Ordinance Approved 9-0
An ordinance drafted by members of the Hoboken Southwest Parks Coalition in conjunction with the council’s Parks Committee was approved on first reading and referred to the Planning Board for its review. The ordinance identifies current and future sites of open space as designated in the Master Plan’s parks plan and protects them from development for uses other than open space and recreation. The intention is to acquire properties designated in the Master Plan for parks, including the area now known as SW6 (6-acres) in the southwest part of town and the Henkel/Cognis site (4-acres) uptown.
HSPC thanks Council members Mike Russo and Nino Giacchi for sponsoring this ordinance.
Resolution for Appraisals Approved 9-0
The City Council originally agreed to study Blocks 9, 10, 11, 12, and 14 for park land back on June 28, 2006, and since September of 2007 when the SW6 plan was unveiled, HSPC again leaned on the council to get the appraisals done. Without appraisals the city does not have the tools necessary to negotiate with property owners and potential developers. Without the appraisals, the city cannot qualify for any funding whether it’s county, state, federal or through private foundations.
Plain and simple, the appraisals provide the numbers needed to buy the land for parks.
HSPC thanks Council President Terry Castellano and Councilman Russo for sponsoring this resolution which calls on the administration to hire one of the appraisal firms that answered a request for qualifications to do appraisals of the land value of the properties in the proposed park areas.
Resolution for Block 11 Approved 9-0
A third resolution sponsored by Dawn Zimmer and Peter Cunningham called for the city to immediately open up a dialog with the owners of properties on Block 11 with the intent to buy them out. The Council directed the administration to share its position with the Zoning Board of Adjustment which is scheduled to hear an application for variances for a proposed 10-story high-rise on Block 11. That application is scheduled to be heard on Tuesday, June 17th and a big crowd is needed at that meeting because the ZBA is under no obligation to consider the council’s position when hearing an application for variances. Any granting of variances will drive the value of the proposed park land up substantially and make it far more difficult to acquire.
I want to thank the many people who showed up last night to support the legislation. This is a historic step that the city of Hoboken is taking, but it is still only just a key step in a very long process.
Thank you!
Sara Stojkovic