Open NHSA Seat Now a Possible 4 Way Race in Hoboken

Not just Tony Soares vs. Brian Assadourian any more

Previously, this blog had broke the story last week that Tony Soares, a key Mike Defusco supporter had put in his application for the the North Hudson Sewerage Authority NHSA seat currently up for renewal and currently occupied by Ravi Bhalla ally Brian Assadourian and close personal friend of Mayor Dawn Zimmer and her husband Stan Grossbard. NHSA board positions are 5 year appointments and pay a small stipend of $5,000 per year and are the only appointed local board positions that are not strictly volunteer. That seat is set to expire by February 1, 2018 and would be up for vote at the first or second City Council meeting of January 2018.

Tony Soares left and Brian Assadourian right

Hoboken Old Guard Candidates Frank "Pupie" Raia and Patty Spaccavento said to be interested as well


Now it appears based on my sources that the position may have up to four candidates vying for the coveted board seat being one of three people to represent Hoboken. The next candidate should be familiar to those who know Hoboken politics in that it is Frank Raia, former NHSA Commissioner, former Hoboken School Board member, former Hoboken City Council and Mayoral Candidate and perennial self anointed "king maker" in Hoboken old school politics. Frank is a former chairman of the board and had served for over 25 years until 2016 when Kurt Gardiner (yep that's me) secured 8 of 9 votes on the City Council to be appointed replacing him on the board.

Frank Raia of Hoboken- Still trying to find parking and a way back on the NHSA

The other and 4th candidate that is said to be interested is Patty Spaccavento who is currently the proprietor of the iconic establishment Piccolos which had been in business in Hoboken for over 60 years and formerly run by his father Joseph "Sparky" Spaccavento who passed away in 2016. Patty is also a former NHSA Board member and born and raised in Hoboken according to his bio. Patty Boy is also no fan of folks who just eat salad for dinner...

Patty Boy Spaccavento of Hoboken Piccolos - Photo by H-Mag

Back in the day Patty Spaccavento was no fan of the Hoboken Yuppie invasion:

This Chicago Tribune article in highlights the cultural divide in Hoboken back in the late 1980's

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1988-04-17/news/8803090380_1_pat-spaccavento-hoboken-rouse

Excerpt:

Marty Rouse and Pat Spaccavento are typical representatives of the warring factions.

Rouse, 26, is a Yorkie. Yorkie, a subset of Yuppie, is the natives` term for a New Yorker, and is pronounced with a sneer. Rouse left Manhattan in search of cheap Hoboken rents, only to grow frustrated by the city`s refusal to accommodate the tastes of the new inhabitants.

One of many Yorkies who have conceded defeat, he is about to double his $486-a-month rent by moving back to Manhattan.

``Let`s say I want to buy a pair of shoes,`` he says. ``I would never buy a pair of shoes in Hoboken. They don`t sell leather shoes in Hoboken. All you can find is $9.99 plastic specials. There`s one movie theater, and it always seems to be playing `Haunted House III.`

``The schools are terrible. The streets are dirty. There are no parks. There`s no parking. If you do park, the cops come around and put their speakers on and say, `Get out of the bahs and move your cahs.` ``

Rouse continues, good-natured if slightly hyperbolic: ``And you can`t do food shopping. There is no fresh food in Hoboken. There`s one good bakery. The others sell those disgusting green St. Patty`s Day cakes. And croissants haven`t even made it here.``

Spaccavento, a 27-year-old B-and-B, applauds the city`s reluctance to cater to the likes of Rouse.

``The old-timers aren`t willing to change because the newcomers aren`t willing to change,`` he says while cooking cheese steaks at the grill behind the counter at Piccolo`s-where, at noon, old-timers gather under dozens of photos of native son Frank Sinatra and shout conversation to each other across the room.

``These Yuppies go out on a date, and what do they wear?`` says Spaccavento, wiping a hand on his stained white apron. ``Dungarees, sneakers, a polo shirt. I go on a date, it`s sports jacket and tie. And food. When I go out to eat, I don`t want to eat just salad.``

He turns back to the grill and flips a burger. ``The thing that really ticks me off,`` he shouts over his shoulder, waving the spatula, ``is they think they`re better than you.``

That should give you a bit more color on the background of the latest candidate. I for one don't think I am any better or less than Patty, I just generally support better political candidates for office that's all. It is a matter of opinion of course. I also do pay taxes.

Earth to Nancy Pincus - Quit your bellyaching and accept that this is a City Council appointment

The proprietor of Grafix Avenger blog has been bemoaning the fact Ravi Bhalla no longer has a locked down City Council majority and has been fuming on her website about how certain City Council members need to kiss the ring and vote back in her political ally Brian Assadourian onto the NHSA Board for another 5 year term. Nancy was exposed by this website as being not just an advocate but actually being paid out by Ravi Bhalla campaign for graphical services rendered during the campaign making her a paid political operative for Ravi Bhalla.

The bottom line is this: it is up to the City Council to pick the next appointment and not Ravi Bhalla. Right now Brian Assadourian only has two solid votes in theory and it is a race to get 5 of 9 votes for up to 4 candidates and possibly even more. It will remain to be seen who actually files and keeps their application active up until the vote on the City Council.

Should Brian Assadourian wish to continue to serve Hoboken should he not get reappointed to the NHSA, he could always serve on the Hoboken Planning Board whose appointments would be made by the Mayor Elect Ravi Bhalla. For all the backslapping about how Ravi Bhalla has assembled a team of rivals, it makes no sense for Ravi having his paid for spokesperson Nancy "Angry Pants" Pincus going nuclear on City Council members he needs to repair relationships with. He will need 5 votes to pass and 6 votes to bond.

The core commentators of the Grafix Avengers site seem to be the angriest bunch of winners ever. Granted, my candidate (Jen Giattion) lost but I am over it. The reason why is I accept our system of check and balances and the City Council will play a vital role in curbing the ultra development aggressiveness of outside influences like Stronger Foundations PAC and even Governor Phil Murphy. I put my faith in that more than any low information Hoboken voter could ever do.

Prior Story: http://hobokenresistance.blogspot.com/2017/12/breaking-tony-soares-to-seek-nhsa.html

Former Hoboken City Councilman Chris Campos Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for $7 Million Car Loan Scheme

In April of last year former Hoboken City Councilman Chris Campos along with Julio Alvarez were charged with participation in a loan fraud scheme to fraudulently obtain new automobiles that they intended to lease to livery cab drivers. The scheme totaled $7 million dollars and involved 20 straw buyers and over 200 vehicles. Chris Campos was just sentenced this Friday December 8th, 2017 to 30 months in prison based on his conviction in a trial joining many others in the history of the Hudson County Democratic Party to do time for financial crimes. 

Here is the release from the FBI...

Former Hoboken City Council President Sentenced To 30 Months
In Prison For His Participation In A $7 Million Car Loan Scheme

Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that former Hoboken, New Jersey, City Council president and attorney CHRISTOPHER CAMPOS was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 30 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars in car loans.  CAMPOS used approximately 20 straw buyers to purchase more than 200 new automobiles based on false representations that, among other things, the straw buyers would use the cars for their personal use when, in fact, CAMPOS and his co-conspirators obtained the vehicles in order to lease them as livery cabs.  After a week-long trial, CAMPOS was found guilty on June 22, 2017, of bank and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud.  U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni presided over that trial and imposed today’s sentence.

Former Hoboken City Councilman Chris Campos in happier times 

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “Christopher Campos, an attorney and former Hoboken City Council president, defrauded lenders out of millions of dollars.  He put up straw buyers to obtain loans for ‘personal use’ cars that in fact comprised a fleet of over 200 vehicles leased to livery drivers. Campos has now received the significant sentence his crimes merit.”           

According to the allegations contained in the Complaint, Indictment, and the evidence presented in Court during the trial: 

Between approximately October 2012 and September 2013, CAMPOS and his co-conspirator Julio Alvarez, among others, orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently obtain new automobiles that they intended to lease to livery cab drivers.  In order to secure financing in connection with the purchase of these new cars, CAMPOS and other co-conspirators enlisted and aided individuals with good credit histories (“straw buyers”) to submit fraudulent car loan applications to numerous lenders.  In order to obtain the new vehicles, CAMPOS and other co-conspirators sent straw buyers to several car dealerships located throughout the New York City area, where dealership employees helped straw buyers submit fraudulent loan applications. 

The auto loan applications submitted by the straw buyers falsely represented that the vehicles would be used for the buyers’ personal use, rather than as part of the defendants’ leasing business.  In addition, in many cases, the car loan applications misrepresented personal information about the straw buyers, including their incomes and assets.  CAMPOS also caused financing applications to be sent to multiple financial institutions at the same time so that the lenders would not know that the straw buyers were incurring obligations to other lenders in connection with the purchase of multiple new automobiles. 

In total, the scheme carried out by CAMPOS, Alvarez, and others involved approximately 20 straw buyers, the purchase of approximately 200 new vehicles, and ultimately resulted in lenders disbursing over $7,000,000 in fraudulently obtained car loans.  Most of those loans ultimately went into default.

Mr. Kim praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  Mr. Kim also thanked the National Insurance Crime Bureau (“NICB”), the New York Automobile Insurance Plan (“NYAIP”), and the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles for their substantial assistance in the investigation and trial. 

The prosecution of this case was handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Dina McLeod, Sagar K. Ravi, and Niketh Velamoor are were charge of the prosecution.

Nancy Pincus Kangaroo Court in Session - Caught Once Again in a Web of Lies - Massive Fail

Nancy Pincus of the Grafix Avenger blog is once again caught red handed in a web of lies trying to unsuccessfully implicate me in wrong doing with respect to my 2011 Freeholder campaign. The reason for this is twofold in that I did not support her candidate for Mayor and because I reported out on factual information on the fact she received $1200 in services for her work as a paid political operative for The Ravi Bhalla for Mayor Campaign. Her allegations are false and defamatory and should be retracted in full. Knowing her bad behavior as of late I don't expect much from here and as a paid political operative of Ravi Bhalla it seems "scorched earth" is still the method of operation of Team Ravi even after the election. So much for Ravi Bhalla being a uniter. He needs to curb his paid for attack dogs if he wants to move forward that way.

Very little can be taken seriously from bitter Bhalla blogger Nancy Pincus these days so lets just have a little fun debunking her stupidity...

Nancy Pincus in her attack piece wrote the following regarding my ELEC filings during my Freeholder Campaign in 2011. She had provided voluntary professional services for my campaign for one palm card during the election:

"Imagine that, Kurt Gardiner, the beneficiary of my in-kindness in 2011 unlawfully skirted filing a C-1 report!"

Nancy Pincus' statement is false on two counts:

Count 1: I did indeed file my C-1 report. It was filed as the 48 hour report and is shown below:

Exhibit 1 - Nancy Pincus falsely accused me of not filing a C-1 report- here it is. 

Count 2: I did not need to file another C-1 report for what Nancy claims was in-kind work is actually not reportable. See below from the ELEC Compliance Manual for Candidates/Political Committees. Personal services provided on an unpaid, voluntary basis do not constitute a reportable contribution.

Exhibit 2- Not required to file voluntary professional services. Nancy lies again.

The conclusion is that Nancy Pincus is lying about my campaign in a deliberate attempt to defame me but if you want to get a laugh at my expense or better yet Nancy's , the lunatic actually sent me an invoice for her "volunteer work" six years later at inflated Super PAC prices. I rest my case in the Kangaroo Court of Nancy Pincus. Case Dismissed. Lol.

The lunacy of Nancy Pincus to send an invoice for volunteer professional services 6 years later.

Below is a screen shot of Nancy's defamatory hit piece. There is no scandal; it was fabricated out of thin air by Nancy Pincus. I demand a full retraction and a public apology but will likely not get one. This will be a litmus test for the Bhalla Administration to see if he can control his paid operatives from engaging in defamatory statements just score cheap political points and discourage honest discourse. Are you not entertained? I think its time to get back to the issues but I won't let people make false claims against me without putting up a defense. Have a great afternoon and a great weekend.

This hit piece is flat out defamatory and a full retraction with public apology is the only remedy at this point I seek. 

Breaking: Tony Soares to Seek NHSA appointment coming up February 2018

Former North Hudson Sewerage Authority Commissioner Tony Soares has filed an application for consideration on the NHSA for a 5 year term starting February 1, 2018 today at the Hoboken City Clerk's Office. The seat is currently held by Commissioner Brian Assadourian whose term is up early next year. Brian Assadourian is a political ally of Mayor Zimmer and Mayor Elect Ravi Bhalla as well as a close personal friend of the Mayor and her husband Stan Grossbard.

Tony Soares has previously served Hoboken as Hoboken City Council at Large, The Hoboken Zoning Board of Adjustment and two terms as NHSA Commissioner before stepping down last year. Hoboken resident and community infrastructure advocate Ed Friedrich was appointed last year to fill Tony's vacant seat. Tony was also a key backer of the Michael Defusco for Mayor campaign. Last year Tony had stepped down from his position due to a vehicular accident where he was struck as a pedestrian and needed time to focus on his recovery. When asked by the Hoboken Resistance the reason is applying again, Tony Soares responded "I think I offer the City of Hoboken a lot based on my past experience as City Councilman, Chairman of the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and NHSA commissioner. I am applying because I want to participate in the process of governing and believe the best candidate should get to serve on this important board."

Tony Soares left and Brian Assadourian right
Let the battle of the two term NHSA commissioners begin!

In Hoboken there are 3 commissioners that represent Hoboken on the NHSA. The board totals 9 members and comprise of two from Weehawken, 2 from Union City and 2 from West New York in addition to the 3 Hoboken Commissioners. Seven votes out of 9 are required to pass any resolution so the fact remains that Hoboken has veto power but it that power has not been utilized recently.

Appointments to the NHSA are made by the City Council and 5 votes are needed to get the position. Thus it appears to be a race between Brian Assadourian and Ravi Bhalla ally should he seek a third term and Tony Soares a key Michael Defusco ally. Key insiders will see this appointment as a litmus test of Mayor Elect Ravi Bhalla's support level on the City Council very early in his first term. No reports of Frank Raia putting his hat in the ring again but that is certainly a possibility as there is still time before the last January 2018 City Council meeting when these appointments are typically made.

Editor's Comment: I currently serve on The NHSA and Tony Soares served with me for one year in 2016 on the board and I thought Tony was engaged and a very good advocate for Hoboken and the Authority as whole. He has the respect of the leadership at the NHSA and its consultants. He asked great questions and his conduct throughout meetings was energetic and professional. Putting political affiliations aside he would make a very good commissioner should he get the votes necessary to be reappointed. This position is first off political, and secondly up to the City Council to decide for themselves who best to serve Hoboken and the NHSA. I worked well with Brian Assadourian too but it is not my opinion that counts here. I know I can work with either candidate selected. Whoever gets the five votes from the City Council is all that matters in the end.

Update: Washington Street Paving Progress for Hoboken Residents and Visitors

The City of Hoboken on Monday updated the scope of Washington Street to only include from Observer Highway to 1st Street due to changes in the forecast calling for potentially cold weather later this week.

From Observer Highway to 1st Street Washington Street has been milled and is ready
for paving and striping weather permitting as of 12-5-2017.

Update From the City of Hoboken 12-4-2017: Due to the forecast for cold weather later in the week which reduces the amount of time during which paving and striping can take place, the extent of the work has been reduced from 4 blocks to 2 blocks (from Observer Highway to 1st Street).

Original Message:

Milling and paving of four blocks of Washington Street between Observer Highway and 3rd Street is scheduled to take place the week of December 4th, weather permitting. Expected hours of operation are 8:00am to 7:30pm. Efforts will be made to maintain vehicular traffic where possible, however road closures will be required at times.

During construction, NJ Transit buses will operate on a detour. Buses heading toward Hoboken Terminal will travel south along Washington Street, detour east on 5th Street, and south on Hudson Street. Buses heading towards New York will leave the bus terminal from Observer Highway, turn north on Bloomfield Street, turn east on 5th Street, and continue north on Washington Street along the regular route.

To facilitate bus detours, parking will be prohibited on both sides of 5th Street between Bloomfield Street and Hudson Street as well as on both sides of Bloomfield Street near Observer Highway and Hudson Street near 5th Street. Police will be on hand to help direct traffic.

My Update and Commentary:

The third baseline for this project (communicated at a 2016 City Council meeting) had the full completion of this project finished up to 8th and Washington Street by Election Day 2017. Needless to say this project has been severely delayed and appears to be at least 6 months behind schedule given lack of progress to date. Most portions of this project are absolutely necessary and the infrastructure improvements below ground as well as at the street level are worth the inconvenience in the long run. The only debate that I consistently hear on the street is over the bump outs from the residents I have spoken to. Most I have spoken to feel they are unnecessary even if it is shown that they improve pedestrian safety. They are concerned about effect on traffic and many feel the cross walk lights planned to be sufficient.The perception is that the bump outs are the main cause for the additional delays in project completion. Whether or not that is true or not, the perception is there.

The limitations on the window for paving asphalt are very real. The City of Hoboken is trying to take advantage of unseasonably warm weather to try and at least play a little catch up. After all, Mayor Zimmer and her Administration has been criticized and rightly so for the mismanagement of this project from controlling the vendor to proper project communication. Here is a chart from a private sector site showing the minimum temperatures for asphalt paving...

Temperature Limitations for Asphalt Paving

There are also temperature minimums for road striping and concrete as well that have to be taken into consideration.

Below are some photos that show uncompleted bump outs. The questions remain whether we will get 4 streets or just 2 done before the winter temperatures finally hit. The other concern is whether bump outs already in progress will be addressed before the winter shutdown.

Not everyone is a fan of the "Bhalla bumpouts" - Zimmer's big idea
(Ravi is Zimmer's anointed replacement and elected with less than a third of the popular vote)

Will this be done before winter break?

I am hopeful, for the sake of Washington Street business owners, residents and visitors that the weather cooperates and they are able to finish all four planned blocks up to 3rd Street. It would really help the downtown area.

In my opinion Mayor Elect Bhalla should fire whoever is managing this project now, establish a new realistic baseline and then hold that project manager accountable for the new deadlines. Hoboken needs this project to get back on track and managed of whole lot better than what has been so far.

Exclusive- Grafix Avenger Blogger Nancy Pincus was a Paid Political Operative for Ravi Bhalla for Mayor

Recent ELEC filings from the Ravi Bhalla for Mayor campaign indicate local political blogger Nancy Pincus who runs the Grafix Avenger blog was indeed paid by the Bhalla campaign. This was for work rendered during the election but paid out after the election on November 13th 2017. It does not appear that Nancy Pincus ever disclosed to her readers that she was a paid political operative of the campaign during that campaign. Three ways to lose leadership fast as a local political blogger is to either dupe them, be disingenuous, or outright insult your readership or segments of it and it appears that Nancy Pincus has hit the trifecta this election cycle.

More than just hugs, Payola too!- Ravi Bhalla hugs his number one website
propagandist Nancy Pincus after election in a Al Jazeera PR celebration video.  

The latest ELEC filings from the Bhalla campaign indicate that the payment was made on November 13, 2017 in the amount of $1,200 for "printing literature,handouts- flyers/palm cards,design of palm cards."

Was this the flyer Nancy Pincus worked on and got paid for?
Just asking the question.
Update: I did receive a statement from Nancy Pincus via text. She wrote: 
"I  had nothing to do with either Defusco flyer. Nothing. Ever. Now scrub 
your f*cking blog and don't pull this Roman Brice shit - Nancy Pincus."

Nancy Pincus who runs the website http://grafixavenger.blogspot.com had previously denied working for any campaign as a political operative. Shown below is her posting on Facebook using the handle Gee Aye denying what based on the information above is clearly untrue. Nancy Pincus commented "I don't/never had worked for or any campaign or candidate. The opinions I express are my own. It's a matter of opinion whether they help or hurt any candidate I advocate for or against. Been doing it for 7 years now."

The fact is that Nancy Pincus was indeed a paid political operative for the Ravi Bhalla campaign and appeared to never disclose that fact and doubled down by denying it on Facebook. Readers of political blogs expect bias in their stories but the failure to disclose this information from her readers will impact her reputation going forward.

For reference and context below is Ravi's most recent ELEC showing in excess of $458,000 in expenditures. If you add the $70,000 from Stronger Foundations developer PAC that means Ravi was close to raising well over a half a million dollars to win just 32.75% of the vote.  The moral of the story is that going forward in Hoboken, you better be willing to raise over $500,000 to get elected Mayor.

Ravi Bhalla for Mayor 2017 29-Day Post Election Report:

Ravi Bhalla November ELEC 2017 from Hoboken Resistance

Editor's Comment: 

As editor of the Hoboken Resistance and Advocate I feel it is an important function of being honest about who you support and don't support running a political blog. I did in fact donate $500 to the Jen Giattino campaign and volunteered to get the word out. I did not get paid to specifically work on her campaign but if I had I would have disclosed it.

I feel that is was a grave mistake for Nancy Pincus to not disclose her involvement and payment from the Bhalla campaign and as a result her tumbling credibility will suffer even more. It is a mess of her own making as well as the conduct of the Ravi Bhalla campaign that went "scorched earth" on reform. To this day Nancy Pincus is not just going after politicians but supporters of other candidates with a viciousness that surprises even me after following Hoboken politics.

Now that we know Ravi has paid Nancy for her work, Mayor Elect Ravi Bhalla owns every vitriolic swipe, half truth, and flat out untruth that comes out of this bully blogger beast's forked tongue. Good luck Ravi trying to coral this loon unless of course you are signing off on every deranged post and comment. So much for the effort to unify. You paid for it, you own it.

Public Hearing to be Held for Sustainability Element of Hoboken Master Plan Tuesday December 5th 7PM

From the City of Hoboken about an important Hoboken Planning Board meeting upcoming:

Public Hearing to be Held for Sustainability Element 

of Hoboken Master Plan

The Hoboken Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the adoption of the Green Building and Environmental Sustainability Element of the Hoboken Master Plan at its regular meeting on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at 7:00pm in the ground floor conference room of Hoboken City Hall, 94 Washington Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030.

The City of Hoboken has been actively involved in sustainability efforts for nearly a decade, achieving Bronze certification from Sustainable Jersey, in 2011 and Silver certification in 2017. Sustainability has been promoted through several recent and current efforts that address climate adaptation, flood mitigation, public and environmental health, Green Building, and non-vehicular transportation. The draft Green Building & Environmental Sustainability Element (“Sustainability Element”) discusses these efforts and outlines goals, strategies, and actions to make Hoboken a more sustainable and resilient City.

View a draft of the Green Building and Environmental Sustainability Element: www.hobokennj.gov/docs/GreenBuildingEnvironmentalSustainabilityElement.pdf.

The purpose of the public hearing is to take public comments on the proposed Green Building & Environmental Sustainability Element of the Hoboken Master Plan. Depending on those public comments, the Board may adopt the proposed Green Building & Environmental Sustainability Element at that time.

Hard copies are available for public inspection at the Hoboken Planning Board Office during regular business hours of 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Monday through Friday, with the exception of holidays.

Hoboken New Holiday Street Decorations Adding Festive Feel to Beleaguered Washington Street

At the behest of the The Hoboken Chamber of Commerce earlier this year, the City of Hoboken set aside $50,000 for new holiday decorations for this year. The new lights can be seen on Washington Street as of early this week. I spoke with a member of the Chamber and they were disappointed that the holiday decorations were not up in time for Small Business Saturday but they were happy to see them at least up now.

Joyce Flinn, VP on The Hoboken Chamber of Commerce is said to have been a leading advocate for these new decorations in addition to the group as a whole. She is the wife of Eugene Flinn who runs the Elysian Cafe and Schnackenburgs restaurants in Hoboken. The Elysian Cafe has a history of doing nice holiday decorations of their own.

Several people I spoke to like the new lights and consider them an improvement over prior years. The next logical question for this watchdog is did these lights cost the whole $50,000? I doubt it so hopefully we will either see more decorations or someone patting themselves on the back for saving money for the City of Hoboken.

New Holiday lights on Washington Street

Milling and Paving Scheduled for Week of December 4th on Portion of Washington Street

Here is an update from the City of Hoboken on Washington Street. This project was originally supposed to be completed up to 8th Street by election day of this year (after several adjustments of the project baseline prior). It looks like Hoboken is taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to get some paving in before the winter shuts down major work on this project. Someone must have also done a decent job of accumulating asphalt because usually by this time of year the manufacturers of the material stopping making it until the spring.

This project has had its detractors (including me) in the way it has been handled but at least if they can get a few blocks done before the holidays that would finally be some tangible progress. Earlier this year when I was contemplating a run for City Council this year I remarked how Washington Street was worse than the streets of Bosnia during its civil war. The person who was signing my petition drove a Humvee as part of his military service and agreed with me since he actually driven on the roads of Bosnia during the conflict. True story.

Milling and Paving Scheduled for Week of December 4th on 

Portion of Washington Street

From City of Hoboken Showing Bus Detours and Scope of Paving on Washington Street

Milling and paving of four blocks of Washington Street between Observer Highway and 3rd Street is scheduled to take place the week of December 4th, weather permitting. Expected hours of operation are 8:00am to 7:30pm. Efforts will be made to maintain vehicular traffic where possible, however road closures will be required at times.

During construction, NJ Transit buses will operate on a detour. Buses heading toward Hoboken Terminal will travel south along Washington Street, detour east on 5th Street, and south on Hudson Street. Buses heading towards New York will leave the bus terminal from Observer Highway, turn north on Bloomfield Street, turn east on 5th Street, and continue north on Washington Street along the regular route.

To facilitate bus detours, parking will be prohibited on both sides of 5th Street between Bloomfield Street and Hudson Street as well as on both sides of Bloomfield Street near Observer Highway and Hudson Street near 5th Street. Police will be on hand to help direct traffic.

To Pool or Not to Pool - Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher advocates for your input on NW Resiliency Park

Here is a note that went out to Hoboken residents regarding whether or not we should have a pool at the NW Resiliency Park or not from Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher. The City of Hoboken has a website where residents can provide input as to the features they want at the new park.

Dear friends and neighbors -

Do you want a pool in Hoboken (or not)?

If the your answer is Yes, then please fill out the survey in the link below by 11/30 for the NW Resiliency park and select "swimming pool" as your answer to the question about which features you want to see (answers are listed alphabetically so you will find it towards the bottom of the list).

If your answer is No or you don't care about a pool, please fill out the survey anyway and tell us what you would like to see in the park.

Click on the link: http://nwpark-cityofhoboken.opendata.arcgis.com/ to learn about the park, and then click the red "Take Survey Now" button. Also, please plan to come to the public meeting on 11/30 at Wallace from 7-9pm to learn more and share your thoughts.

When I campaigned in 2015, I added "advocating for a pool" to my platform not because it was important to me (I am not really a swimmer), but because so many people I met said it was important to them.

Since then I have raised this issue at just about every conversation we have had concerning the new NW Park on the 6 acre former BASF site (4 of which are now the pop-up park). There are also many other features to consider as well for this park. I am currently on the subcommittee for the park and helped interview and select the planning and engineering group that will design the new park.

I have to say, what we saw in their presentations was pretty amazing with ideas for undulating terrain, trees, hills, and plenty of active space. All on a few city blocks in our urban village. So please be part of the process. And part of the vision. The survey takes less than a minute to fill out. Let me know if you have any questions.

TiffanieFisher
2nd Ward Councilwoman

City of Hoboken Responds to NJ DEP Permit Application for Former Union Dry Dock Site

Just two days after both Councilwomen Jen Giattino and Tiffanie Fisher sent out a communication urging residents to oppose the Union Dry Dock application to the NJ DEP application, the Zimmer Administration has followed suit and released this update:

City of Hoboken Responds to NJ DEP Permit Application for Former Union Dry Dock Site

After an evaluation by legal counsel, the City of Hoboken has provided formal written feedback to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regarding NY Waterway’s application for a provisional permit at the former Union Dry Dock site.

In a joint letter, Mayor Zimmer and Mayor-Elect Bhalla urge the DEP Commissioner to deny the application and ensure that the “entire transaction be fully evaluated in the light of day with full transparency for all interested parties. Unfortunately it appears as though the transaction has so far been conducted in a manner that appears intended to hide information from the public and from the City of Hoboken.”

The full letter from Mayor Zimmer and Mayor-Elect Bhalla along with a review of legal issues can be viewed at: www.hobokennj.gov/docs/mayor/Letter-Zimmer-Bhalla-DEP-NY-Waterway-Permit-11-28-17.pdf.

NY Waterway’s DEP permit application can be viewed at: www.hobokennj.gov/docs/NJDEP-Waterfront-Development-Permit-Application-NY-Waterway.pdf.

Editor's Note: The Zimmer Administration calls for transparency on the Union Dry Dock but did they know about this transaction before the election? It's a fair question to ask. Keep in mind for years Dawn Zimmer had the opportunity to negotiate for the purchase of the property but did not make it a priority. Now it appears to be a priority but it seems more like a face saving operation at this point for the lame duck Mayor. Share your thoughts below.

Jen Giattino and Tiffanie Fischer Advocate for Union Drock Dock Site- Urge Citizens to reach out to NJDEP

This is from 6th Ward Councilwoman Jen Giattino who teamed up with Tiffanie Fisher to send out this message to Hoboken residents. Both Tiffanie and Jen voted for the right for Mayor Zimmer to use emminient domain as a tool to potentially acquire Union Dry Dock while Mayor elect Ravi Bhalla voted present in the same vote. If you should ever question advocacy look to this vote to see who supported this vote and who was potentially conflicted out.

From 6th Ward Councilwoman Jen Giattino:

Since 2011, I have been advocating to complete waterfront public park in Hoboken with the acquisition of the Union Dry Dock property. Most recently, I co-sponsored the resolution to add UDD to Hoboken's Open Space Plan, and then supported giving the administration the ability to use eminent domain as a tool to help facilitate the acquisition of the site.

Like many of you, I was surprised and dismayed to see that NY Waterway have been negotiating for months with UDD culminating in their indication of having recently acquired the site with the intent to move their fleet operations to the site. These operations will include storage of 20 ferries, refueling and maintenance for their entire fleet of 34 ferries, and potential for maintenance for their bus fleet which will bring increased traffic and environmental risks to an area that is surrounded by residential and recreational use.

I wholly support an expansion of ferry service for Hoboken and other NJ residents. But I feel that NY Waterways operations should be located elsewhere and that there should be a public process involving stakeholders to determine this. If you agree, then please help me advocate for this by sending a letter today (via mail) to the Department of Environmental Protection and tell them this. NY Waterway (along with UDD and NJ Transit) submitted an application on 11/14 for a provisional waterfront permit that will allow them to quickly set up operations as they exit their facilities in Weehawken.

To make it easier, below is a template you can use and edit before sending. Letters should be sent no later than today (11/28) if possible. I have also attached shown below a letter that 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher and I will be jointly submitting to the DEP urging them to deny the application. The UDD site sits in the 6th ward and the residents of the 2nd ward include many that are most directly effected every day. Tiffanie has been advocating for our public waterfront for several years and when she was elected in 2015 joined me in meeting with local residents and Fund for Better waterfront to continue advocacy for UDD.

Please consider sending a letter. If you would like to send, but do not have a printer, envelope or stamp, please let me know. We will offer to bring a letter to you tonight or pick one up from you with a plan to put a bundle together and send out tomorrow. Thank you for your advocacy on this important issue. Please let me know if you have questions or would like to see the entire DEP application - it is large so will need to be sent separately.

Sample Letter to NJDEP regarding Union Dry Dock: 

November 26, 2017
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Division of Land Use Regulation
P.O. Box 420, Mail Code 501-02A
501 East State Street
Trenton, N.J. 08625
Attn: Hudson County Section Chief

RE: NJDEP Waterfront Development Permit Application by Port Imperial Ferry Corp. d/b/a NY Waterway for Block 259, Lot 1; 901 Sinatra Drive, City of Hoboken, Hudson County

Dear Hudson County Section Chief:

As a resident of Hoboken and someone who enjoys Maxwell Park, the Castle Point Skate Park, the Hoboken Cove Boathouse and uses the public access adjacent to Union Dry Dock, I urge NJDEP to reject the above referenced waterfront development permit application. This request from NY Waterway in partnership with NJ Transit is disingenuous, intentionally disregarding a 2012 agreement made by NJ Transit to not pursue the Union Dry Dock property for this use case. In 2012 NJ Transit clearly stated they “look forward to continuing to work with you [Hoboken Mayor Zimmer] as we continue to advance efficient, environmentally sound transit options for your residents and all the citizens of NJ.”

This proposal is anything but environmentally sound creating new environmental risks and quality of life issues for Hoboken. For more than 25 years residents, public officials and nonprofit organizations have invested tens of millions in public and private funds to redevelop the Hoboken waterfront. The city is extremely close to completing the vision of a contiguous public park along the Hudson River’s edge. This application jeopardizes all the progress the city has made to date and is grossly incompatible with the new development taking place along Hoboken’s waterfront. The proposed use is prohibited by local zoning laws and is in violation of the State’s Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Regulations.

In consideration of this, I ask that you please:

1. Deny this irresponsible application and hold an open public process to collect information from all stakeholders and discuss additional locations for NY Waterway to house their ferry maintenance, storage and refueling facility. The ferry system is an integral part of our mass transit system. We request a thorough examination of alternate sites and transparency in the process. It is our understanding Bayonne’s industrial waterfront has actively sought NY Waterway for years and in addition there are other locations owned by NJ Transit that are more appropriate and affordable.

2. Respect the current uses of the Hoboken Waterfront in vicinity of the Union Dry Dock site. Enjoyed by both residents and visitors there is currently a popular fishing pier, a skateboard park actively used by children of all ages, kids playground and swings, large grass lawn and a boat house including a natural sand beach to allow for free activities including kayaking. It’s an understatement to say a ferry refueling, repair and storage operation for 20 -34 ferries would be environmentally unsound and could destroy the opportunity for visitors and residents to fish, kayak or enjoy the public waterfront. In addition 20-34 ferries coming and going (using tier 1 diesel engines) and storage of large amounts of fuel would be a vastly different use case than Union Dry Dock currently operates creating new environmental hazards.

3. Uphold the state’s commitment to the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. CZM regulations (N.J.A.C 7:7 last amended Sept. 2017 – sections 9.46 Hudson River Waterfront Area and 16.9 Public Access) require public access be provided to the waterfront and the construction of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway for the 18 mile stretch between the Bayonne and George Washington Bridges. In Hoboken, this state-mandated public walkway has been nearly completed for the entire 1.5 mile length of its waterfront. The only piece missing is the 8 acre Union Dry Dock site. Approval of this permit destroys the opportunity to complete the vision.

4. Honor the 2012 NJ Transit decision to not pursue this proposal. New Jersey Transit Executive Director James Weinstein soundly rejected NY Waterway’s 2012 proposal in writing to Hoboken Mayor Zimmer “this is to confirm that New Jersey Transit is no longer exploring the acquisition of the Union Dry Dock property nor does the agency anticipate doing so in the future.” Thank you so much for your consideration,

Name:
Address:

Jen Giattino anfd Tiffanie Fisher letter to NJDEP re: Union Dry Dock from Hoboken Resistance

Northwest Resiliency Park Design Session November 30th 7-9pm at Wallace School

From the City of Hoboken: 

Residents are invited to a public design charrette to work together with the Northwest Resiliency Park project team on design concepts for the park. The public charrette will be held on Thursday, November 30th, 2017 from 7pm to 9pm at the Wallace School Cafeteria, located at 1100 Willow Avenue.

Residents are also invited to complete the online survey for the Northwest Resiliency Park at www.hobokennj.gov/nwparksurvey.

 Hoboken’s largest park will provide recreation and public space for our community. It will also be a fundamental part of Hoboken’s resiliency strategy by integrating green infrastructure and innovative stormwater management measures to mitigate flooding from rainfall events. In 2017, the City of Hoboken opened a temporary pop-up park at the site which will remain in place during the design process for the permanent park. The park is located between Adams Street, Madison Street, 12th Street, and 13th Street.

Season's Greetings from the Beth Mason Civic League- Christmas has Come Early

Beth Mason Civic League with Christmas Decorations up even before Black Friday

Beth Mason, former two term Hoboken City Councilwoman from 2007-201, has brought out the holiday cheer even earlier than ever this year. Her Beth Mason Civic League located at 12th and Washington Street was decorated this year in the Christmas theme even before Thanksgiving this year.

Beth Mason was not a factor (at least from what I could tell) in the 2017 Hoboken elections this year but was certainly busy spending time and money to bring some holiday pizzazz to Hoboken's premier shopping district. Washington Street has besieged by a poorly managed infrastructure project that is anywhere from 7 months to a year behind schedule and adversely hurting many small business owners I have spoke to. Politics besides, perhaps a little holiday festivity on street that is less drive-able than some war zones can't hurt. In all honesty, I find the decorations to be quite tastefully done as far as Christmas decorations go.

For the sake of diversity perhaps an additional menorah, some Denali inspired lights and a little Kwanza would add a little variety and inclusiveness. After all, Hoboken just proved it trumped hate with the Mayoral election results on November 7th.  

Happy Thanksgiving from Mario's Pizza - Free Turkey Dinner from 1pm-8pm Tomorrow

Tomorrow for Thanksgiving, Mario's Classic Pizza will serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal for free at their restaurant from 1-8pm. This tradition has gone back years and its a way for Mario Albunia and his entire family to give back to the community. Mario's Classic Pizza is located at 742 Garden Street in Hoboken.

No pizza tomorrow - just Turkey with all the fixins'

Here is a video clip of Mario Albunia talking about his Thanksgiving tradition: 

Talk of the Town - Juan Melli Hoboken's Communications Director Moving on to Private Sector and More

The holiday edition of Talk of the Town features some additional transitional news:

Juan in a Million - Hoboken's Communications Director Moving on to Private Sector:


Hoboken's communications director Juan Melli is leaving Hoboken Government for his new venture Progressive Strategies, a strategic communications firm. Working alongside Mayor Zimmer, Juan Melli did an excellent job of keeping the public informed and enhanced the City of Hoboken's website, real time HOP bus tracking via GPS, expanded social media options of Facebook and Twitter, helped create the Hoboken 311 ticket systems for public issue reporting and established Nixle alerts plus many other things not publicized. Juan is a multi-talented individual and was a great asset to the the City of Hoboken. Replacing him will not be an easy task.

Juan Melli - Founder of Progressive Strategies
and Hoboken Communications Director
Photo from Progressive Strategies Website

Juan had this to say about his new opportunity on Facebook:

"I’m excited to announce that I’m starting my next adventure with the launch of my strategic communications firm, Progressive Strategies. Check out the website at www.progressivestrat.com and drop me a line if you or someone you know is looking for communications consulting.

I’ve really enjoyed working as Communications Manager for Hoboken and will be staying on through the end of Mayor Zimmer's term. Years ago when she interviewed me for the position, I admitted I didn’t know how to do half of the things I thought the job entailed (as it turns out, there was a lot more I didn’t know). She said I could do it, and I’ll always be thankful to her for putting her trust in me. I can honestly say I looked forward to going to work *almost* every morning, and I’m going to especially miss all my great colleagues who made the job fun."

Here is wishing Juan all the best in his new endeavor. As editor of this website and getting to know Juan over the years, he is a man of great intellectual gifts, solid work ethic and the utmost integrity.

Ravi Bhalla making a deal with Mike Russo to become City Council President?:

Just when the hardcore Ravi Bhalla backers thought they had a dead horse with the at least temporary suspension of the Hoboken Horse Blog otherwise known as the Mile Square View or MSV, the editor reveals this tasty dish before the holidays: Ravi Bhalla is purportedly backing Michael Russo for City Council President. Say it isn't so? For real?

Future City Council President Mike Russo and backed by Ravi Bhalla?
Photo credit MSV aka Hoboken Horse

First off, the Grist for the Mill is a political rumor column but typically most of these columns turn out to be true and are based on at least one solid source with a record for being correct. The thing that makes this plausible is that Ravi only has 2 secure votes on the City Council. He has to negotiate with someone to get to 5 votes on the City Council to get his agenda through. But why Michael Russo? Heads are sure spinning over at Grafix Avenger's Safe Space trying to spin their way out of this one. For me as editor of the the Hoboken Resistance it's like having desert before a great big turkey dinner.

More on this story at MSV: Thanksgiving Grist Special: Ravi Bhalla backs Michael Russo for Council President!

Breaking: After Years of Not Being a Priority - Mayor Zimmer and Mayor Elect Bhalla Make Union Dry Dock a Priority

Holy pre-holiday news dumps Batman! First John Allen gets a political reward with a Chief of Staff position and now finally after 8 years, Mayor Zimmer decides it is time to act decisively on Union Dry Dock. From the Office of the Hoboken Mayor via press release and Nixle alert:

Hoboken Community Update on Union Dry Dock:

Mayor Zimmer and Mayor-Elect Bhalla are completely committed to moving forward with acquiring the Union Dry Dock site for public open space now that it is no longer being used by Union Dry dock as a boat repair facility. The City is working expeditiously to complete its own appraisal and will pursue all options necessary to acquire the property from NY Waterway.

The following joint letter was sent to NJ Transit and its board members to ensure that the existing NJ Transit leadership and the new Administration understand Hoboken’s clear position on this urgent matter: www.hobokennj.gov/docs/mayor/Letter-Zimmer-Bhalla-Santoro-11-21-17.pdf.

NJ Transit has advised the City that it will be entering into an agreement with NY Waterway for the option to purchase the property. The City was also advised that NJ Transit intends to allocate $12 million in its budget for acquisition of the property.

Residents may speak at the next NJ Transit board meeting which will be on Wednesday, December 13, 2017 at 9:00am in the Board Room at NJ Transit's Headquarters, One Penn Plaza East, Ninth Floor, Newark, New Jersey.

Tiffanie Fisher Hoboken City Councilwoman Advocates for Open Space at Union Dry Dock Facility

Below is a useful list of contacts for those so inclined to advocate for the Union Dry Dock property to be allowed to become a park instead of a facility for NY Waterway. Open space advocates for years have stated the goal of of having end to end continuous access in Hoboken and this site is viewed as the last piece of the puzzle.

Union Dry Dock Hoboken - recent photo

Below is an email from Tiffanie Fisher Hoboken City Councilwoman 2nd Ward to a number of Hoboken residents to get the word out to your representatives. That is what citizen advocacy is all about.

Dear friends and neighbors –

As a follow up to my prior email [concerning the Union Dry Dock Property acquisition by NY Waterway], I wanted to provide some additional contact information for you.  I have spoken directly with both Assembly Members Chapparo and Mukherji, Senator Gordon and John Leon from NJ Transit.  All are receiving your emails so keep them coming.  At the bottom is a copy and paste version for different groups and a few suggestions on what you can say for each.  Feel free to use / not use or add whatever information you feel is most helpful.

I assure you that more voices are better.  So please reach out to as many as you can.  This is a great contact list so definitely keep for your records for future concerns.  

- Tiffanie Fisher Hoboken City Council, 2nd Ward

Another photo of Union Dry Dock Hoboken - recently taken

Administration:

• Mayor Dawn Zimmer, Hoboken Mayor – dzimmer@hobokennj.gov or call (201) 420-2013
• Steven Marks, Business Administrator – smarks@hobokennj.gov or call  (201) 420-2059
• Ravi Bhalla, Mayor Elect – rbhalla@hobokennj.gov or call (201) 420-2000

City Council:

• Jen Giattino, Council President - jengiattino6@gmail.com or call (201) 780-6779
• Peter Cunningham, Council VP - cunninghamforhoboken@gmail.com or call (201) 562-7071
• Mike Defusco, Councilman – mdefusco@hobokennj.gov or call (646) 372-4341
• Jim Doyle, Councilman -  jimdoylehoboken@gmail.com or call (201) 792-9319
• Tiffanie Fisher, Councilwoman – hoboken2nd@gmail.com or call (201) 208-1674
• Ruben Ramos, Councilman – councilmanramos4@gmail.com or call (201) 401-7947
• Michael Russo, Councilman - councilmanrusso@gmail.com or call (201) 401-9687

Hudson County:

• Thomas De Gise, Hudson County Executive – tdegise@hcnj.us or call 201-795-6000
• Craig Guy, De Gise’s Chief of Staff – cguy@hcnj.us or call 201-795-6000
• Anthony L Romano, Hudson County Freeholder – aromano@hcnj.us or call 201-795-6001

State Level Representatives:

• Governor Chris Christie - http://nj.gov/governor/contact/ or call 609-292-6000
• Amy Cradic, Christie Chief of Staff – amy.cradic@nj.gov
• John Spinello, Dir. Of Authorities unit of Counsel – john.spinello@nj.gov
• Governor Elect Phil Murphy - https://go.murphy4nj.com/page/s/contact
• Pete Cammarano (different one), Murphy Chief of Staff – pcamm@optonline.net or pete@cammaranolayton.com
• Matt Platkin, Murphy Counsel – mplatkin@gmail.com
• Brian Stack, State Senator and Union City Mayor - senstack@njleg.org or call (201) 376-1942
• Annette Chaparro, Assemblywoman – chaparrofornj33@gmail.com or call (201) 683-7917
• Raj Mukherji, Assemblyman - AsmMukherji@njleg.org or call (201) 626-4000
• Bob Gordon, State Senator and Vice Chair of Transportation Subcommittee – SenGordon@njleg.org or call (201) 703-9779

Federal Level Representatives:

• Frank Schultz, Deputy State Director for Sen. Bob Menendez - frank_schultz@menendez.senate.gov or call (202) 224-4744
• George Helmy, State Director for Sen. Cory Booker – george_helmy@booker.senate.gov
• Gene Matorony, Chief of Staff to Rep. Albio Sires - gene.martorony@mail.house.gov or call (202) 225-7919

New Jersey Transit/NY Waterway:

• NJ Transit Board - njtboard@njtransit.com
• Paul Wyckoff, Deputy Executive Director NJ Transit – pwyckoff@njtransit.com
• Eric Daleo, Assist ED of Capital Projects – edaleo@njtransit.com
• John Leon, Government Relations NJ Transit – jleon@njtransit.com
• Steven Santoro, Executive Director NJ Transit – ssantoro@njtransit.com
• Richard Hammer, Commissioner NJ DOT - rick.hammer@dot.nj.gov
• Armand Pohan, Chairman NY Waterway – pohan@nywaterway.com

Neighboring Cities:

• Gio Ahmad, Town of Weehawken Business Administrator – gahmad@tow-nj.net
• James Davis, Mayor of Bayonne - mayors.office@baynj.org
• Steve Fulop, Mayor of Jersey City - fulops@jcnj.org

Copy and Paste version with suggested questions:

Hoboken Administration and City Council:

What are you doing to protect our waterfront now that NY Waterway have announced they are moving in? What are you doing to ensure NY Waterway (or their successor NJ Transit) find a permanent home for their maintenance facilities?

dzimmer@hobokennj.gov; smarks@hobokennj.gov; rbhalla@hobokennj.gov; jengiattino6@gmail.com; cunninghamforhoboken@gmail.com;mdefusco@hobokennj.gov; jimdoylehoboken@gmail.com; hoboken2nd@gmail.com; councilmanramos4@gmail.com; councilmanrusso@gmail.com;

Hudson County and Neighboring Cities:

What can be done within the Hudson County waterfront cities to provide a better, permanent home for NY Waterway in a location that is more industrial in use than residential?  Please consider locations in and around Hoboken’s Lackawana Terminal or sites in Jersey City or Bayonne for the permanent location.  Can the lease with Lennar in Weehawken be extended to accommodate discussions for a permanent location?

tdegise@hcnj.us; cguy@hcnj.us; aromano@hcnj.us; asantos@hcnj.us; gahmad@tow-nj.net; mayors.office@baynj.org; fulops@jcnj.org

Governor Elect:

Please say no to NJ Transit’s potential acquisition of NY Waterway site in Hoboken and/or their future acquisition of NY Waterway.  Please have NJ Transit locate any of its operations and future expansion NOT at the UDD site, but rather another location outside of Hoboken or via expansion of the existing sites at the north and south end of Hoboken.

info@murphy4nj.com; pcamm@optonline.net; pete@cammaranolayton.com; mplatkin@gmail.com;

State Representatives:

Please advocate for NJ Transit / NY Waterway to not locate their operations in the center of Hoboken’s waterfront.  Hoboken residents have fought for decades to have an end to end park in Hoboken.  Please consider moving ferry maintenance to Lackawana terminal or to locations outside of Hoboken including Bayonne.  Please work with the Hoboken administration to determine the best alternative for Hoboken and existing and future waterway passengers.

senstack@njleg.org; chaparrofornj33@gmail.com; AsmMukherji@njleg.org; SenGordon@njleg.org;

Federal Level Representatives:

Please advocate for NJ Transit / NY Waterway to not locate their operations in the center of Hoboken’s waterfront.  Hoboken residents have fought for decades, along with Senator Menendez, to ensure that Hoboken’s waterfront would be a public park for its residents and visitors.  Please consider ways you can support moving ferry maintenance to Lackawana terminal or to locations outside of Hoboken including Bayonne.  Please work with the State and Hoboken representatives to determine the best alternative for Hoboken residents and visitors and existing and future waterway passengers.

frank_schultz@menendez.senate.gov; george_helmy@booker.senate.gov; gene.martorony@mail.house.gov;

New Jersey Transit/NY Waterway:

What can be done to provide a better, permanent home for NY Waterway in a location that is more industrial in use than residential?  Please consider locations in and around Hoboken’s Lackawana Terminal or sites in Jersey City or Bayonne for the permanent location.  Can the lease with Lennar in Weehawken be extended to accommodate discussions for a permanent location? Hoboken residents have been fighting for an end to end public park in Hoboken for decades.  Please work with the State and Hoboken representatives to determine the best alternative for Hoboken residents and visitors and existing and future waterway passengers.

njtboard@njtransit.com; pwyckoff@njtransit.com; edaleo@njtransit.com; jleon@njtransit.com; ssantoro@njtransit.com; rick.hammer@dot.nj.gov;pohan@nywaterway.com

Editor's Note:

It way end up being the path of least resistance that wins out in the end. Fighting NJ Transit should they decide to purchase the property from NY Waterway would be a big legal hurdle due to their power of eminent domain trumping Hoboken's. Perhaps settling for easements and givebacks could be the easiest way to go while allowing NY Waterway to use property as envisioned. There is already a cleanup initiative underway. Should NY Waterway eventually give up its plans to use this site then perhaps the City of Hoboken could buy it down the line. I am not saying that is the best option but could be the only one viable one from a legal and/or financial position.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.