An updated point of view of our town 
 

At the Grand Opening Ceremony of our Marina, Park and Ferry Landing, I had a very personal, very proud point of view. Standing on the pier I could see forward to the new horizon -- and also look back eight years.
Having the borough purchase the marina was a Democratic initiative -- and I was the Democrat who started the petition that led to the referendum that rallied the residents who voted for the acquisition.

On March 12 of this year, we celebrated the culmination of eight long years during which the borough acquired the Grand Cove Marina to keep it from being developed as residential and commercial buildings.

We preserved that spectacular view corridor to the Hudson River and the New York skyline and maximized access to it. We redesigned, retrofitted and rebuilt the facility to include a park and a turnaround driveway. Busses now drop off and pick up ferry passengers at the no-parking ferry landing. And we have restored our historic relationship with Edgewater’s waterfront.

From any point of view, anywhere in Edgewater, you can see progress and prosperity.

In the Shadyside section of Old River Road, improvements are being made to the North Parking Lot that include an entrance from Thompson Lane. The park at this corner of Thompson Lane and River Road will open up that entrance to Shadyside’s residential and commercial street. Since Bergen County repaired and cleaned its drainage pipes, this past winter, there has been none of the traditional flooding. 

Also in this once heavily industrialized south end of Edgewater, remediation of the former Unilever site will enable a new municipal complex to be constructed. It is designed to incorporate a state of the art Police Department. The overall plan reflects the new urbanization trend for building community areas with open meeting spaces, shops, apartments, landscaping and parking -- all attractively placed in a compatible pattern along the Hudson River and the Walkway.

We are still waiting for Unilever site remediation approvals from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. But the US Army Corps of Engineers and the State of New Jersey have finally issued long awaited permission for dredging the Marina, although we will have to wait until September to start because of fishing restrictions.

From a financial point of view, our town has an enviable AA3 bond rating from the State of New Jersey. That’s a long way from the lean years when Edgewater almost went bankrupt and the same state would have had to take over and manage our borough.

Now our debt is less than half of what the state will approve. Your Democratic administration continues working diligently to stabilize taxes. We recently voted for a merger of the Municipal Utilities Authority and the Bergen County Utilities Authority. This shared service arrangement is expected to be tax friendly.

Considering the contamination and desolation left behind after the industrial exodus, our town is cleaner and greener than it has been in decades. Edgewater today has 39 acres of open area for recreation and as open green space.

There are six playgrounds and eight parks. A Master Plan has been developed for Veterans Field. This season, residents will be using the new tennis and basketball courts. Additional work is planned for the park, including new sports fields, a gazebo, more pathways and additional Hudson River Walkway development. All this will take time to complete, but we have begun. Please view the plans at the Community Center, in Veterans Field.

Under Democratic administrations, Edgewater has come a long way. We still have a way to go.

From our point of view we are moving in the right direction. On land and water.

During the last municipal election, Councilwoman Rose was endorsed by New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine; Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney; US Congressman Steve Rothman; New Jersey Senator Joe Coniglio; Assembly members Joan Voss and Bob Gordon.