Comment EI-17016
Received or sent (printed as 4/6/2009)
Hello. I am a resident of downtown Jersey City, NJ in the Harsimus Cove neighborhood. I believe that the abandoned Harsimus Cove Embankment should be demolished. There are many reasons why this demolition should take place. 1) The embankment is no longer in use by any sort of railroad. 2) The sections of the embankment that are left have absolutely no historical value 3) Most certainly the embankment contains harmful toxic byproducts from its years of use as a railroad tressel 4) The embankment is a major safety issue in that it suffers from decay and portions of either stone or masonry have fallen off the tops of the structures. 5) The embankment is a blight on the downtown community, encouraging urban vandalism and graffiti 6) At night, the embankment is poorly lit, or not lit at all, and creates an UNSAFE environment for criminals to mug and rob citizens. 7) Pro embankment liberals have concocted an unfeasable plan to establish an elevated park" without any financial plans for real viability. Meanwhile existing real parks such as Hamilton park just TWO blocks away desperately need major restoration. 8) Pro embankment persons are against change for the common good and have ulterior motives (like not loosing parking space access behind the embankment) 9) Even if a park could be funded and built, it would require significant investment and would increase already extremely high local property taxes 10) The embankment proposal has huge insurance implications. Unlike a traditional ground park, this is an elevated train tressel and because of the height, the insurance costs to the city would be enormously expensive. Also, very expensive safety measures would have to be incorporated to prevent someone from falling off. 11) The ground area abutting the embankment frequently becomes a dumping area for trash, rubbish, discarded shopping carts, etc. 12) certain portions of the embankment are listed on the internet as cruising grounds for inappropriate activity ranging from drug dealing to sexual misconduct - again presenting a danger to the community. I believe that the embankment should be demolished and hope you agree. In its place, I believe affordable (middle-class) housing should be built. This housing, built to the style of the surrounding brownstone neighborhood, would do so much more for the community and help stabilize declining property values. A derelict eyesore does nothing to help home values and its time has come. The embankment needs to go. Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanks Fletcher Gensamer"
Submitted by: Fletcher Gensamer · One Citizen Against Embankment Preservation
The Board publishes this comment in its environmental-comment table for this proceeding. It is quoted here as printed; nothing is inferred from it, and it states the commenter's own position in their own words, not this record's.
Permanent address docketyard.org/d/AB-167/sub/1189X/comment/EI-17016 · back to the docket sheet