Hackensack environmental commission requests $40,000 to create updated environmental resource inventory

Hackensack, N.J. — The Hackensack Environmental Commission on Sept. 30 asked the City Council’s Committee of the Whole for $40,000 to fund a comprehensive environmental resource inventory (ERI) that would document the city’s soils, wetlands, trees, flood zones and other natural resources, commission chair Marlene Somerville said.

An ERI is “the foundational document for municipal environmental review,” said Vicky Cohen, a commissioner with the Hackensack Environmental Commission, describing the ERI as “a narrative, maps and an appendix” that planners and grantmakers use. Somerville said the commission chose the Land Conservancy of New Jersey as a preferred contractor; the conservancy estimated the work at roughly $20,000 to $30,000, depending on community-engagement elements. The commission asked the council to include a $40,000 appropriation to ensure the study can proceed if outside grants fall short.

Why it matters: The commission and supporters told council members an up-to-date ERI would support the master plan, open-space and stormwater planning, unlock grant opportunities and provide baseline data for climate resilience and tree-planting projects. The commission said Hackensack’s last formal ERI dates to 1979.

“We technically, you know, don't do anything with it, but our job is to review it,” Somerville said, describing the commission’s role in reviewing environmental impact statements and advising planning and zoning bodies. Cohen said the ERI would “support the master plan, open space plan, climate resilience plan, and the stormwater management plan.”

Funding and outreach: The commission reported seed support from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) — a $3,000 award that the commission said earmarks $1,500 for community engagement — and an additional $1,500 contribution from Veolia. Cohen and Somerville said the commission will pursue a Sustainable Jersey grant that opens in mid-November and closes in February; they described the council request as a contingency so the ERI can proceed if outside grants are not secured.

Public comments and local priorities: Several residents spoke in favor of the ERI during the public-comment period. Mike Massoni, who identified himself as a resident of the Sherbrooke, urged the city to consider converting the long-vacant property at 329 Prospect into a pocket park or urban forest. “Is there any way… the city could get a hold of that property and either turn it into a pocket park for all the thousands of residents… or build on what they said as far as foresting?” Massoni asked.

Joshua Cohn, chair of Hackensack’s Shade Tree Committee, also spoke in support, saying the ERI would strengthen volunteer boards and make grant writing more effective. “Having additional materials like an ERI that calls attention to this puts it all in one place,” Cohn said, citing Hackensack River County Park as an example of parcel-level information the ERI would highlight.

Questions about financing and scope: Council members asked whether the city’s Open Space Trust Fund could pay for an ERI. Jim Mangan, a city staff member, said the fund is intended primarily for open-space acquisition, maintenance of existing property and recreation facilities and that he would need to check the referendum language and fund restrictions. Mangan said maintenance of small landscaped spaces such as the Prospect Avenue “triangles” would likely qualify as maintenance of open space.

Method and timing: The commission said the Land Conservancy will compile much ERI material from existing online data and records rather than undertake full field surveys; commissioners said they intend to update the inventory roughly every 10 years. They emphasized the ERI is intended to be a public resource to inform residents and volunteers and to support future projects such as urban reforestation, stream stabilization and flood mitigation.

Next steps: The commission said it will continue pursuing grant funding and community engagement, and the council did not vote on the $40,000 request during the Sept. 30 meeting. City staff said they would review eligibility of the Open Space Trust Fund and other potential funding sources and report back to the council.