Dear Editor:
Last week Stephen Santangelo expressed his concern over City Council’s passing of an ordinance that would inhibit Stevens Institute of Technology from building a 300-car parking garage.
I can understand how Mr. Santangelo might feel. As an active participant with the Historic Hudson Street Coalition (HHSC) I, like many members, own a car. I transport my family which includes two small children (requiring car seats) to various places primarily on weekends. Other members, many of them senior citizens, own cars to see relatives and doctors in other New Jersey towns. We all covet a parking space near our homes. However, we are realistic. This garage, by Stevens’ own account, will remove only 100 fraternity cars from city streets. Thus this project might bring some relief to the city. However, past experience shows this to be only temporary.
As a person whose officemate drives into Hoboken, I know that getting a parking space after 8:30 a.m. is not so difficult. The difficulty is not during the work day, but from about 5 to 10 p.m. and on non-holiday/summer weekends. Stevens has been actively advertising to attract graduate and executive students. You could probably guess what days and times these students attend school. Need I say more on this point?
Second, if this project was only a 300-car parking garage it might be one thing. However, this is an “Athletic Field Upgrade.” It consists of: a 376-car parking garage, a 41,000 square foot administration building housing a physical plant slated to service a fleet of 40 vehicles and handle other maintenance projects; an athletic facility with a Soccer/Lacrosse field, a baseball field, softball field with 850 spectator seats and sports lighting. Once you understand the full scope and impact of this project, add it to the project on Sinatra Drive and 5th (another 850 parking spaces, a total of 1226 spaces between the two) and other projects Stevens has slated, you might being to understand the City’s desire to encourage Stevens to construct projects that are appropriate to the neighborhood in which it resides.
The ordinance doesn’t just affect the “Athletic Field Upgrade” but all future projects, especially those that impact residences that surround the school.
The ordinance provides the city, residents and Stevens a clearer understanding of what is acceptable to build. If the members of the HHSC sound as if we don’t want it in our backyards you are partially right. We don’t think this should be in anybody’s backyard.
With regard to HHSC members not supporting other causes, I am disappointed you have not had the opportunity to meet and see for yourself the members and supporters of this group. Many of us have been lobbying for and against a wide variety of projects in town. A respectable number have done so for more than 20 years. It is difficult for citizens groups that are comprised of members who work full time, have families and personal obligations to maintain the stamina, financial backing and access to the high-quality professionals required to influence developers, or in this case an educational institution. Developers do this as just a part of their business. Stamina and enthusiasm is especially tough when City Hall is either sloppy or ignores the zoning ordinances established for the city.
Let’s face it. Over the past several years culminating in the last two, our quaint mile-square city has been under siege. Hoboken in the 70s needed development support. It began making the change conservatively through the 80s and was well positioned to absorb the recession from 1987-93. As the economy picked up, people began to believe Hoboken was being left behind, especially in light of the Jersey City waterfront. Instead of staying the course and be uniquely Hoboken, with its “Stoop Life” and historic street feel, it appeared like we wanted to be something else.
In 1988 the city’s master plan showed a deficit of 4,082 non-reserved parking spaces. In 1996 that number was estimated at 4,337. I can only imagine what that number is today and what traffic would be like on Friday afternoon if we actually had all those spaces. Maybe instead of believing we can solve our parking problems by filing every empty lot within our neighborhoods with parking, we should consider a host of other options and not permit facilities that knowingly increase commuters. Maybe that’s why City Council voted for this ordinance. And maybe that’s why a majority of Hoboken voters decided to put their faith in the new administration.
Beth Mason
Member, Historic Hudson Street Coalition