Dear Editor: In his December “Pride in Hoboken” column in this paper, Mayor Russo announced that last year, development in Hoboken has resulted in $66 million in new ratables. All of this new construction has seriously degraded this quality of life in Hoboken and greatly increased the costs of running this city. As a result, the mayor stated that his administration has planned a series of initiatives designed to slow development and reduce density. The latest proposal for the Hudson River Club at 1600 Park Avenue is an opportunity to put this new policy to work. There is no question that this 18-story project is excessive, surpassing zoning limits to an extreme. The prior proposal for 351 units has been reduced by only seven apartments, a 2 percent reduction in density. In this zoning district, 18 stories exceeds the height limits by 10 stories or 104 feet. The 65% maximum lot coverage allowed has been increased to 74%. The result will be far more traffic, pollution and people than what the Hoboken ordinance allows. Some of the things we treasure in Hoboken are its rich architectural heritage, its human scale and the pedestrian-friendly streets. Despite the fact that the old buildings stand shoulder to shoulder, their heights are a uniform 3, 4 or 5 stories and their lot widths are typically 15 to 25 feet across. A century ago buildings were solid structures made primarily of stone, brick and terra cotta, and 50% of each block was devoted to open space. Today, homeowners comprise a large percent of Hoboken’s population. The picture of 1600 Park Avenue is something entirely different. It is a massive, hulking, 18-story structure taking up nearly an entire city block. The multistory parking garage comprising the base of the building, would deaden the street scape and encourage people to drive rather than walk. The residents of 1600 Park would have no back yards. Only 55% of the facade would be masonry. This project would bring hundreds of additional residents to Hoboken who have little stake in this town’s future. The promise of more ratables, valet parking and art galleries is not a proper justification for making a mockery of our zoning ordinance and a mess of our traffic conditions. This is not the type of project that should be accepted for consideration by the Hoboken Zoning Board. The best solution is for the developer to design a project that conforms to the zoning ordinance. It is unlikely that such a project would be found objectionable. Ron Hine Chairman