Dear Editor:
Typos are one thing – but how in the world The Hoboken Reporter managed to attribute authorship of a letter penned by one of us: Cheryl Fallick (“An Alternative to the ‘Concept’ Plan,” Hoboken Reporter, Sept. 13, 2009), a letter that discussed Councilwoman Beth Mason’s preliminary plan and ideas for what could be developed in the extreme northwest section of Hoboken, to the other: Mary Ondrejka? Cheryl wrote, emailed and confirmed authorship, Mary’s name was included nowhere. That’s a hell of a mistake!
Fortunately, in the case of Councilwoman Mason’s concept plan, we share the same point of view. In the upcoming Mayoral election, let’s hope that the Hoboken Reporter can manage to attribute letters to the people who actually penned them. Our tax base cannot afford any more PILOTs, our infrastructure cannot weather any additional burden, and our quality of life cannot handle any further assault, all in a feeble attempt to compete with other US tourist distraction destinations, such as Atlantic City and Las Vegas. And why would we want to? Who are the consultants or experts that helped create this “concept plan?” Which developers want to crowd Hoboken with ice skating rinks, minor league baseball fields and tourist promenades that offer the citizens of Hoboken nothing but low wage jobs, increased traffic congestion, more flooding, higher taxes and leisure class distractions?
Hoboken residents’ interests are best served by putting the brakes on continuous and reckless overdevelopment. Thus we are concerned with Beth Mason’s assertion (at the 02-18-09 Hoboken City Council Meeting, in defense of her resolution to start the process of redeveloping northwest Hoboken) that Hoboken is “a city that if it stops building it will die.” Beautiful cities around the world have survived for centuries without being developed into oblivion. Think Venice.
Cheryl Fallick
Mary Ondrejka
CORRECTION: As noted above, last week’s letter “An Alternative to the Concept Plan,” which was critical of Beth Mason’s concept plan for the northwest section of town, was written by Cheryl Fallick, not Mary Ondrejka. We regret the error.