Next Tuesday, January 20th, The Colgate Commercial Property Owners Association (CCPOA) will present to the Jersey City Planning Board, its redesign plans for the pocket park located at the corner of Essex and Greene Streets. Known to neighbors as "Colgate Park," the CCPOA refers to it as "Paulus Hook Park" (not to be confused with the real Paulus Hook Park, located at the intersection of Grand and Washington Streets).

In what is a very unusual arrangement, Colgate Park is not owned by the city, county or state, but is privately owned by the CCPOA. When Colgate left Paulus Hook in 1992, it contracted in writing to maintain the land "in perpetuity" as a "public park" for "the benefit and enjoyment of the public." The CCPOA is now proposing to renovate the park for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Last fall, the CCPOA presented plans for the renovation at a public meeting of the Historic Paulus Hook Association. At this meeting many suggestions and requests were made regarding the design. The most notable community concerns expressed were the small size and amount of equipment of the children's play area in comparison to the basketball court, which while an important neighborhood amenity, is not the first priority of the many parents and families now living in our rapidly growing community. The other main major suggestions included a fence around the play area and the provision of a permanent maintenance plan.

The CCPOA returned in December, having addressed only one of the three items noted above; the fence around the play area. On Tuesday, January 20 the CCPOA will present these plans to the Jersey City Planning Board for its approval, and it is important that many concerned Paulus Hook residents be present to oppose the CCPOA's current redesign plan, and support our community's recommendations for a park that will better serve the needs of Paulus Hook.

The HPHA will ask the Planning Board to consider the community's requests:
1) the Colgate Center Property Owners Association's (CCPOA) obligations to the community
2) the CCPOA's solicitation of comments from the public
3) the plan itself vis a vis the community's comments

Please hold the date.
Date: 1/20/09
Time: 5:30 PM
Place: Jersey City City Hall, 280 Grove Street, City Council Chambers