Dear Editor:
I live on Garden St. in Hoboken. Option A shows a wall that ends in front of my house. I am extremely concerned, especially because the house is the only thing I own of significant value.
Questions regarding Garden St. wall:
What exactly is this wall supposed to do? What are the dimensions? Where on the street would it be placed? Will the street be closed to traffic or parking? Will this cause flooding in my basement? Will we be compensated for any damages or loss of value resulting from this project? What will be the effect on property values?
General questions regarding walls along the waterfront:
Who will pay for the upkeep of these structures? Who will be liable if they fail to work as planned? How will this effect air quality and circulation? How will this effect access to the river and waterfront views for pedestrians, bike riders etc. Will they be accessible to the handicapped? Will this just force the storm surge further up the river? How long will these structures last? If the economy, either locally or on a larger scale takes a downturn, will these become rotting eyesores like the abandoned industrial piers? Will the costs outweigh the benefits?
Comments: I think we need to put a lot of serious effort into upgrading our infrastructure to make it more resistant to rain and tide. We need to make sure that all new construction be built to stand up to extreme weather events, and not rely on public money if they fail. Large multiple dwellings should be given incentives to upgrade to a more flood resistant condition. Beyond that I really don’t know what to do. But when I look at the Rebuild By Design plans it calls forth the saying, “First do no harm.”
Thank you,
Greg Ribot