the day, as no one on the call spoke in favor of Suntex’s vision.
“The dry storage facility is not boating … We will be looking into legal action,” Robert Moss declared.
Solomon’s policy director, Isaac Smith, said the mayor could not attend and so he was representing him in this instance, asking them to table this matter.
He added that Solomon has been a longtime supporter of the Friends of Liberty State Park and has wanted to see the open space protected for quite some time, also agreeing with Mukherji that this should be left up to Sherrill’s NJDEP.
U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8) Outreach Advisor Katy Temple read a statement from him that said, “Liberty State Park is a gem and a treasured oasis” before urging them to “reject this lease.”
Friends of Liberty State Park President Sam Pesin, who has been opposed to the proposal for months, leading a large protest in November that attended by the likes of Menendez and Solomon, was clearly distraught that the board was considering a vote today.
“It’s 70 feet high! … The park is a sacred urban oasis … There’s no good reason to approve it today,” he exclaimed, noting that various instances of park privatization have been rejected over the years.
“Some say the fix is in: Vote on your conscience and prove them wrong,” he declared.
Former New Jersey Sierra Club Executive Director Jeff Tittel didn’t mince words when addressing the governing body.
“This is one of the most shameful things in my 50 years of being an environmental activist!” he shouted.
Friends of Liberty State Park Vice President Rafael Torres and Panning Board Commissioner Steve Lipski were also among the many people who opposed the project before it came time to vote.
The commission voted 5-2 to approve the proposal without any explanation and the meeting abruptly concluded after about three-and-a-half hours.
“Thank you very much, you coward and corrupt bastard!” a listener on the call exclaimed after the announcement.
“The DEP is supposed to be the steward of our public lands, not a broker for private corporations. Pushing this deal through during lame-duck is a betrayal of the people of NJ. This land belongs to the people,” Tittel said in a statement after the vote.
“Once park land is lost to industrial development, it’s gone forever. We must sue to stop this disgusting deal. Liberty State Oark is a national treasure and it belongs to the people. It is our Yellowstone and Yosemite, not Suntex’s! We have just begun to fight the horrendous project and we will stop it.”
