Hoboken Reporter, July 9, 2000

Dear Editor:

The City of Hoboken, by allowing two new projects at the north waterfront to move forward, is reneging on a plan and vision for its waterfront that was created in 1993 by the Hoboken Waterfront Corporation. The mission of this Corporation, whose members were appointed by the mayor, was to create a new plan for Hoboken's waterfront after massive waterfront proposals in the early 1990's went down to defeat in two public referendum elections. The Corporation, with the assistance of professional planners, devised a plan that reserved the water's edge, including any piers to be preserved, as public open space. Private development was confined to upland blocks. This resulted in Pier A Park that, before the referendums, was to be the site for an immense 33-story office tower. Hoboken, unlike waterfront communities to our south and north, was to have a public waterfront where one could walk along the entire length of the river and enjoy unparalleled, unobstructed views of the Hudson River and New York City skyline. There would be no private developments abutting the public walkway that would diminish the public's feeling that the water's edge belonged to them.

These two proposals, one at the Shipyard project and the other at the former Maxwell House site, are likely to revive the bitterly contested battles over Hoboken's waterfront that took place a decade ago. The hard fought referendum victories that resulted in agreements with the municipality that preserved the water's edge as public open space are now being threatened by these luxury townhouse projects on three piers.

The Shipyard development is proposing to add 120 units to its northernmost pier. This 4-story building would jut into the Hudson River 818 feet, the equivalent of two long city blocks. Currently, as you stand at the water's edge at the Shipyard looking north, you enjoy a remarkable view of the Hudson River stretching all the way to the George Washington Bridge. This townhouse development would completely obliterate the view of the river to the north, the GW Bridge and northern Manhattan. This expanse of open space over the river which can now be enjoyed by all who feast their eyes upon it would be lost forever at the northern waterfront.

It is true that you would be able to take in this view by walking to the end of this 858 long pier. But the luxury residential development would essentially privatize a portion of an otherwise public waterfront, making it an unattractive destination. We know this from visiting the many other private development projects that have already been built on piers.

The project proposed at the Maxwell House site presents the same problems. It includes rows of luxury townhouses on two of the piers. The Hoboken Waterfront Corporation's plan would have opened up the remarkable vistas of the river at this site and assured a design that protected the water's edge as truly public space.

As if developers in Hoboken did not have enough land to build on, they are now proposing to build over the Hudson River. The Shipyard project gained approval in 1996 for 1160 residential units and 63,000 square feet of commercial space, the largest, densest residential project ever to be built in Hoboken. Now they want to increase the total units by 120 to 1280 by building on this pier. At the Maxwell House site, George Vallone and Danny Gans have proposed to build 950 residential units, 160 of which would be erected on two piers. Including the Hoboken Cove project, this totals an additional 6,000 people and 4,000 more cars for Hoboken's north waterfront. The impact on our town will be devastating.

Unfortunately, developers treat the Hudson River as if they owned it. The fact is that the Hudson River and the river's edge are public lands. The state grants private developers permission to build on the "filled water's edge" in exchange for construction of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway. The state regulation that permits construction of non-water dependent uses on the piers, however, is questionable. The use of the waterfront and its piers for maritime purposes has been recognized legally dating back to Roman times. Rows of luxury townhouses on the piers, on the other hand, is an bad idea that is ripe for legal challenge.

More bitter battles over the waterfront, of course, can be avoided. The City of Hoboken can simply tell developers that enough is enough and no private development should take place on the piers. For more information on these developments and "planning waterfront communities" please visit our website at www.betterwaterfront.com.

Coalition for a Better Waterfront
Hoboken