Hackensack Moves to Close Every Park at Sunset and Ban Sleeping in Parked Cars on Park and Public Property; Final Vote Nov. 10

HACKENSACK, N.J. — Every city park in Hackensack would close at sunset all year, and sleeping in a parked car anywhere on park or public property would be banned, under an ordinance the City Council introduced Oct. 20. Sunset in Hackensack comes at 4:29 p.m. on Nov. 30, according to Sunrise-Sunset.org data for the city.

Ordinance 22-2026 would also delete the council’s power to keep parks open later by resolution. The council used that power in April to keep Johnson Park and Foschini Park open until 11 p.m. and other city parks until 10 p.m. from April 1 through Nov. 30.

The council passed the ordinance on first reading by roll call, with every member called voting yes and no discussion before the vote, according to the city’s meeting video. The public hearing and final vote are set for Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 65 Central Ave. The ordinance takes effect after it is adopted and published, according to its text.

What the ordinance would change

• Closing time: The code now closes parks at 9 p.m. year-round. The ordinance strikes “9:00 p.m.” and replaces it with “sunset.” Parks would still open at 6 a.m.
• No more extensions by resolution: The code now lets the Mayor and Council extend closing times in particular parks for specific uses or events on the City Manager’s recommendation, if there is enough lighting. The ordinance strikes that section. In its place, no one could enter or stay in a park after sunset or before 6 a.m., except people at an organized activity or event permitted by the city. They would have to leave within 30 minutes after it ends, and there must be adequate lighting.
• Camping and lodging ban: No one could “camp or lodge” in any park or public area, “including by sleeping in a parked vehicle.” The ordinance defines that as using a park or public area as a place to sleep or live, including setting up a tent or other shelter or keeping bedding or belongings there for that purpose. “Park or public area” includes parking lots, parking structures, roadways, driveways, trailheads, pathways, restrooms, playgrounds, sports fields, plazas, medians and open lands under the city’s ownership or control.
• Exceptions: The ban doesn’t apply to activities authorized by a city permit or to emergency sheltering authorized by the City Manager or the Office of Emergency Management during a declared emergency.
• Restrooms: Park hours “do not guarantee” that restrooms or other facilities will be open, and restrooms “shall not be deemed part of the park for purposes of any claim that the park was not open.”
• Permits: A permit for a park, field or pavilion covers only that area and time, and doesn’t guarantee exclusive use of restrooms, picnic areas or parking.

Why the city says it’s needed

The ordinance says the council “has become aware that City parks and public areas are at times being used in ways that are injurious to park facilities and to the health, safety and welfare of park patrons, including the use of parks and parked vehicles as places to sleep or live.” It says the city’s Recreation Superintendent and other city officials reviewed park use and recommended the changes.

What doesn’t add up yet

The ordinance gives no number of incidents, complaints or people found living in parks or cars. It doesn’t say where people found sleeping in a vehicle would be directed, and it doesn’t list a specific penalty. Sunset closing would also be earlier than the current code in every season: even around the longest day of the year, June 21, sunset in Hackensack is 8:31 p.m., before today’s 9 p.m. closing, according to Sunrise-Sunset.org. Evening users who aren’t part of a city-permitted event, like pickup players or people walking after work, would have to leave at sunset.

The restroom section would also limit claims that a park “was not open” when its restrooms are locked. It’s not clear whether the April resolution’s later hours for this season would still apply if the ordinance takes effect before Nov. 30. Residents can raise these questions at the Nov. 10 hearing.

Also on Nov. 10: $2.75 million bond ordinance

The council also introduced Bond Ordinance 21-2026 on Oct. 20, which would appropriate $2.75 million for capital projects and authorize $2,113,750 in bonds or notes, according to the clerk’s notice. The list includes a roll-off container truck, street sweepers, rack trucks, tandem dump trucks and pickup trucks for the Department of Public Works; fuel pump and distribution upgrades, self-contained breathing apparatus (Scott Paks) and garage vehicle lift upgrades for the Fire Department; and a new basketball court at Polifly Park. Its final hearing is also set for Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m.

Separately, the city clerk’s notice says the council gave final approval Oct. 20 to Ordinance 20-2026, which ends the long-term tax exemption agreement for Hecker Holdings Urban Renewal LLC. Hackensack’s overdue payments in lieu of taxes were first reported by Jersey Intel; Bergen TV’s earlier follow-up is here.

Sources: Ordinance 22-2026 notice (City of Hackensack); Oct. 20, 2026 council docket, Resolutions 298-26 and 299-26; April 21, 2026 docket, Resolution 118-26; Bond Ordinance 21-2026 notice; Ordinance 20-2026 adoption notice; official meeting video, Oct. 20, 2026; sunset times from Sunrise-Sunset.org for Hackensack’s coordinates.

Do you use Hackensack’s parks in the evening, or have you seen people living in parks or cars in the city? Tell us what we should look into next at bergentv.com.