Ravi Bhalla for City Council

Write for Change: Western Edge Redevelopment Plan

This is an important quality of life issue. The residents of Hoboken must take a stand and say “No” to irresponsible development. This redevelopment plan calls for massive condo buildings, with only 2.8 acres of real open space, and less than 2% of the plan is for commercial and/or retail space. Do we want 16, 14 and 12 story high-rise condos in Hoboken?

The Western Edge Redevelopment Plan is not smart, it's not balanced, yet ever city councilmember except Dawn Zimmer and Peter Cunningham voted to move this plan forward. I urge you to write to the other 7 councilmembers today and tell them to say NO to development that destroys our community's quality of life and increases our tax burden.

More information about the community's concerns about this development plan can be found at www.hobokenwesternedge.com. I have included suggested talking points for your email, which highlight community's main objections to the developer’s plan.

Thank you!

Talking Points

  • The plan, as presented by the developer, is vastly out of scale with the size and character of other neighborhoods in Hoboken. I am against having 16, 14 and 12 story condo buildings in this part of town;
  • How will the new residential development affect traffic and commuting in a town with long bus lines, crowded PATH trains, and massive traffic during rush hour?
  • Where is the office and retail space? Only 25,000 square feet, or less than 2%, allocated for non-residential use in this plan.
  • Councilpersons should demand more open space in this plan. Of the 4.4 acres of open space, the developer has counted sidewalks and bushes, which should not be considered open space;
  • How can the City legally ensure that the community center and pool will be within the redevelopment zone when the plan states that the community center will be in the area or “within 500 feet” of the area?
  • How can we protect against the abuse of PILOT agreements and clear criteria needs to be set and agreed upon regarding PILOT agreements within the redevelopment area?
  • The City should negotiate to ensure that more than 20% of the units in the areas are allocated as affordable housing, so that this area is a neighborhood where people of middle and low incomes can live, work and play.

Paid for by Friends of Bhalla for Council, © 2009.
William Tobias, Treasurer.