functional landscapes as local treasures: graydon park and pool

Functional Landscapes as Local Treasures

Graydon Park and Pool

New Jersey Historic Preservation ConferenceMonmouth University, West Long Branch, New Jersey, June 3, 2011

Presenters

Arthur Wrubel, AICPChairman, Historic Preservation Commission, Ridgewood, NJ

AWrubel@gmail.com

201-493-9651

Alan SeidenCo-Chair, The Preserve Graydon Coalition, Ridgewood, NJ

alan@preservegraydon.org

201-632-1436

Ridgewood, NJ

Ridgewood is in northwest Bergen County

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ridgewood,_New_Jersey)

Bergen County is in northeast NJ

Graydon Park is in geographic center of Ridgewood, accessible to all residents

Graydon is in center of developed community in flood plain

Swimming in adjacent brook (dammed for swimming) circa 1920s gave idea

Before Graydon Park, 1920s or earlier, with sycamore

Initial use of Graydon as a swimming pond from about 1925

Ice skating at Graydon Pool, February 1931

WPA Plans for skating shelter (2 views)

Cornerstone from WPA skating shelter (1936)

Painting by Ridgewood artist Dorothy Warren

Original bridge from parking log (now demolished and replaced)

Postcard with sycamore on island (date unknown)

Summer 1938

Graydon was a focal point of community activity

Memorial trees were planted with plaques commemorating important events

An oasis in suburbia

One family’s dedication to Graydon

Story Time in 1988, provided by librarians

Barbara McCullough Pattin, 1943

This idyllic landscape began to receive criticism in 2005-2006

2000s• Canada geese arrived

◦ Aggressively hissed at people and ducks◦ Deposited droppings◦ Organic material may have harmed water quality

• Ineffective water quality management◦ 2004: NJ DEP fines Village for accidentally releasing

chlorinated water into adjacent Ho-Ho-Kus Brook◦ 2005+: Patrons complain of poor water quality,

cloudiness, and dingy color

2000s, continued• By 2006, word was spreading that Graydon’s

water quality was poor• Other trends, such as central air conditioning

and private backyard pools, reduced utilization of many public pools, including Graydon

• Graydon Pool’s membership gradually fell• Village formed a resident committee in 2006 to

study drop in membership

Study group was not objective• Named themselves “Clear water project” (later

changed by order of Village Council)• Worked with Village to commission feasibility

study of concrete pools• Held public focus group sessions where

concrete pool was the only option• Told residents that Graydon’s water quality was

bad and could never be improved with pool’s current configuration

Now things went really wrong• From 2006-07, membership dropped 33%• Against a backdrop of “this is a crisis—

something must be done now,” the pro-concrete group presented a Colorado consultant’s plan in January 2009

January 2009: first presentation of concrete plans at Village Council meeting

January 2009: “Water park” design with $13.9 million estimated cost

July 2009: Second plan had 4–foot deep pool with relatively small swimming area, concrete aprons, no sand (except for a sandbox far from the water). $10 million

Some of pond would be saved for “nostalgia” (toy boats)— not swimming

This was serious: 2009 Village budget asked Parks and Recreation department to pursue design and construction of a “Graydon Aquatic Center”

Request for Proposals (draft), containing final construction documents, would have allowed fundraising for construction if approved

The Preserve Graydon Coalition was formed. We induced Village to instruct library to let us display this poster next to concrete plan drawings

Press reported on our group’s emergence and, in a sidebar,improvements to pool’s water quality

NY Times, Labor Day 2009, home page (online day before)

September 9, 2009: The Coalition made major presentation at Village Council meeting

Environmental/land use attorney Stuart Lieberman kept us focused and motivated

We reviewed public documents at NJ DEP in Trenton to learn what actions had been taken so far by our Village officials and state regulators

Spoke at almost every Council meeting for months

We used every available medium: letters to editor, blogs, website, e-newsletter, and the telephone (to reach those who didn’t own a computer)

Sold yard signs at events and http://graydonstore.org

Information table at “Downtown for the Holidays,” December 2009

Sold car magnets

Council election of May 2010, would decide Graydon’s fate

Joined forces with another grassroots group to support Council candidates

We won! Graydon Pool seen as a top issue in election

Preservation New Jersey’s list

The Record (Bergen County), May 21, 2010: “Preserve Graydon Pool”

Memberships increased in 2010, due, in part, to our collaboration with the Village to promote pool membership

Recommendations• Form an advocacy group

◦ We tapped into the community’s latent passion for this site

• Make noise—numbers count

• Slow down the process

• Get to know reporters

• Retain an attorney with suitable experience

• Get involved in elections, if necessary

Thank you!

Arthur Wrubel, AICPAWrubel@gmail.com 201-493-9651

Alan Seidenalan@preservegraydon.org 201-632-1436

The Preserve Graydon Coalitionhttp://preservegraydon.org

Review these slideshttp://slideshare.net/graydonpool