HOBOKEN — After numerous residents of the west side of town spoke out at Wednesday night’s Hoboken City Council meeting, the administration of Mayor Dawn Zimmer finally addressed the question of whether the city is considering moving the city’s municipal garage to the area of Sixth and Jackson streets.
Zimmer noted that there are few ideal places to move the garage, saying, “We have been working diligently to find the least bad solution.”
She also said that she would really like to give out more information to the public, but that she cannot release confidential information that would put the city’s negotiation power at risk.
Zimmer released this note this afternoon:
I am writing to assure residents concerned about a potential municipal garage site located at 6th and Monroe Streets. My Administration is considering multiple options, none of which are ideal. Relocating the garage, even temporarily, in this or any other residential area raises serious concerns. Those concerns were heard very clearly at last night’s Council meeting, echoing publicly concerns that have been raised both internally by my Administration and by Council Members.
The lack of proper relocation planning in the five years since the garage was sold to fund operating expenses has been the single biggest challenge faced by my Administration. There were no good options available in the very limited time we were given. We have been working diligently to find the least bad solution. I have every confidence we are nearing one of several options that will avoid the outcome rumored in recent days.
The Council has been briefed on alternatives. In an effort to overlook nothing, we have been and will continue to consider additional locations through direct solicitation of property owners and the RFP process, which is scheduled to be completed on May 28th. Results of the RFP process will be shared with the City Council and the public and discussed at a public meeting.
Residents may review the notices for two RFPs issued on our website at the following links:
http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/businessadmin/InteriorGarageRFP.pdf
http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/businessadmin/ExteriorGarageRFP.pdf
Please email Juan Melli at jmelli@hobokennj.org in the Mayor’s office if you would like to sign up for regular updates on the municipal garage site relocation.
As a final note, it is personally frustrating that I cannot further reduce concern by more fully briefing the public. There are a great many moving pieces to this transaction, and I am firmly advised by counsel that premature disclosure could severely undermine the City’s interests. It would be far more comfortable to say more, but I will not do so if it means putting the City’s interest at risk.