Shipyard homeowners speak out against pier construction

Dear Editor: We recently purchased a home in the South Constitution portion of the Shipyard, and we love our new location. We were surprised to read Michael Barry’s recent comments that Applied has always planned to build on the city’s northernmost pier, since no mention was made of these plans when we purchased our home. In fact, when we asked specifically about future building, the saleswoman assured us that on the north end of the project there were plans only for two more buildings. She went on to say that any development on the piers would be for public, recreational use. Other residents confirm that they too were told there were no plans for development on the piers. Confident that our view would never be obstructed, we bought a unit in the northeast corner of the South Constitution. I must say, however, that the wonderful view from our unit was only one of the reasons we bought at the Shipyard. Having no interest in living in a gated, or otherwise exclusive community, we were encouraged by Applied’s commitment to building usable, public space. Indeed, the park here is wonderful and well used by many people. The idea of a walkway on the riverfront for recreational use (not unlike Chelsea Piers we were told) convinced us that our new home would be in the middle of an active, vibrant community.While Mr. Barry maintains that the project on the pier will still allow for public usage, we fear that it will no longer feel public and that members of the Hoboken community will feel discouraged from accessing it. Perhaps Mr. Barry did not know that his sales team was telling prospective buyers that any development of the piers would be for recreational use. Nonetheless, they had the right idea. As new residents to Hoboken, we hope that Applied will reconsider its plans for the pier, and instead, keep the riverfront the wonderful, public place it is today. Dina R. Rose and Todd R. Clear

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