Jersey Journal, April 15, 2004

Dear Editor:

My wife and I are lifetime Jersey City Heights residents. My wife attended Sacred Heart Academy, Hoboken, and we have always spent a lot of time in Hoboken and have enjoyed the time spent there.

I am appealing to you to reconsider the support you have been giving to the high-rise development, along the Palisades, that rises above the Manhattan skyline as viewed from Paterson Plank Road.

We are homeowners who will be affected by these high-rises, but there is a larger issue.

Blocking views from that roadway will destroy what many feel is the best unobstructed panoramic view of the New York skyline in Hudson County. As you know, this roadway is the western gateway to both the northern and southern entrances to Hoboken. Thousands of people (Hoboken residents, Hudson County residents and visitors) enjoy this view each day.

Development in general is good, but if done improperly, history has shown it can be harmful. Robert Moses destroyed the fabric of many neighborhoods in New York City in the name of development.

Once these buildings are up, they will be there for a very long time. Everyone benefits from considerate, responsible development. Please don't be the mayor and council that destroys this Hoboken, Hudson County, and regional asset.

Mike Pierro