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Neighbors raise access, process concerns over Braddock Park preschool plan and DEP diversion hearing
Summary
A resident asked why gates at Braddock Park’s boathouse are locked and notified commissioners that a second public hearing on a preschool/diversion project has been scheduled with an extended comment period; he said many residents oppose the plan and urged the Board to file objections with state regulators.
A resident raised two related concerns about Braddock Park during public comment at the July 17 Hudson County commissioners meeting: a locked gate and whether the county or a vendor was restricting public entry to a park building, and a separate procedural alert about a DEP preschool/diversion project and an extended comment period.
Mark Bloomberg said the boathouse/environmental center has a service road and a parking lot that are sometimes locked and that he wants clarity about whose jurisdiction (County Parks, municipal government or vendors) controls the gate and whether the public may use the second‑floor seating area: “Given the lease between North Bergen and the County, I'm curious about whose jurisdiction it really is. Who's locking the gates?”
Bloomberg also said a second public hearing for a preschool/diversion plan was scheduled (with an extended public-comment window through Aug. 27) and urged the Board to submit opinions to state regulators. He said hundreds of emailed comments oppose the diversion and that 24 people spoke at a recent meeting, with the majority opposed.
Why it matters: The concerns underscore questions about public park access, vendor control of facilities in county parks, and transparency during state environmental and land‑use review processes.
What’s next: County Counsel agreed to meet Bloomberg and review the parks director’s designations for public access; commissioners asked staff to report back.
