Dear Editor:
The settlement over the latest Hartz Mountain mega-development on Weehawken’s waterfront sold out the interests of Weehawken and Hudson County citizens. The only view that the settlement protected was for Manhattan-bound commuters originating from out of county. The rest of us enter the Lincoln Tunnel from below the helix, where the view will be obstructed.
The view that still exists up the helix away from the tunnel will be lost due to the approval of the two Hartz Mountain towers. There was no consideration given to loss of views from the rest of Weehawken, including the loss of 60 percent of the river view from Gregory Avenue/Reservoir area, according to June 19, 2001 testimony by the developer’s engineer.
Local Weehawken groups that voiced the initial concerns which provoked the 11-year lawsuit, including the Weehawken Environment Committee and Forward, only found out about the settlement after the fact. This is a classic example of what goes wrong when elected officials lose touch with the local interests they are supposed to represent.
Brian Beckenbaugh