Mayor Dawn Zimmer says it’s a coincidence that controlling noise on the streets is being addressed by the city just a few weeks before the St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 5. However, a meeting with bar owners, the administration, the police, and the fire department last week was an indication that the city is officially preparing to host one of the biggest party days in the state.
Zimmer advised the approximately 50 bar owners who gathered on Wednesday afternoon at City Hall to “keep their lines as quiet as possible” on the day of the parade, and to do their best to hire extra help to keep the day peaceful.
“You can’t be responsible for what they do when they leave the bar, but it is a headache for everyone,” Zimmer said of the drunk and disorderly people who are an annual issue associated with the parade.
“Especially when the bars close, there’s a lot of yelling and screaming. It actually wakes people up. It’s unbelievable.” – Jean Forest
________
Falco also called upon the bar owners to ask people in line not to smoke because it may bother upstairs tenants. Falco said many of the problems last year stemmed from house parties, and bars were, for the most part, under control.
“Our goal is to improve upon last year,” he said. “But last year was a step in the right direction.”
Joseph Branco, the owner of Room 84 and Scotland Yard, invited bar owners to one of his establishments before the parade for training on how to determine if money is counterfeit and identification is real.
Fire Chief Richard Blohm said he will have several teams travelling around the city on the day of the parade to ensure occupancy numbers are not being exceeded.
“We take enforcement very seriously,” Blohm said. “Stay within the occupancy numbers and we’ll be fine.”
Zimmer asked for help from the bar owners to make sure the day goes well for the city, and labeled Hoboken’s St. Patrick’s Day fest as “a day that’s challenging for many Hoboken residents.”
‘In the middle of a war zone’
But it’s not just St. Patrick’s Day that some city residents find challenging. In fact, if Tuesday evening’s public meeting on quality of life issues was an accurate indication of life in downtown Hoboken, every weekend is like St. Patrick’s Day for some.
Jean Forest, a resident of 2 Marine View Plaza, said on the weekends her building is “in the middle of a war zone” battered by the sounds of screaming partiers.
“I thought when the W Hotel came things would become more subdued,” she said. “That was a big mistake. Especially when the bars close, there’s a lot of yelling and screaming. It actually wakes people up. It’s unbelievable.”
Another downtown resident suggested that all the Hoboken bar owners chip in funds so more police officers can be hired to police the streets at night when the bars empty out at 3 a.m.
Falco said the state frowns upon liquor establishments paying for the police.
Resident Jim Vance suggested a new tax be put in place on bar owners.
“My property value has gone down,” one downtown resident said. “People in my building spent $10,000 noise proofing their windows. Is that fair?”
Zimmer said one plan the city has been looking into is how to get more people into taxis efficiently, such as establishing a new taxi stand.
Fixing the problem
A proposed noise ordinance to be presented to the council sets specific guidelines for the city to enforce violations. Zimmer said the legislation came from the hard work of Zoning Officer Ann Holtzman. Currently, the city relies on the county health department to come in and enforce noise ordinances. But soon, if the legislation passes, city police officers and parking enforcement officers will be trained to enforce noise violations in the city. The ordinance spells out exact decibel levels for violations, something that doesn’t exist now.
Zimmer said she hoped to develop the legislation, which was sent back to subcommittee for more work after the last council meeting, to give the current ordinance “something that has a little more teeth to it, but also meets the approval of the state. We’ve been working with Chief Falco [Hoboken Police], Director Sacs [Parking and Transportation], to make sure we have the capability to go out and investigate the various noise concerns,” she said on Tuesday.
Café ordinance
The city also addressed a café ordinance during the quality of life meeting, and the reaction was mixed. Cafes are open until 11 p.m. every night, and based on feedback from the public, it will probably remain that way.
One 1st Ward resident didn’t agree with changing café hours to allow the sidewalk shops to be open later.
“Why would I want more people on the streets at midnight on Friday and Saturday?” he said. “Until we make more improvements [to the noise ordinance], we’re only going to put more people on the street.”
Others, such as resident Haney Ahmed, contended that a sidewalk café crowd is much different than a group of bar partygoers, and should be allowed to stay open later.
The proposed sidewalk café ordinance would allow for the opening date to change from April 1 to the Wednesday after the first Saturday in March. The closing date would change from Nov. 30 to the second Monday in December. Zimmer said on Thursday it appeared the closing time for the sidewalk cafes will not be changed, and it would be regulated to close at 11 p.m.
The noise ordinance is scheduled to be addressed at the Feb. 16 City Council meeting.
Ray Smith may be reached at RSmith@hudsonreporter.com