Dear Editor:
Forgive me, but I am slow to understand what ‘improper behavior’ Mr. Stuiver observed on the part of Councilman Occhipinti and documented in his April 8 letter to the Hoboken Reporter. Mr. Stuiver characterizes the councilman’s actions, attempting to testify before the Zoning Board in a variance hearing, as ‘highly unorthodox’ regarding the planned restaurant at the site of the former Downtown Pub.
Allow me to publicly express my gratitude to Mr. Occhipinti. There has been far too much orthodox behavior exhibited over the course past three years, while this project has languished in perpetuity. I am certain that the councilman was only acting in the best interest of his constituents and that he shares the common frustration felt by so many of us living in this part of the 4th Ward.
I would be very cautious in labeling the councilman as a ‘shill’, and I would further remind Mr. Stuiver that ‘developer’ is not a four-letter word.
I welcome commercial enterprise to the 4th Ward, especially a business that it seems could attract patrons and additional commerce to our area of Hoboken. While there is no shortage of blame to be shared among the many, many parties involved in this project. The sad truth is that continuing to hold the future of the restaurant in abeyance does a grave disservice to the residents of this neighborhood by dissuading other would-be entrepreneurs from doing business in our area.
The time for in-fighting and finger-pointing is past. Now is the time for actionable compromise that yields measurable results. It will be a mixture of a well-conceived business and planned park space that will yield the kind of truly revitalized neighborhood that we seek for this area. Let us move forward in a timely manner to achieve what is best for Hoboken and the 4th Ward.
Joel Mazmanian
4th Ward Resident