Flooding, Safety Among Chief Improvements At Livingston Art Park

LIVINGSTON, NJ — If all goes according to plan, the Essex County Riker Hill Art Park in Livingston will soon have a fresh, new look.

On Monday, Essex County officials announced that steps are being taken to address flooding issues at Essex County Riker Hill Art Park and to “enhance the safety” at the park’s entrance, which is at the intersection of Beaufort Avenue and Homestead Drive in Livingston.

The work plans come after officials held a public meeting about the future of the park – including the Riker Hill Master Plan – earlier this month.

• See related article: Future Of Livingston 'Art Park' To Be Discussed At Public Meeting

According to county officials, during the Oct. 9 meeting, local community members had two, big suggestions for the 42-acre converted U.S. Army Nike Missile Base, which the county purchased from the federal government in 1974 and now offers studio space for dozens of artists in residence:

• make improvements to the roadway entering the park
• address drainage issues

In addition, meeting attendees learned about the draft of the Riker Hill Master Plan, which includes:

• painting the exterior of the buildings
• creating a way-finding map
• demolishing an unusable building and creating a community garden
• establishing a scenic outlook
• creating pedestrian walkways in the park

“When residents shared their concerns about traffic safety and flooding at Riker Hill Art Park, I knew we had to address them quickly,” Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. said. “We have plans to upgrade the facility, but it only makes sense to also enhance safety on Beaufort Avenue and address flooding in the neighborhood. Our employees were already on site [Monday] to get some of the improvements started.”

DiVincenzo was referring to the presence of public works crews at the intersection of Beaufort Avenue and Homestead Drive, who could be seen removing brush and overgrown vegetation from the side of the road, a move that officials say will help to improve sight lines for drivers passing through the area.

In addition, because Beaufort Avenue and Homestead Drive are municipal streets, DiVincenzo said that he’s suggesting that the Township of Livingston install stop signs at each corner to make the intersection a four-way stop.

While in the area, DiVincenzo and the county Public Works staff met with North Rockledge Drive resident Tom Liu, who shared his concerns about flooding on his property caused by water coming from a utility pipe in Riker Hill Art Park.

Liu told officials that he recently installed two French drains and took other steps to address the water runoff, but flooding has persisted.

“To alleviate the amount of water that runs to neighboring properties from the park, the county will close the utility pipe and develop a more comprehensive plan to find out where the water originates and where it drains,” officials said.

• See related article: Facelift Planned For Army Base-Turned Art Park In Livingston

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Photo: Essex County