Community action committees are needed for every geographic community in Hackensack. I would love to see concerned residents create committees, one for each of the following geographic areas:
(1) FAIRMOUNT (all areas north of the Anderson business district, OR north of Passaic Street
(2) PROSPECT/HLLERS(Prospect high-rise corridor and west to Maywood, all areas on the hill south of Passaic Street)
(3) CARVER PARK (HHS to Passaic Street)
(4) DOWNTOWN AREA (Main, State, Union, Park Streets, vicinity of Anderson Park)
(5) "FIRST WARD" (all areas south of Essex and east of Green Street)
These are the unofficial communities of Hackensack. Each has it's own business district, it's own network of streets, it's own history, and it's own identity. There should be a level of organization representing the communities. The residents in each should be focussed on Zoning and Planning Board meeting, property maintenance issues, illegal 2-family or 3-family conversions, etc. In addition to being watchdogs, each commitee should be proactively advancing projects for the public good. For instance, Carver Park residents could be working to redevelop industrial and automotive properties in favor of 2-family homes. First Ward residents could be working on new pocket parks or changing the zoning away from industrial.
I also think it would be great if each community had it's own zip code. Clifton has 4 or 5 zip codes, why not Hackensack. There's plenty of 076 zip codes that haven't been used up, so it's theoretically possible. It would really help build community pride and identity for each part of the city.
That's a more long-term project and needs the blessing of the US Postal Dept, which probably couldn't care less about the sense of community in Hackensack. In fact, 07601 must have the highest population of any zip code in NJ (including both residents and businesses). 07601 is so big and cumbersome to manage by the post office that they can barely deliver mail here. If someone can identify a zip code with a greater population of residents and businesses than 07601, please post on this website. I really believe we are #1 in N.J. If not, we're in the top 1% of zip codes.
And ward lines in Hackensack should be redrawn to reflect the communities, wherever possible. Granted, Carver Park doesn't have enough population to be a ward on it's own.