Plainfield allowed to add 7
more acres of parkland
BY MARYANN SPOTO
STAR-LEDGER STAFF
The state Department of Environmental Protection yesterday approved agreements to add more than 7 acres of parkland in Plainfield in anticipation of a controversial redevelopment plan in the city.
The pacts with officials in Plainfield and Union County spell out the actions both sides will take to preserve open space in the city and provide flood relief along the Green Brook
Under the Environmental Performance Partnership Agreements, the county will Pay $50,000 to design a walking and bicycling trail along the Green Brook. The county also will pay $13,500 toward the renovation and installation of equipment in the city's existing playgrounds and $100,000 toward the purchase of new parkland, which has yet to be selected.
Another $100,000 from the county will be used to remove half an acre of parking space at the Madison Avenue playground and replace it with grass for a picnic and play area, according to the agreement.
The agreement peripherally touches on the city's attempt to construct an office building on 4 1/2 acres of open space between Park and Madison avenues that has been used as a park since 1992.
The city mistakenly listed the parcel as open space and used public funds to rehabilitate the site, a sprawling area in the downtown business district. Some neighbors want the parcel to be preserved as a park and appealed to the state.
City officials have already included the $1.2 million from the anticipated sale of the property in this year's budget. The Union County Improvement Authority plans to finance the project with $28 million in bonds and has designated AST Development of Lavallette as the builder.
The state Department of Environmental Protection has yet to reach a final decision on whether the site would continue as a park. Judy Shaw, urban planner for the DEP, said the partnership agreement made provisions in the event her agency approves the site's designation for development.
Specifically, the agreement says that within 30 days of the purchase of the property, the county has to set aside half an acre for parkland. Shaw said that provision was meant to be a compromise to satisfy those who want to develop the site and those who want to preserve it as open space.
But Deborah Dahl, a member of a citizens' group that wants to retain the land as open space, said the provision is no different from previous proposals.
"A cement front yard for an office building. That's about all you can do with a half acre," said Dahl, a member of the Children and Friends for Equitable Stewardship of Plainfield. The group has been working with an attorney to fight the proposed development.
She said the 7 acres the city will gain in piecemeal fashion are not a comparable tradeoff for losing a village green, a centerpiece of the city that has served as a site for carnivals and other large public gatherings.
The city will acquire strips of land at least 25 feet wide for about four blocks around Park Avenue along the Green Brook to create a new Green Brook Pedestrian Pathway. To be constructed of back paving stones, the pathway will have benches and permanent game boards, Shaw said, noting the acquisition will also address flooding problems in that area.
Mayor Al McWilliams expressed his enthusiasm over the agreement.
"I am pleased that the DEP, Union County and the city have been able to put together a pathbreaking set of agreements to increase open space in the community, making it possible for our residents to profit from more and better opportunities to enjoy nature," he said.
MaryAnn Spoto is a reporter in the Union County bureau. She can be reached at mspoto@starledger.com or (908) 527-4011.
Courtesy of: The Star-Ledger - January 8, 2002 issue
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