small print, large opinions
No, you are not reading the above flyer all the way from the moon, nor are you a 95 year old who forgot their glasses. This itty bitty super tiny teensy weensy pretty much unreadable listing (taken directly from the official Hoboken website) is actually a public meeting announcement to invite local citizens and people with strong opinions to come to the next City Council Meeting and discuss the future redevelopment plan for the western edge of Hoboken. Clearly they do not want any of us showing up. Why don't we prove them wrong and show up en mass? Bring your noise groggers and megaphones and confetti and make tell 'em what you want in your neighborhood.
For example, if I was there I'd say - any future retail spaces must be at least twice as large as the ones currently existing in the Upper Grand buildings - because those retail spaces are so small no businesses can actually use them - other than nail salons and dry cleaners. This is a problem that should be corrected on all future developments. Why keep making the same mistake? Have you noticed how many unrented retail spots there are in the Upper Grand buildings? It's because the square footage of the spaces availalbe are TOO SMALL. Kind of the like the flyer above.
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008 @ 7pm
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
CITY HALL
94 Washington Street
Unfortunately HH is not in town tomorrow night - so if any diligent and caring NW Hobokeners would like to file an official report with HH on what went down at the meeting, I will publish your report and make you a local honorary junior celebrity. You may not be as popular as Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie, but you'll feel good about being one of the few who care enough to improve your own community. Please email me by clicking here..jpg)
Thanks Eddie, for the tip!
4 comments:
The entire meeting was a bit of a joke. It has already been determined that the buldings will be 12 story highrise with 4 floor midrise as garage and retail space. The precedent was set with both Metrostrop and 900 Monroe being 10 and 12 floor buildings. Basically the city rep (Bado) and the planing company rep (Shapiro?) are shills for the developers. Their interest is to maximize the developers profits. The choice we have is to either live with the highrises but get some park space or keep the buildings at 5 over 1 but get 100% lot coverage (as the buildings next to shoprite parking lot and behind shoprite liquor). There will,be some sort of greenway that will run parallel to the light rail up to 14th street as well as retail along Monroe. There was one larger open space parceled out, however it is not part of the redevoplment zone. I am not sure if Ursa owns that land and will develop it as a park or if it will be another pool/community center diversion where it will be promised but never delivered. There were two people from the parks organiztions there, it sounds like this zone, with the exception of 922 Monroe, will be tied up in litigation as the Master Plan called for that entire are to be a park. it will probably be a while before they break ground.
If anyone else was there and would like to add please feel free.
I forgot to mention this....keep the following in mind when you here politicians and developers use the term "open space". From what I found out at the meeting, open space refers to anything that isn't living space. So if you pass by the 900 Monroe lot, you will notice it is fenced off. That is the lot line for the building. They plan on building a 12 floor condo portion and a 4 floor garage/retail portion. The condo portion only occupies 1/4 of the lot, so get this, they are allowed to say that 3/4 of the lot is open space. Even though the garage takes up the rest of the lot. Shady right. I am getting my blanket and having a picnic in the garage baby, after all it is "open sapce".
Thank you for posting your feedback on the meeting...
sorry...Hear not here.....
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