LSP Dock Agreement Shuts Public Out

Tomorrow the Statehouse Committee will vote on a docket item regarding Liberty State Park. The Project details includes: Liberty State Park, Block: 24306, Part of Lot: 7, Jersey City, Hudson County Requesting Party: The NJDEP, Division of Parks and Forestry (“Department”), requests approval to enter into a 20 year lease agreement with WA Residential Company, L.L.C.  (“WA Residential”) for a dock to support operation of Liberty National Golf Course. (Statehouse Committee agenda attached)

“The DEP is requesting a 20-year lease agreement with WA residential to bring in millionaire golfers to play at the exclusive Liberty National Golf Course golf course. This is not a good deal for the state. DEP will be getting less money through the lease deal for things like mitigation to offset impacts of the dock and ferry service. More importantly, it does not adequately compensate the public for using land held in the public trust.  What is even more concerning is the fact that DEP has been working on this agreement behind closed doors and without public comment,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “The Statehouse Commission must reject DEP’s request for this lease agreement, it’s a bad deal for public land and for the state.”

According to the docket item: This lease will replace and supersede an expired lease agreement that was executed in 2008 and expired in August 2014. WA Residential has obtained a revocable tidelands license for the property from the Bureau of Tidelands Management effective August 1, 2014 to August 1, 2024. The tidelands License is a renewal of a prior tidelands license that authorized the construction, use and maintenance of a dock. In the event that the tidelands license is not renewed the lease shall automatically terminate and the dock shall be removed by the Tenant. All costs for dock removal shall be the responsibility of the Tenant.

“The tidelands license for the property will expire in 4 years, why is DEP extending it past that date? Both NJDEP concessions license and the tidelands license would be agreed together, not dependent on one another. The LN Golf Club is backed by a billionaire, however DEP’s is charging him pennies on the dollar to use a dock and public waterfront.  The $10, 0000 rent under the agreement is not enough to cover the costs to NJ Taxpayers to protect the public and recreational aspects of the park. Ferry service and its wakes will impact kayakers, sail boats and other types of passive recreation. These boats coming in and out of Liberty National Golf Course’s dock will run through riparian lands that are important to the park and its ecosystem. More importantly, the lease terms agreement do not compensate the public for using its waterfront property,” said Tittel.

The original dock lease expired in August of 2014. The public believes that given the location, proposed terms, and length of lease, they should have a right to comment on the proposed 20 year ferry dock lease at Liberty State Park.

“The Statehouse Commission should reject this proposal until DEP gives the public more transparency on the lease agreements. The DEP waited 6 years to renew the dock lease and now they won’t wait 4 years until the tideland license is up for renewal. We need to make sure that the public interest is put first and ahead of private entities and billionaire golf courses. This land is held in the public trust. That is why it is critical that the public has a chance to comment on this lease agreement and fight for this park that belongs to all of us,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.