Hackensack leaders considering renovations to Pulaski ParkWednesday September 12, 2012, 11:28 AM
BY CAESAR DARIAS
CORRESPONDENT
Hackensack Chronicle
HACKENSACK - City leaders are proposing to renovate Pulaski Park on Washington Avenue. According to Gregory Liosi, superintendent of Recreation and Culture, the planning "is in the idea stage."
CAESAR DARIAS/PHOTO
The playground at Pulaski Park on Washington Avenue. City leaders are considering options to renovate the park.
Initially, officials were considering building one or two soccer fields. Liosi said that proposal "is off the table."
"There's a lot of residency around the park and their input is important," said Liosi. "They did say that with the lack of parking it's really not a park conducive to games with the amount of people that would draw."
Since 2001, Sandra Rosero, 45, has owned a house on Williams Street that's next to the park. She says about three years ago a soccer league starting hosting games in the park.
"My house here was a changing area," said Rosero, who lives with her 15-year-old son. "You had men changing here, urinating here in the front of my house."
Rosero would like to see a walking track. "There's a lot of people who like to walk. What they do is walk around the school instead," said Rosero, referring to the Jackson Avenue School which is adjacent to the park.
Rosero's Williams Street neighbors agree. "I think it should be something that the community can come with their children and play and maybe a walking track," said Elizabeth Menelaou, 41, who has lived in her home for 15 years. "Maybe some benches but nothing as far as a soccer field."
"I would use it if there was a walking track because I drive to South Hackensack now to walk," said Menelaou.
On the other side of the park is Rosalind Caserta who says her parents built her Jackson Avenue house in 1953. She got married, moved away and then bought the home from her parents 20 years ago.
Caserta and her husband Frank raised two daughters who are now married. She says when her daughters were kids, they played in Pulaski Park and attended Jackson Avenue School. Both are just outside their side window.
The school has been a neighborhood fixture for almost 90 years. According to historic information posted on the City of Hackensack web site, "A proposal for a new school was issued in 1920, due to the overcrowding of other surrounding schools. In 1923 Jackson Avenue School was completed and an addition with an auditorium was added in 1927."
Frank Caserta said he's very concerned about flooding and demonstrated pictures of pooling water in the park's basketball court and flooded greens.
"I don't want them taking out the basketball court because that is a major storm drain," he said. "It holds massive amounts of water during hurricanes and storms. If you take away that I might have major water problems."
Rosero also said that water drainage should be addressed. "When it rains you get water. It doesn't drain," she said. "The whole blacktop is like a lake."
"We just hope that they do what they say," said Rosalind Caserta who explained there used to be an ice skating rink where the basketball court is now located. "We hope they take care of the water problem and they maybe do a walking path and park benches."
Frank Caserta agreed. "We proposed a walking path, possibly. A soccer field is out of the question. There's no parking. It's too close to the houses."
Liosi emphasized that park renovation is in the "infancy stage." He said they're looking at trends in park designs know was "quiet parks or quiet zones" and "meandering zones."
"We're shifting ideas to make it more of a neighborhood park," said Liosi.
The final design including where basketball courts are located, color scheme and playground equipment is being discussed. "It depends on what we can afford," said Liosi.
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