Annual Meeting Oct. 25th; Summer Wrap-Up
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| Issue 21, October 18, 2009 |
EmbankmentTracks The Newsletter of the Embankment Preservation Coalition |
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A cider and cheese reception with talks
from inspiring leaders of impossible projects
& how they're getting it done
Featuring illustrated talks by
Robert Hammond on "Building the High Line"
& Steve Marano on
"The Liberty to Water Gap Trail"
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The Bumpy Road to Preservation
If
the Coalition board has learned one thing in our twelve-year effort at
Embankment preservation, it's to redouble our efforts when we run into
difficult patches. We had some setbacks this summer but
also positive developments. Both experiences serve as
spurs to perseverance. Read on...
A3120 Passes State Assembly; Identical Senate Bill S2538 Is Delayed
 June.
A3120, a bill that strengthens existing law to give cities a right
of first refusal when railroads sell abandoned rail lines, passed the
New Jersey State Assembly in June.
 An
identical Senate bill, S2538, made it through the Senate Transportation
Committee but is languishing. Despite advocacy efforts
by Coalition members and the public, the bill was not posted for a full
Senate vote before the Senate broke for the summer.
Zoning Board Affirms HPC Decisions
August.
The Jersey City Zoning Board of Adjustment affirmed Historic
Preservation Commission decisions that denied demolition permits for
the Harsimus Branch Embankment, a Municipal Landmark. The
Commission had rejected assertions by the applicants that
the Embankment must be demolished to enable reuse and a reasonable
return on the property.
U.S. Court of Appeals Vacates STB Ruling
August.
The U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit, vacated important Surface
Transportation Board rulings that the City of Jersey City, Rails to
Trails Conservancy, and the Embankment Preservation Coalition won in
2007. The Appeals Court did not address the merits of the
case, but ruled on the jurisdiction.
City/RTC/Coalition Go to U.S. District Court, D.C.
October. City et al.
followed up on the Appeals ruling [see item above] with a
complaint in U.S. District Court for the District of
Columbia. We are confident in our case and expect this
court to agree with the STB's original ruling and/or its jurisdiction. |
| JC Officials Tour the High Line
Robert
Hammond, Executive Director of Friends of the High Line, shows Mayor
Healy a safety feature of the elevated park. The IAC building,
designed by Frank Gehry and inspited by sails on the
Hudson, is in the background.
August.
Jersey City officials, including Mayor Jerramiah Healy, Deputy Mayor
for Economic Development Rosemary McFadden, and Planning Director Bob
Cotter, as well as Jersey City Redevelopment Authority Executive
Director Robert Antonicello, crossed the Hudson to inspect the High
Line, the elevated park project that runs along the west side of
Manhattan from Gansevoort Street to 24th Streets and is expected
to continue as far north as 34th Street. They joined a
stream of a half-million people who had toured the High Line since its
opening in June.
Robert
Hammond, co-founder and Executive Director of Friends of the High Line,
showed City officials the highlights, ranging from the
overall design, to lighting, to an art piece that captures the
ever-changing colors of the Hudson, to the views of Jersey City in the
distance.
Note: Hammond is a featured speaker at the Coalition's annual meeting Oct. 25th (see announcement above). |
Nov. 3 Vote to Fund Open Space
Legislature Leaves Approval to Voters
Voters will decide Nov. 3 if New Jersey can issue $400 million in bonds to continue land preservation efforts.
The state fund to preserve natural areas and water quality, create
parks, and preserve farmland and historic buildings
is depleted. If this measure, "Green Acres, Water Supply and
Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Bond Act
of 2009," is passed, it is expected to cost households just $10 per
year. It it does not pass, according to the NJ Keep It Green
Campaign, preservation efforts will grind to a halt. They point
out that while economic times may be hard, the cost of land acquisition
is also lower now and dollars go further.
The Coalition is among 135 organizations that have signed on to the Campaign. | |
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OUR 2009 - 2010 SUPPORTERS
 Please support the businesses that support our community!
Click on a category below to view our local business supporters
Our featured sponsor this issue
 ˇ ARTISTS & ART SERVICES
ˇ REAL ESTATE
ˇ RESTAURANTS, BARS & CAFÉS
ˇ SERVICES
ˇ OTHER BUSINESSES
ˇ INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS
David Najjar Broker/Owner, e-PRO, GRI, CRS, CNE
www.NajjarGroup.com
354 Third Street, Jersey City, NJ 07302
mobile: 201-725-7932
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Embankment Preservation Coalition | 495 Monmouth Street | Jersey City | NJ | 07302
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