All lies, Mr. Pesin said.
A group funded by Mr. Fireman has continued to press the case on social media, accusing the Department of Environmental Protection of excluding communities of color from decision-making and asking on its website, Do Black lives matter when it comes to Liberty State Park?
In June the department, which has held a series of public meetings about the park, offered an answer. Shawn M. LaTourette, the departments commissioner, said public feedback had made it abundantly clear the demand and need for additional recreation opportunities, prompting the state to add 61 acres of publicly funded ball fields and courts to its design plan.
The department also released responses to a survey of more than 3,000 local residents, most of whom live near the park, on what they would like to see there. Popular suggestions included a swimming pool and spaces for soccer, basketball and tennis (golf did not make the list of priorities).
Assemblyman Raj Mukherji, a Democrat who represents Jersey City and is a primary sponsor of the protection act, said he hoped the amended plan would put to rest the argument that private funding from Mr. Fireman was the only way to complete the park.
The D.E.P. told us that they were going to consider the input of the community and stakeholders, Mr. Mukherji said, and I think that thats exactly what they did.read more
He’s Still Fighting Developers for the Park His Father Founded
