Jersey Journal, February 1, 2005

Dear Editor:

Leave it to a radical like Ron Hine to criticize a proposal to create nearly 20 new acres of open space, parks, ball fields, a permanent ice skating rink, swimming pool and community recreation center.

Mr. Hine favors to use The Jersey Journal and other publications to promote his obstructionist view of government with the same passion of Don Quixote fighting windmills. This, of course, is the same Mr. Hine who is being sued by Stevens Institute of Technology for his allegations about the health hazards of removing serpentine stone.

At least Mr. Hine is consistent in his adversarial role of attacking government, regardless of who is sitting as mayor or on the City Council. Mr. Hine and his minions choose to operate as outsiders who chose not to work with government. He never offers alternative solutions, only negative responses. Pointed letters and misleading Web postings are his communications of choice. If Ron Hine had his way, Hoboken would most likely look like some of our most unfortunate urban centers.

As for Mayor Roberts' open space initiatives, they are in full compliance with the city's new Master Plan, a cornerstone of the administration's platform nearly four years ago. However, Mr. Hine is fixated on 800 Jackson St., a privately owned, 22,000-square-foot parcel valued at approximately $14 million. This vacant site, along with many other under-utilized parcels on the city's western border have been identified as "potential" park sites in the Master Plan, parkland called a "green circuit" along the Palisades.

Mayor Roberts' proposal includes the green circuit and offers more open space in that region than is suggested in the Master Plan, as well as other recreational amenities in full accordance with the plan. At a public forum last week, Mayor Roberts clearly explained that this initiative is a first step and that more proposals would be forthcoming.

In his letter, Mr. Hine suggests the city should spend $14 million to acquire the small wedge of land at 800 Jackson St. as parkland. Nice to say that, but who will pay the price? Perhaps Mr. Hine and his followers would like the city to raise taxes to buy this land and develop a small pocket park. I believe that if the city is to spend that amount of money, the funding would be better maximized by acquiring the five acres north of the viaduct to build baseball and soccer fields.

The mayor's 20-acre park initiative is about creating recreational opportunities for current residents and future generations, especially our children. It is in compliance with the Master Plan that it was drafted with the consensus and recommendations of hundreds of Hoboken residents. Additionally, the current parks proposal was drafted with input from the Hoboken Family Alliance and the Open Space Committee, both of whom expressed a desire for ball fields and active recreational opportunities. It is time that Mr. Hine put his political agenda to rest and finally work for the good of our entire community.

Councilman Ruben Ramos, Jr.
Hoboken