HOBOKEN – After the state Department of Environmental Protection granted approvals for the uptown proposed Monarch project earlier this month, Mayor Dawn Zimmer sent a letter to residents advising them that the city is pursuing an appeal of the decision.
Ironstate Development, which already built the Shipyard Development Project in that area, plans to build two new residential buildings along the waterfront on inland piers. To read a previous story about the development, click here.
The project still needs local approvals, and a hearing in Hoboken is expected “during the first few months of 2012,” according to the letter. Because the proposed project is on a county road, it also requires approval of the county Planning Board.
The program has caused a bit of a stir because the city’s Master Plan calls for the area to be designated as open space. However, the Master Plan is a suggestion for the city to make zoning changes, which the city has not officially done as yet.
The property is privately owned. The proposal is for the area near Hudson and 15th streets.
To see Zimmer’s letter, click here.
“While the city is currently reviewing all of its options, it is important for residents to understand that if the project met DEP regulations, then the DEP could not simply say ‘no’ to the project,” Zimmer wrote in her letter. “I requested a letter explaining the basis of the DEP’s decision but was told it would not be possible to receive the letter.”
For more on this story, keep reading HudsonReporter.com. – Ray Smith