Dear Mayor Roberts:
Large urban development projects have for years put concerned Hoboken citizens on the defensive, fighting to preserve their quality of life. Unfortunately, the detrimental consequences of this irresponsible development have now become a reality. A growing number of residents are expressing their outrage and opposition as they witness their town being destroyed by out-of-town developers. We now realize that the excessive traffic, pollution and infrastructure problems are going to plague our city forever.
The planning and zoning boards continue to receive applications every month for large projects and they continue to approve their projects under your administration. But years of unregulated development means that now drastic measures must be taken to avoid irreversible damage. Hoboken must immediately impose a moratorium on all development. There must be an assessment of the impact of all development which has been built, on Hoboken’s traffic, infrastructure and quality of life before any further building can be contemplated.
Time is of the essence because more large projects are waiting in the wings. For example, we have the proposed Maxwell House project for 982 residential units on the waterfront and a block size 111 luxury residential unit structure proposed between Grand and Adams on 9th Street across from The Columbus and the high school. Just these two future projects alone will increase the population by 8 percent resulting in horrendous traffic uptown between 8th and 11th Streets. Add the ShopRite being built on 9th Street and the 916 parking garage when operational, and we will have a nightmare of non-stop traffic filtering onto 9th Street all the way to Stevens who have been planning large traffic-producing projects of their own on 8th and Hudson.
During your campaign you spoke out against the over-development in town so citizens are anxiously watching and waiting for your administration to act. Unfortunately, citizens cannot prevent the boards from allowing more development projects to go forward. Residents protest at meetings, giving valid reasons to reject the projects, but the board members keep approving them anyway.
Now is the time to act. Under your leadership our city government can be, for the first time, by and for the people. A moratorium on development will be recognized as an appropriate response to a serious urban problem. You can be a hero in your own time, and future Hoboken generations will benefit from your fortitude.
Most respectfully,
Mary Ondrejka