Governor Christie Sells Out The Meadowlands

For Immediate Release

February 5, 2015

Contact Jeff Tittel

Governor Christie Sells Out The Meadowlands 

Today the Governor signed S2647 "Sarlo - A3969 Prieto, which would consolidate the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and the Sports & Exposition Authority. The New Jersey Sierra Club's Director Jeff Tittel released the following statement:

"The Governor signing this bill sells out the Meadowlands regional planning and environment protections. This bill sells out Liberty State Park and allows for tax payer subsidies of The American Dream megamall. The Meadowlands Commission throughout the years has helped protect thousands of acres of wetlands in the Meadowlands, while trying to steer development to less environmentally sensitive areas. This legislation rolls back 45 years of regional planning and environmental protection opening up the Meadowlands for development and sprawl. This bill was rushed through last minute with changes made through an emergency action. This bill has never gotten the proper public scrutiny it deserves. Instead, of getting rid of the New Jersey Sport & Exposition Authority, like its original intentions, the changes have basically gotten rid of the Meadowlands Commission. There needs to be a fixed bill correcting the worst aspects of this bill including taking out Liberty State Park, bonding for American Dream project and we need to restore regional planning and environmental protections."

"This bill dismantles the Meadowlands Regional Plan, instead returning most of the review process and zoning back to the towns. This bill gives towns broad powers to grant exemptions from ordinances, building regulations and exemptions those actions from Meadowlands Master Plan. The bill eliminates the Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute, instead privatizing it. This allows for political science to determine science. This bill undermines the professional staff of theMeadowlands Commission, who worked hard to find a balance approach to protecting this environmentally sensitive area. The bill basically eliminated the Meadowlands Commission Authority over planning and natural resources. This bill will weaken protections for critical wetlands in the Meadowlands allowing for more mitigation and reclamation of projects that we believe is a way of weakening protections for those important wetlands."

"Instead of working to protect the Meadowlands, this legislation is much more about building flood control projects, dikes, and walls around the Meadowlands to be used as an excuse for more intensive development. This legislation does not look at climate change, sea level rise, or storm surges and the impacts this will have on the Meadowlands. These projects will not only put more people in harm's way, but will actually impact wetlands and the fragile ecosystem of theMeadowlands. The bill gives the new commission bonding authority that the Sports & Exposition Authority, which means they can borrow money to build massive projects like flood control projects that, will not work. This bill also allows for funding and building major transportation improvements, which are not tied to any real planning and could have potential negative environmental impacts. The new commission could also bond for the American Dream megamall and subsidies other developments as well. It could also allow for a casino in the Meadowlands. The bill seems to eliminate planning for affordable housing in the Meadowlands district. The tax sharing formula has been eliminated creating new ratable chase promoting inappropriate development in and around the Meadowlands. You cannot turn the Meadowlands into Holland instead we are turning into Neverlands."

"The bill gives the Commission jurisdiction over Liberty State Park, even though it is not in the same watershed or physically connected anyway. We believe this language was added in the bill to not only privatize the park, but to allow the Commission the ability to bond for development projects like an amphitheater that could be leased out to a private vendor to get around the State House Commission  Laws, which prevent the sale of parklands for development. The park that is supposed to celebrate freedom, liberty, and gateway to America could instead be turned into shopping centers and amusement parks."

"This bill is the opposite of smart growth, by turning planning on its head. The bill is really about turning the Meadowlands into a new high density development area without real planning or environmental protections. The Meadowlands will end up looking like Central Park instead the green space will be walled off by dikes and seawalls. These projects will not work putting people and property in harm's way," said Jeff Tittel, Director of The New Jersey Sierra Club.  

In 2011 The Sierra Club and Jeff Tittel received Toshi & Pete Seeger Wetlands Award for Protecting the Meadowlands.