Judge: Doggie day care and city must work together at Hoboken garage

HOBOKEN — The city of Hoboken will have to share space at its temporary uptown municipal garage location with a dog day care company that had a prior lease on the property, a judge ruled on Wednesday afternoon.
Attorneys from the city of Hoboken, as well as Hoboken Unleashed and a property owner named Willow Enterprises, were told to share and share alike by Judge Thomas Olivieri.
Recently, the city of Hoboken was forced to move its public works garage equipment from Observer Highway up to a private facility that they are renting, because of an impending deal to sell their Observer garage to a developer. Leasing property at 1714 Willow Ave. was meant to be a creative solution.
But not for long.
It came to light a week ago that a small business owner in Hoboken, Hoboken Unleashed, had a lease on the property and intended to move in within a few months. In fact, Unleashed has paid Willow Enterprises, the landlord, $2,000 a month to keep the property exclusive to the company.
The city, through a statement by Environmental Services Director Jennifer Maier, suggested that access for the company could be provided with 48 hours’ notice and through supervised visits. Maier also said Hoboken Unleashed could be allowed on the property only after 4 p.m. and on weekends because of the nature of the work done by the city at the site.
But Hoboken Unleashed’s lawyer, Padraig Flanagan, said this was something “he could not live with.”
Hoboken Unleashed claims that on Sunday, after a member of the doggy daycare company arrived at 1714 Willow Ave., he was told to leave or face arrest.
On Wednesday, Olivieri ordered that Hoboken Unleashed be allowed on the property at any time, and if they need the city to move vehicles, they should give the city 24 hours’ notice.
Mike Stigliano, the owner of the company, said after the hearing on Wednesday that his company has applied for an expedited variance with the Zoning Board so he can move in.
Stigliano said he was happy with the ruling, but said the ultimate goal is getting Hoboken off the property so he can eventually move in.
The sides will be back in Hudson County Superior Court on Oct. 12 at 10:30 a.m.