Overpeck Park Changes

Bergen County is proposing to modify two sections of Overpeck Park by Teaneck Road and Degraw. Documents and plans are available below, additional will be added as they are received from Bergen County and NJ DEP.

North of Degraw, designated Area 1, is the Teaneck Creek Conservancy, an existing eco-art park maintained by volunteers. Bergen County claims that this project will restore over an acre of freshwater wetland habitats, enhance existing hiking trails through the park, and provide additional locations for art installations. Also, stormwater management will be improved, with this project being the first step in stabilizing waterways through the area.

South of Degraw, designated Area 2, is currently a landfill with no public access. The proposal calls for closing the landfill and creating trails and a park in its place. Potential features include an amphitheater, ropes course, dinosaur exhibit and new parking lot (connected via pedestrian bridge to the rest of the park). While the area is not currently preserved as open space, it is home to many native plants and wildlife, which may be displaced with the new development. Preliminary reports indicate that a significant portion of Area 2 will not be accessible without a ticket to the dinosaur exhibit.

The project is estimated to cost around $6.4 million, around $1.6 million of which will come from Green Acres grants. The dinosaur exhibit currently brings in around $75k per year in its current location in Overpeck Park, but estimate that they will bring in closer to $200k annually to Bergen County if moved to Area 2.

Ways to give feedback to Bergen County on the proposal:

Written comments were accepted until August 7th via mail to both of the following addresses:
- Adam Strobel
  Bergen County Department of Parks
  Bergen County Administration Building
  One Bergen County Plaza
  Hackensack, NJ 07601
- New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
  Green Acres Program, Bureau of Legal Services and Stewardship
  Mail Code 501-01
  P.O. Box 412
  501 East State Street
  Trenton, NJ 08625-0412
There was a public hearing on Monday, July 23 at 7:00 PM at Teaneck Creek Conservancy, 20 Puffin Way, Teaneck, NJ 07666