In an effort to clarify numbers and alleviate some residents’ concerns, Mayor David Roberts has called a special meeting of the Hoboken City Council on Monday for the purpose of conducting a workshop for the council and the public on the South Waterfront “Block B” Redevelopment Amendment.
An actual vote on the amendment may be held as early as Wednesday.
The special council meeting is scheduled to be held at 7 p.m. in City Hall. At the meeting, the city’s governing body will reopen the public hearing on the matter, and the public will be able to comment and ask questions about the project, according to Roberts.
At the council’s last meeting, held Nov. 18, the City Hall council chamber was abuzz with controversy over a proposed amendment to modify the last portion of undeveloped land in the South Waterfront Redevelopment area, which runs along the waterfront from First to Fourth streets.
In the 1980s the city and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey entered into discussions on how to jointly develop an underutilized portion of the waterfront north of the Erie Lackawanna Terminal.
The project was divided into three portions, Block A, B and C. Development has been complete or is currently under way on both Block A and C. Block A, the southernmost block, when finished, will contain two office towers, and Block C, the northernmost block, has a 526-unit residential building which has opened and is currently leasing units.
That only leaves Block B left to be developed.
It is all but assured that Block B will be split into two portions. The southern half will most likely be an office tower and the northern half will most likely be a hotel, the only one in the city.
The controversy at the Nov. 18 council meeting erupted over the density and design of the proposed Block B buildings and over proposed amendments to the Redevelopment Plan. The amendments, which have the full support of Roberts, say that the city will reduce “at least 30 percent” of the original floor area permitted on Block B.
It also widens view corridors and increases the amount of glass that can be used in construction. According to City Planner Elizabeth Vendor, using less masonry and more glass will give the building a sleeker, less dense appearance.
The one giveback that is included in the amendment is that whoever is selected as a developer will be able to build the hotel tower 35 feet taller than before.
There were some at the last council meeting that questioned the city’s numbers and voiced concerns that the city is planning to build bigger than what was originally intended. Mayor Roberts said Tuesday that the special council meeting is being called as an attempt to ease those concerns. “The purpose of this workshop to bring in members of the public and answer any questions that they might have about [Block B] and the proposed amendments,” said Roberts. “There’s a lot of inaccurate information floating around out there so we felt it was important that we bring everyone together and answer their questions as best we can. We want to show them that these amendments were a reaction to the public’s concerns, and that is why we decided to present a smaller plan.”
The mayor also said that in addition to city officials, there is scheduled to be a representative from the Port Authority present to answer questions about its involvement in the project and they will present the exact certified numbers in regards to the square footage of the total project.
City Council President Ruben Ramos Jr. said Tuesday night that there has been a great deal of confusion over there proposed amendment and that he hopes Monday’s special session will clear the air. He added that the meeting is only intended as a workshop and a final vote will not be taken that night. According to him, the earliest a vote could be taken is at the next regularly scheduled meeting two days later on Dec. 4.
Councilman Tony Soares, a critic of the amendments and the mayor, said Tuesday that a public meeting only two days before a final vote is to be scheduled is only window dressing. “They are trying to put a good face on this amendment and on this project,” said Soares. “This is just a charade and nothing more that a PR stunt. They are in defense mode not public outreach mode.”
The special council meeting is scheduled to be held Monday night at 7 p.m. in City Hall.