(click on pix to enlarge)
First it was too many trees on Montclair's Myrtle street. Now an even bigger pushback is underway by residents in the Brookdale Park area for Essex County's widely publicized plans to pave new paths through Brookdale Park along with repaving on top of the old ones elevating the paths as high as 6 inches above "ground level." Members of the Brookdale Park Conservancy are up in arms at nearly every aspect of the project. "Not only were we not consulted in advance", complained one resident, "but Essex County has had this ready to go for 18 months without telling anyone. The roads may need work but no one thinks the paths are in need of repaving."
One neighborhood activist posted this sign at the planned starting point for a new asphalt path connector to Poe St:
Scores of neighbors object strongly to the addiion of the asphalt path at this location. It will unnecessarily destroy precious habitat, increase stormwater runoff poution and Heat, diminishthis woodsy settung Olmstead intended, require repaving, waste tax dollars, and aggrevate your voters. NO MORE ASPHALT IN BROOKDALE PARK. NO ADDITIONAL PATHS.
Neighbors-- If you share this sentiment, contact
joedi@adminessexcountynj.org
Here's an excerpt form the letter that Susan and Richerd Mullins sent:
Dear County Executive Joe DiVincenzo,
PLEASE REVERSE THE “INSULT ONTO INJURY” OF REPAVING THE BROOKDALE PARK PATHS! On May 29th, We were heart sick as we walked the Brookdale Park paths last Thursday. There was a new, quite thick, layer of macadam from the Bellevue Ave entrance to the Grove Street entrance. Accompanying paths to the street were also redone. As a result, deep ruts are created alongside the edges through which water and topsoil and any other living thing will probably flow and become mud.
Runners who refuse to ruin their legs by continually running on macadam, now have the option to run in mud, and probably have the second hazard of spraining their ankles as they climb off and on the path. Daily walkers, like myself, will have the same hazards through a good deal of the winter while the park paths are slippery with ice and snow. The deep, unexpected ruts, alongside the curb-like height of the path will make walking incredibly treacherous.
WE DO NOT WANT OUR TAX (GREEN ACRES) DOLLARS GOING TOWARD GREEN DEVASTATION, ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND HAZARDOUS WALKING CONDITIONS! Please do whatever you can in order to stop such a travesty!
Thank You ,
Sincerely,
Susan C Muliins
Richard Mullins
County officials announced early Monday that plans for new paved paths would be scrapped, but all the old paths will still have to be repaved because "the money's been spent."
I now know that nobody in Brookdale park has a relative in a wheelchair or someone with mobility issues. Runners can always find somewhere else to run. One should consider the least of our bretherin when complaining: if you have ever pushed someone over a bumpy path, you would know how important smoothness is to people with limited sight or weak legs. Oh yeah, they can sit in the parking lot and look out. They will like that just fine. and nobody likes kids in strollers either.
ReplyDelete