Rehab the riverfront!

[BLeafe]

There was an interesting Letter To The Editor in today's Record from a Hackensack gentleman named Murray Weinstock about extending the Main St rehab east to the river (below).

What he wrote is pretty much what I thought when I looked at the 8-photo stitch I shot from the top of the Sears tower two months ago: Look at all the green in Johnson Park and on the Teaneck side of the river and then imagine the area east of River St from Anderson St to Foschini Park being equally green. It would be a beautiful sight.

As you read the letter, it's clear than Mr. Weinstock has thought this out much more than I have, but I like the ideas.

Click on both images to enlarge.

[just watching]

Not sure how to respond to such pie in the sky.  If he was calling for a 100-foot wide greenway, including a walkway and landscaping, I'd say that's a great idea worthy of public support, but it's probably not politically or economically feasible.

But he's not calling for 100 feet.  He's calling for a greenway that's up to 1000 feet wide in some areas, including the 7-acre Mazda dealership, Goodyear, White Manna, Budget car rental, Harley's Pub, the Nissan Dealership, Home Liquors, , the car wash, and more. He's even targeting office buildings and a 6-story apartment building (circa 1989) on the east side of River Street near the Midtown Bridge Extension.  It's just not going to happen. There's no point to discussing how great it would or wouldn't be.

The only other person I've ever heard talk of something like this was Lenny Nix, and even he only wanted to do that on South River Street.

Weinstock would be better off calling for the completion of the Hackensack River Walkway, and perhaps, a 50-foot greenway. That's within the realm of reality, and Yes, it would increase nearby property values to compensate for the loss of the 50 feet.  But not more than that.

And here's some insight.  I think the downtown merchants and their little BID district don't want to talk about the river because they think it's potentially competition for Main Street with cafe's, restaurants, and possible stores along a boardwalk-type structure.  Bad thinking, wrong thinking.  It can and should all link together and bring mutual prosperity

[Editor]

Potential development of the Riverfront does not threaten the district or the AINOR. While no expert, I would imagine that appropriate development on the river would compliment development of the downtown.  Public participants, working with NJIT urban planning students, came to similar conclusions in recent Transit Oriented Development work sessions. Their study will be completed over the next several months.   

The bid was involved with those discussions.  I guess you weren't there.

[just watching]

Glad to hear you say that there is no conflict between Main Street and the river pathway.

I'm just trying to figure out why the city has basically dropped the ball on the walkway.  The Jack Zisa administration was poised to begin construction from Johson Park to Foschini Park.  It was very very far along in the planning, design, and budgeting phases.  And now since the new crew took over, 7 years have gone by and nothing has happened.  If it's not Main Street, and I believe you if you making the statement, then what is the reason that the project died.

[Editor]

This administration completed segments of the walkway at Johnson and Foschini Parks. Other portions were also completed north to Rt. 4 (by County?). From what I understand, segments along River Street are the tricky part. The car wash, Harley's, car dealerships, etc.  I think there is an ordiance in place that any development of the Riverfront must include riverwalk extensions.

[just watching]

The former administration had detailed engineering plans for that "tricky" segment, and it would have involved condemnation of strips of land around 20 or 30 feet wide. A few businesses would have lost a few parking spots.

The Spotless Car wash redevelopment was approved with a walkway mandated by the city and the NJDEP, and they never built it. That's something that our friend the Riverkeeper should have filed suit over. And Nissan closed off, gated off, their small section of walkway.

The Ice Quad also was approved with a walkway, but the money was "deferred" elsewhere. They have a 20 year deal with the city. Either the city builds the walkway within 20 years, or the Ice Quad is off the hook on the walkway obligation. That 20 year deal is coming up in about 2 years.  Rick Salkin has all the paperwork. At the time, the Ice Quad's argument was that it would be the pathway to nowhere because there was no pathway in Foschini Park and The Record would "never" be redeveloped. And now that the entire Record campus is soon to be redeveloped, and the Foschini Park has the walkway.  For the city to sit back, now, and let that 20 year deadline pass would be an atrocity. These things take a couple years, so they really need to act on it now.

[just watching]

Ok, so we have a new development along the river.  PSE&G is converting a long-vacant brownfield vacant lot into a solar farm. 

Now, are they making a section of the Waterfront Walkway

http://www.northjersey.com/news/164496366_Christie_endorses_solar_farm_at_Hackensack_field.html

[Whitey]

I think you will find that they are providing access, parking and a walkway with some seating.

[just watching]

That's good news. 

Eventually when significant sections of the walkway are completed, people will use it for walking, jogging, bicycling.  That's not happening yet because it's not long enough, and also because there is no residential built along the river. Two big projects approved, but neither is built. Until the project is long enough, the parts of the walkway near the County Complex will just be a place for the homeless to hang out.  For instance, at Pep Boys and the city DPW. That doesn't seem to be happening in Johnson, and hardly at all in Foschini Park.  I guess the further from the homeless epicenter the less the problem is.

The condition of the riverfront at Costco is disgusting and overgrown.  Costco needs to cut all the lower branches from the trees so the river can be seen, and clear out all the suffocating ivy and at least some of the underbrush.  If the trees are left standing (minus the lower branches and small saplings), the trees will shade the area, and therefore the underbrush and ivy won't grow back so quickly. That's not rocket science, just basic landscaping principles.

And the city DPW needs to spray (kill) the invasive ivy growing all over their fence along the walkway. That's all invasive porcelainberry growing there. Spreads by seed like crazy, via birds. Teaneck had a big initiative to remove it from Brett Park.

Compare Costco/DPW segment to the Shop Rite segment, there is a huge difference on maintenance of the greenway corridor. Shop Rite has been busy keeping it from being overgrown.