Dear Editor:
On Thursday July 18 at 7 PM, Mayor David Roberts and the Hoboken Planning Board begin reaching out to the public in an effort to develop the City’s first complete revision of the Master Plan since 1986. This meeting will be held at the Multi-Service Center at 124 Grand Street. It will be the first in a series of public meetings that will be held throughout the coming months.
This process will provide direction for the future of the City not just in building development, but for economic development throughout the City. We will accomplish this with the aid of John Shapiro, principal of the planning firm Abeles Phillips Preiss & Shapiro, who is also a Professor of Economic Development at the University of Pennsylvania. Like a child who has eaten too many sweets, Hoboken is getting a stomachache from too much development that has not been well planned. Some of the questions that should be considered: What will be the impact of large scale developments on landlords who live in their buildings and try to rent one or two units in an effort to keep their homes? Why should our children be bused off to another city to play ball? Why should Washington Street not be one of the most vibrant streets in our city? How will pedestrians traverse the city with increased traffic? What is the right amount of development and what kind will keep businesses and residents in town?
I invite all everyone to join us and actively participate in the discussion on these issues and others that are so important to creating a city for the next 150 years. It will be the first time that the city has developed a plan centered around public input. It is the diversity of views that will result in the best plan for the residents and businesses of the City.
Beth Mason
Chair
Master Plan Subcommittee
Hoboken Planning Board