Dear Editor:
Many people are talking about the benefits of the Stevens Institute of Technology Academic Gateway Complex. I would like to present some of the negative aspects of this project, especially for those of us who live closest to it.
For starters, there are three fundamental problems:
The north wing of this huge academic complex is slated for property zoned residential, on the edge of campus. The master plan specifically states, “For edges along a street, require uses and building design similar in character to existing development (e.g., rowhouse-type residential development on the east side of Hudson Street)”
The other half is slated for a property on which there is a 100 year old World War I building which would be torn down to make way for it.
The connection between these two “wings” of the complex is a skybridge over a public street taking up public air space.
In addition, the proposed complex:
Exceeds height regulations by over 60 percent, both wings are over 65 feet tall versus the allowed 40 feet.
Exceeds lot coverage on the north lot at 97.7 percent versus the allowed 60 percent and on the south lot at 62 percent versus the allowed 50 percent.
Completion of the Babbio parking garage will increase the number of parking spaces, but it is unclear whether this will make up for the expected increase in students and their cars.
Allowing these zoning variances sets a precedent for making the entire east side of Hudson Street part of the core academic campus with similar oversized institutional buildings.
The bottom line: Quiet, narrow, residential Hudson Street is the wrong place for the “gateway” to Stevens’ “core academic campus”.
From a more detailed perspective and why this so horribly breaks the laws and plans of our city, one need only look at the City Zoning Ordinances, Hoboken Master Plan from 2004 (http://hobokennj.org/docs/communitydev/HobokenFinalMasterlist.pdf), and Hoboken Master Plan Reexamination Report from 2010 (http://hobokennj.org/docs/communitydev/Hoboken-Reex-2010-Final.pdf).
In addition, there is the 2005 City Council vote to correct the 2003 zoning map (http://www.hobokennj.org/docs/council/minutes/2005minutes.pdf) which passed unanimously and without objection from Stevens or anyone else, cementing the north lot in the residential zone.
The good news is that all of the benefits to the City of Hoboken in terms of increases in business from additional students will still be realized regardless of where they build their 90,000+ square feet of new classrooms.
It does not need to be here.
Thank you,
Scott Sobel