New Hoboken Noise Ordinance Faces Legal Pushback

HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken's council will have to revamp its new noise ordinance after running into legal issues, officials said on Thursday.

On Wednesday night, the council voted to repeal its the recently adopted amplified sound ordinance, upon the advice of the city's lawyers.

Lawyers indicated the new law may conflict with New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection noise regulations.

Second Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher had recently introduced the ordinance after getting complaints about a bar near a residential area in her area, on the upper waterfront.

The council will be required to hold a hearing and take a final vote at a future meeting in order to repeal the law.

Fisher said on Thursday, "I remain fully committed to addressing the legitimate concerns my 2nd Ward neighbors have raised about amplified sound. This is a setback, not the end of the effort."

She said she is working with Mayor Emily Jabbour to revise the ordinance by next spring, "while continuing to work with residents, businesses and other stakeholders on immediate solutions.”

Jabbour said, "Councilwoman Fisher and I share the same goal of delivering meaningful quality-of-life improvements for Second Ward residents while continuing to support a thriving business community."

The ordinance had required businesses in the city's I-1W Waterfront Industrial zoning district to apply for a permit for outdoor amplified sound.

It had passed 6-3 on Aug. 12, after a hearing that drew some debate, including from the owners of a bar/entertainment area on a nearby pier.