Dear Editor:
If you are concerned about over-blown, ill-conceived development in Hoboken, I urge you to be present on Wednesday, Feb. 10 when the City Council will hear the Fund for a Better Waterfront’s (FBW) appeal of the Zoning Board of Adjustment’s approval of the Stevens Garage.
Last year, the Zoning Board overreached its legal authority – and abandoned its responsibility to uphold the City’s Zoning Ordinance – by granting Stevens Institute an astounding nineteen variances for the construction of its garage on Sinatra Drive. FBW has appealed this decision to the city council.
Stevens’ plan for this garage will actually widen Sinatra drive! Every traffic planner – or mom with a stroller, or intrepid jogger – knows that means more cars moving at higher speeds. Crossing Sinatra Drive is already a harrowing experience, and FBW advocates narrowing the roadway so it becomes a pedestrian friendly city street.
FBW is appealing to a new City Council and administration that campaigned on a sane, balanced approach to development. We hope they will take seriously both their campaign promises and their legal obligation: when the Zoning Board grants so many variances, it significantly alters the City’s Zoning Ordinance; something that, by law, only the City Council may do. We are asking that the Council reclaim its authority and reverse this decision.
FBW has retained planners, architects and engineers in an attempt to transform the garage project into one that provides Stevens with the parking it needs while enhancing our city’s remarkable public waterfront. We welcome further discussions with all stakeholders to make that vision a reality.
Please join us in City Hall to let your representatives know you want this project to go back to the drawing board.
Sincerely,
Heather Gibbons
The Fund for a Better Waterfront