Dear Editor:
From the day I began serving the Fourth Ward as its appointed Councilman through our successful campaign in November, residents of the ward have voiced a wide variety of concerns about the mammoth 17-story tower that is being built at 101 Marshall Drive. Although, approvals for this project by the previous administration are still very controversial, in the interest of brevity, I will focus this letter on the immediate issues addressed to me by residents in the ward. Nonetheless, out of all of the comments that residents have made regarding this project most people have aimed their remarks at its density, and consequently, the burden this building will have on the already problematic traffic situation at one of the city’s major arteries.
While I share in these concerns and believe they are very important to the health of our community, I do think there is an additional dilemma that residents may not fully appreciate. Most of us know that Marshall Drive stands three feet below sea level, which is the lowest point in Hoboken. Many of us who have been around for some time can remember the terrible floods that we have experienced in this area. As a result, one effect this project may have is to further exacerbate the flooding problem we already have without a building of this size. Moreover, this predicament poses a two-fold threat to residents in that area: (1) a potential health problem may arise if flooding causes our already burdened sewage system to back up onto the streets, or into people’s homes; and (2) landowners run the increase risk of water damaging their homes as a result of such overflows. Therefore, I urge residents to seriously consider the benefits of having such a massive project in this area along with the burdens that will inevitably result.
I would also like to reiterate that I stand firmly opposed to a structure of this size being built in the Fourth ward. I believe this project will not only have a detrimental effect on the quality of life for our residents in the ward, but also on all residents of this beautiful City. As a City Councilman and a concerned resident of the ward, I have met with Mayor Roberts, the City Attorney, Director of Community Development and other interested parties about these potential problems, and they share these same concerns. Other members of our Council, Tony Soares, Ruben Ramos, Jr. and Carol Marsh have all worked hard to research potential solutions to this issue. However, we cannot pursue the prevailing will of the people without the community being well informed and involved. I hope this letter further informs citizens about the additional perils this project poses to the well-being of our neighborhood, and it energizes residents to seek any and all remedies available to them as private citizens.
Christopher Campos
Fourth Ward Councilman