NJ Teens Join Battle Over Turtle Back Zoo: Were In A Crisis – West Orange, NJ Patch
ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — In the 1990s, before the tenure of Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. began, county officials were ready to close the Turtle Back Zoo down. But after an outcry from local residents – including a group of politically active students – DiVincenzo’s administration chose to keep the then-struggling facility open.
Now, after millions of visitors and an ongoing investment of county funds, a group of students is again opposing the county’s plans for the highly trafficked zoo. But this time, they’re taking up a much different call: stop expansion at the Turtle Back.
Earlier this week, about 300 people gathered for a student-led rally in front of the zoo, which is located in West Orange. The event saw strong support from area activists and elected officials, including Maplewood Councilwoman Nancy Adams, the Coalition to Save South Mountain Reservation and the Newark Water Coalition. (Watch videos below)
It was the students who captured the spotlight on March 1, however.
One by one, middle and high school students spoke passionately about the need to conserve existing open space, ensure animals are treated humanely, study possible environmental impacts of further expansion and reel in excessive spending of taxpayer money on projects that benefit relatively few residents.
“I’m here because we’re in a crisis,” Columbia High School senior Jordan Muhammad told the crowd. “Our county, our country, our world, is in a climate crisis, and our government, this government, is not acting like it.”
In particular, the young activists took aim at a proposal to build a $8 million, 500-seat amphitheater at the zoo, an idea that’s seen vocal criticism… and praise.
The amphitheater would be partly funded by a $4 million special appropriation from Gov. Phil Murphy’s administration, with the remainder coming from the county’s operating budget. The Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders voted to approve a request for $4 million in state funds as a contribution to the project at their Feb. 26 meeting.
The project won’t use any Green Acres funding or grants from the Essex County Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund, a county spokesperson previously told Patch.
Construction bids for the amphitheater, which is being labeled a “conservation pavilion” by the county, are due on March 13.
Supporters of the proposed amphitheater, including DiVincenzo, have said that it will be a powerful educational tool that the zoo’s existing amphitheater can’t provide.
Only about 120 children at a time can see animal presentations at the zoo’s current amphitheater, Essex County officials say. The zoo currently sees nearly a million visitors per year.
However, its critics argue that the proposed project would have “zero conservation value.”
Some local environmentalists have blasted the plan to cut down an acre of trees in South Mountain Reservation to build the amphitheater, despite the county’s pledge to replant any removed trees at a ratio of four-to-one.
Others have questioned whether the new structure would be in the best interest of the animals.
“A 500-seat amphitheater is doubling down on entertainment, not education,” the Coalition to Save the South Mountain Reservation recently said about the proposal.
“Children are not educated this way, nor can they experience the magnificence of wildlife and nature by watching trained animals on a stage,” nonprofit advocacy group Our Green West Orange previously charged. “Everyone can see that this is cruel entertainment at the expense of animals who don’t want to be publicly displayed or exposed.”
It’s not just the amphitheater that’s causing concern, critics contend.
“In our view, the core issue is not the zoo itself or the [amphitheater], it’s how to best manage the overwhelming success of all the attractions,” a member of the South Mountain Conservancy said at a public meeting in January.
Activists’ concerns are shared by some nearby municipal bodies such as the West Orange Town Council, which recently called for more studies to be done about the possible negative effects of development at the zoo.
Other local officials have accused the county of misspending taxpayer funds, including Caldwell Councilman Jonathan Lace, a Democrat, and former Essex County freeholder candidate Adam Kraemer, a Republican.
Overspending at the zoo also impacts the adjacent, county-managed South Mountain Reservation, which suffers from a chronic lack of funding and is becoming severely degraded and neglected, activists say.
“Trail maintenance, invasive species control and other conservation activities are performed by the volunteer South Mountain Conservancy, utilizing a $2,000 annual allocation from the county,” the Coalition to Save South Mountain Reservation stated.
According to spokespeople for the coalition, its members are pondering their next steps, which include “continuing to rally municipal opposition, investigating possible deed restrictions on the reservation, and investigating legal options for stopping the proposed construction.”
Story continues below video
TBZ: A ‘THRIVING AND DYNAMIC INSTITUTION’
Activists say the county is plowing ahead with development plans at the zoo despite an online petition that’s gained more than 12,300 signatures as of Wednesday.
But county officials say they’ve made several updates to the amphitheater proposal in an attempt to address the community’s concerns.
For example, the proposal no longer includes any “water features,” such as a 150,000-gallon pool for the animals, as was originally planned. County officials have also agreed to study the noise levels generated from the zoo, and to review plans with an engineer to ensure that lighting from the amphitheater won’t impact areas beyond the facility.
Anthony Puglisi, a spokesperson for the county and DiVincenzo, offered the following statement to Patch on Tuesday:
“In the 1990s, a previous county administration wanted to close Turtle Back Zoo. However, a rally by school-age students protested the decision and wanted to keep the zoo open. When Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. became county executive, he provided the attention and oversight the zoo needed to become a thriving and dynamic institution. Also, during his administration, DiVincenzo has preserved over 500 acres of open space throughout Essex County (including about 65 acres at South Mountain Reservation), expanded the Essex County Parks System from 17 parks to 23 parks and planted over 10,000 new trees throughout Essex County.”
Puglisi continued:
“Turtle Back Zoo is accredited by the American Zoological Association, the Zoological Association of America and American Humane – clear indications of our commitment to providing the highest level of care for our animals. Each of these organizations have goals to protect the safety of animals, promote the strengthening of the animal population and educate the public about animals and conservation. Our zoo professionals and these well-respected organizations have found our educational facilities lacking. We currently are limited to using just the classrooms in the Education Building for programming; the original amphitheater is not used because it is outdated.”
Puglisi concluded:
“Schools and organizations that are booking trips to Turtle Back expect a more interactive learning experience than just having children walk along the pathways and read signs about the animals. In addition, the creation of the Conservation Pavilion is not geared toward attracting additional visitors. Rather it is to provide those who already come with an opportunity to attend an educational program. The planned 500-seat addition will provide the opportunity to significantly increase the children we currently reach with our educational programming.”
Since it was first proposed, Essex County officials have made tweaks to the project based on recommendations from the West Orange Planning Board, according to a January letter to the board from DiVincenzo.
Those include:
- Replacing any trees that are removed by a ratio of 4-to-1 (double the original proposal)
- Including “white roof” designs to conserve energy
- Incorporating a 25×25 foot rain garden adjacent to the amphitheater
In a recent op-ed, DiVincenzo pointed out the zoo has been a “self-sufficient facility” for the last decade, and that the revenue collected from admission fees covers its operating costs.
Another concern expressed about the project – an increase in local traffic – has been addressed with the recent addition of a third, on-site parking garage, DiVincenzo said.
“A second entrance for motor vehicles coming to the zoo was created, which make accessing the site easier and eliminates cars from lining up waiting to enter the site.,” DiVincenzo said. “This confirms our belief that the traffic congestion was the result of motorists being recirculated from the on-site parking back onto Northfield Avenue when all parking spaces were exhausted.”
County officials aren’t alone in their support for development at the zoo. An online petition started by Turtle Back Zoo docents has gained more than 1,600 signatures in favor of building the new amphitheater.
RECENT DEVELOPMENT AT THE TURTLE BACK
Recent development at the Turtle Back Zoo has included the following projects.
Flamingos – A $3.2 million flamingo exhibit recently installed at the zoo has a pool, nesting island in the middle of the pool and an imitation waterfall, as well as a 1,000-square-foot indoor facility to hold the birds when they aren’t on exhibit. (Learn more here)
Leopards – A $2.58 million “behind the scenes” renovation took place at the leopard exhibit in 2018. (Learn more here)
Penguins – A $6 million habitat for the zoo’s penguin population built in 2018 includes a 4,200 square foot building with fabricated rock walls and a 30,000-gallon salt water pool to simulate the animals’ natural habitat. (Learn more here)
Lions/Hyenas – In June 2017, the zoo opened the Ronald J. Mount Lion and Hyena Exhibit, a $3.6 million, half-acre habitat that includes a two-foot pool and exposed rock formation, a heated stone patio to attract the lions, three public viewing stations and a heated, one-story building that is “designed to resemble an old North African fortress.” (Learn more here)
Giraffes – In 2016, the zoo opened its long-awaited, $7 million giraffe exhibit, which included four Masai giraffes, as well as eland, whistling ducks, ostrich and tortoises. (Learn more here)
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