LSP and Friends of LSP (FOLSP) history regarding Active Recreation & Central Park-type park
Friends of LSP (began in 1988) have supported a Central Park-type park including open space lawns, picnic areas, ballfields, playgrounds, a skating rink etc. We've supported the 1978 Master Plan's main concepts of a green public park for people and nature.Friends of LSP (began in 1988) have supported a Central Park-type park including open space lawns, picnic areas, ballfields, playgrounds, a skating rink etc. We've supported the 1978 Master Plan's main concepts of a green public park for people and nature.
For the park's 45 years, the broad public consensus has always opposed privatization of this priceless urban park and supported a Central Park-type park, as put forth in the DEP's 1978 Robert Geddes' Master Plan summary's opening sentence - "the core of Liberty Park is a large Greenpark designed in the naturalist tradition of America's great pastoral landscape parks"
With the current DEP's interior plan for the required standard protective remediation, the diverse nature habitats with trails, and 50 acres of active recreation, and 11 acres of active recreation plans outside the interior, much of the Master Plan's guidance concepts will be implemented.
The DEP has had a policy of not allowing active recreation in state parks as they stated it was the municipal responsibility to provide active recreation. The only exception and which we fully supported was JC Mayor Glenn Cunningham's initiative for a multi-use athletic field where LSP's SW parking lot 1 is. That field wasn't built as the golf course never built the 3 towers which would've triggered their ferry dock mitigation $500K toward that athletic field
This DEP changed its policy with its openness to active recreation. In the last year, we fully supported the plan and spread the word about the surveys which got over 3500 responses.
Our most important accomplishment is co-leading decades of grassroots battles which defeated many exclusionary privatization plans and protected the interior and therefore set the stage for the current plans. Our predecessors, and then the Friends and all other park advocates protected all areas of LSP for all people to enjoy. The only defeat, with the DEP holding no hearings and colluding with the 19-year LSP Development Corporation, was the private marina.
The titles below show FOLSP's Central Park type park and active recreation support. Our Mission and Accomplishments are at
https://bit.ly/3sNfPPy
with our main focus of battling privatization plans, and our advocacy for and/or funding park improvements.
1.
Friends' Coalition FLYER - Public Hearing for 8-11-94 against 150-acre golf course. Friends' Central Park-type interior plan had 1/3 ball fields and a skating rink.
2.
Sam Pesin speech 8-11-94 The 150 acre golf course major public hearing at Terminal
3.
1993-1994 Friends president & Sam Pesin 3 letters to editor for Central Park-type park
4.
LSP 1995 golf course defeat Trenton Times editorial- "interior saved" for Coalition Central Park vision of natural resource education & recreation
5.
FOLSP 2006 letter to DEP pushing for more mitigation money toward athletic field in return for golf course's planned towers. The plan was initiated by Mayor Glenn Cunningham but it didn't happen as the golf course didn't build the towers.
6.
Sam Pesin FOLSP 6-3-21 speech at NJDEP 6-3-21 Active Recreation public meeting
7.
DEP 1978 Geddes Master Plan 20-page summary
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A former assemblyman felt that the same Green Acres funds of the late 1970s that would've been used for LSP active recreation facilities went instead toward building the nearby Caven Point Recreation Complex which opened in 1983. He said that the NJDEP's likely reasoning was that the JC Caven Point land was right by LSP from
Jersey Journal 8/24/20
8.
DEP 1978 Geddes Master Plan Map legend
9.
LSP 1978 Master Plan similarities to LSP reality including current DEP plans
10.
DEP 6/3/21 recording of Active Recreation Updates presentation and public comments.
It starts at 2 minutes 22 seconds in. After the 22-minute presentation are questions/comments starting at 24 minutes 28 seconds. It ends at 1 hour 44 minutes.
11.
DEP public meetings recordings of 5 m
eetings
