Hoboken and prior lessor of garage facility meet in court
HOBOKEN – Attorneys from the city of Hoboken and a small Hoboken business called Hoboken Unleashed met in Hudson County Superior Court Monday afternoon in an attempt to resolve a complaint filed by Hoboken Unleashed on Friday, Aug. 13. The small company is complaining that they already had a lease for a warehouse at 1714 Willow Ave., where the city of Hoboken began moving its own property last week.
The city finished moving its municipal garage operations from Observer Highway to that new location on Friday in order to fulfill a legal obligation regarding a deal with a developer who wanted to buy the Observer Highway property. Even though the city is no longer selling the garage to the developer, they need to show that they kept their end of the bargain to move by Friday.
But in doing so, they are now facing legal action by a new entity.
Hoboken Unleashed, a dogsitting company, has asked a judge to file a temporary restraint against the city regarding the property.
Hoboken Unleashed claims that Sunday, a principal of his company was told he could not park his car on the property, and was threatened with arrest by a police officer.
Judge Thomas Olivieri, the presiding judge of the Chancery Division, said “unfettered access” to the Willow Avenue property should be granted to Hoboken Unleashed.
Corporate Counsel for the City of Hoboken Michael Kates said the issue of site access could be worked out.
Kates has previously said that he did not believe the preexisting lease would cause a problem, as according to the complaint, it would take Hoboken Unleashed approximately four months to acquire a variance from the Hoboken Zoning Board that would be necessary for the company to relocate from their current location at 716 Clinton St. The city has leased the property for 60 days with the possibility of an extension up to one year.
“In the next 60 days, the city has to decide what course to take with Hoboken Unleashed and the property owners,” Kates said.
Kates said in court that the city has the power of eminent domain and this location is convenient for the city.
An attorney for Hoboken Unleashed said that even though the location is perfect for the city, it is also a perfect location for his client.
Judge Olivieri advised the attorneys to meet together to try and solve the issue before court reconvenes on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.
Battle of Paulus Hook commemoration in downtown JC this Thursday
JERSEY CITY AND BEYOND – The commemoration of the Battle of Paulus Hook — which originally took place on August 19, 1779 — will happen on Thursday, 6:30 p.m., at the Korean War Memorial, located at the corner of Washington and Dudley streets in downtown Jersey City, this Thursday.
The commemoration marks the 231st year of Revolutionary War hero Light Horse Harry Lee’s night assault on the British-held fort, a site located in the Paulus Hook neighborhood. This area is considered hallowed ground by historians, as the battle demonstrated to the British Army, located in Manhattan, that the Americans could operate and attack at will.
The celebrants will follow a fife and drum corps, marching up Washington Street in what is now called the Historic Paulus Hook District, to the Four-Corner Park at Washington & Grand Streets.
At the park, the celebration continues with patriotic singing, a talk about the Battle of Paulus Hook, a short speech by Jersey City officials, and a scavenger hunt marking the way through history to the Light Horse Tavern (corner of Washington & Morris streets), where everyone can participate in a toast to battle commander Major Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee and enjoy some wonderful appetizers. –RK
Local towns could become ‘windy cities’
BAYONNE AND WEEHAKWEN — According to the Gothamist and a clean energy website, over the next three years, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is planning to bring wind energy to the New York City metropolitan area, including Bayonne, where construction has reportedly already begun.
Wind turbines may find their way to Weehawken in the future as well.
The sites say that a plan by the Port Authority “calls for five wind turbines, each over 280 feet tall, to be put on the west side of New York Harbor, and another across the river in Bayonne, NJ” and they quoted a representative from the Port Authority saying that “Anybody who’s ever stood out at the dock in Weehawken waiting for a ferry just knows it’s a very windy area. Apparently, it’s a pretty good place to put windmills.”
Reportedly, the five planned turbines could produce up to 7.5 megawatts of power (or enough to power 2,000 homes) with the right windy conditions.
JC animal shelter seeks adopters and foster homes
JERSEY CITY AND HOBOKEN – The Liberty Humane Society animal shelter in Jersey City is looking for good homes for the many cats and dogs currently living at the shelter and is asking the community to consider adopting or temporarily fostering a cat or dog this summer.
All adopted pets are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and micro chipped. The adoption fee for dogs is $175 and for cats it is $120. Adoption fees are reduced half price ($60) on Tuesdays for cats one year or older.
To find out more about adopting, fostering or volunteering, call Liberty Humane at (201) 547-4147 and press 0, or visit the website www.libertyhumane.org. The shelter is open every day for adoptions except Wednesday. Adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except for Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The shelter is located at 235 Jersey City Blvd., directly across the street from the Liberty Science Center parking lot.