With broken fences, dog poop, and a moldy jungle gym, Lafayette Park may be the most rundown park in West Orange and its location on a prominent corner along Main Street has left this eye sore on display for all to see.
Pamela Beardslee, a mother who lives a few blocks away, has become the voice for her fellow neighbors who feel slighted not having a neighborhood park that is safe and sanitary.
“There’s nothing down here for us,” Beardslee told the Four Oranges. “When my kids want to play, I have to drive to Degnan Park, why should I have to do that?”
The obvious solution would be to fix it – and there were plans to. In 2023, when the Town Council approved borrowing nearly $6 million for capital improvements, $750,000 was allocated for a new state-of-the-art playground, a futsal field, and a volleyball court.
But those plans have been stalled. Lafayette Park has become enmeshed in critical debate about how the town government can continue funding even worthwhile projects when the municipal debt has reached staggering levels.
For those unaware, West Orange’s municipal debt has surpassed $170 million dollars. That amount is higher than any municipality in Essex County, save Newark. The interest alone on that debt is $11 million each year.
“Of course we all want to see parks for the children here in the community, particularly those that are more economically disadvantaged,” said Councilwoman Susan Scarpa. “But we have $170 million in debt and we cannot go on this way – the carrying costs are $11 million.”
Council President Joe Krakoviak said the renovation is not off the table. However, his strategy to get the township out of financial harship is to hold off on approving any discretionary spending until the township has a debt management plan in place. The township’s budget is usually approved in January of each year, but this year’s budget still hasn’t been approved four months later.
While residents may not agree with Krakoviak’s methods, few would disagree that financial conservatism has been the focus of his Town Council campaign. Now, as Council President, residents are seeing that promise come to light.
Judging by the criticisms lobbed at the Town Council in March for delaying the park renovation, fiscal conservatism is not exactly a crowd-pleasing initiative.
“When you get into a situation such as West Orange is in, it’s difficult to get out, it’s painful to get out of the hole,” Krakoviak said. “It’s very much deferred gratification.”
Over the last five years, the township’s recreation department has been renovating all the parks in town. The only four that remain untouched are Lafayette Park, Jenkins Playground, Colgate Park, and O’Conner Field.
It turns out that all three of the four parks that haven’t received updates are all located “down the hill,” the nickname for the sections of town at the foot of the Watchung Mountains, traditionally the poorest neighborhoods.
“These neighborhoods on the Orange border deserve to have a place that is vibrant and safe for the kids,” said Bill Kehoe, recreation department director. “I understand the pressure the Town Council is under at this particular time, but I don’t agree with them.”
Kehoe said the parks were renovated according to the age of the equipment and that there was no “special consideration,” given to a particular neighborhood.
But it has opened the Town Council up to accusations of “elitism” that they are putting the brakes on the remaining park renovations even though the other parks in wealthier neighborhoods already saw upgrades. That was the word Tammy Williams, former councilwoman, leveled at elected officials in March, when she and Beardslee made a plea during the Town Council meeting to go forward with the planned renovations.
“What we now see is a council majority that appears disconnected from the struggles of working-class families,” Williams said.
However, Williams’ claim that she “advocated for balanced economic growth” opened her up to criticism about her role in increasing the debt. During Williams’ four years on the council, the municipal budget increased by $50 million dollars. A portion of that debt was incurred while buying land – Rock Spring Country Club and the downtown redevelopment zone when Prism defaulted – and the loss of tax revenue associated with those properties.
During that time, the public library was removed from its down-the-hill location to Essex Green, a measure that Williams and current Councilwoman Michelle Casalino voted for. One argument for renovating Lafayette Park is that it includes a Field House that could be used as a place for children that used to frequent the library to go after school or on weekends. Kehoe envisions it could be used for tutoring classrooms.
Beardslee, who owns an ice pop company called Puras Paletas, hopes the field house which has a built-in concession stand with a working stove, can be rented out similar to how the the Katz Center in Degnan Park is used for events.
“It could be rented out and create some income for the town,” Beardslee said.
