Occhipinti says Lenz deserves ‘red card’ for conditions at soccer field

The latest from the Tim Occhipinti campaign....

No water station, no rest rooms, no benches, and barely enough room to play soccer. Hoboken soccer moms are fuming over conditions at the temporary soccer field at 1500 Park Avenue and the city’s response to their concerns. Rather than trying to help, officials warned parents to pick up after themselves and to stay out of nearby buildings.

During a visit to the supposedly temporary soccer field at 1500 Park Avenue, 4th Ward City Council candidate Tim Occhipinti met with moms who complained that the city has ignored their calls for action on the field, which has no restroom facilities, no place for families to sit, and has become a bare patch of dirt.

Temporary Soccer Field at 1500 Park

“This is appalling. This administration has literally dropped the ball when it comes to soccer for our youngest kids,” said Occhipinti. “They’ve done nothing to bring the soccer field at Sinatra Park back on line, and they have done nothing to make this supposedly temporary field any more user friendly for soccer families. These moms have every right to be livid, and deserve to know where their tax dollars, not to mention their new $25 per child recreation fee, are going.”

Occhipinti said, to add insult to injury, parents were told this weekend to stay out of nearby private buildings, which they are sometimes forced to use if their young child has to go to the bathroom. Then, they were threatened with tickets if they double-parked, despite the lack of adequate parking near the field. Lastly, they were reminded to “clean up” after themselves.

Another photo of Soccer field

Over a year ago, the Zimmer administration closed Sinatra Field to the public because a portion of the pier had collapsed. Despite the installation of large protective sheet barriers that have shielded the park from any further damage, plans for further repairs at Sinatra have been frozen as the city council majority, led by 4th Ward Councilman Michael Lenz, bungled the project.

“Instead of creating opportunities for new soccer fields, Michael Lenz is supporting a flawed plan for Western Edge redevelopment that includes NO space for recreation fields,” Occhipinti added. “Michael Lenz has also done nothing to move a plan for a Southwest Park forward. The 4th ward deserves a real park large enough for our kids to play ball on. He has claimed to support such a plan for years when it has served his political agenda, but has done absolutely zero to make it happen.”

"Soccer mom" Valerie Orlando with Candidate Tim Occhipinti

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Occhipinti says Lenz deserves ‘red card’ for conditions at soccer field