Letter to Hoboken City Government

Dear Hoboken City Government:

I'm a resident at 1200 Grand Street. For the past several months, PSE&G has been working on the HOBOKEN MGP Project -- on a plot of land between 12th and 13th streets between Grand and Clinton street. PSE&G says "they're committed to cleaning up and restoring the site for productive future use."

However, the construction workers have no regard for our neighborhood nor for the residents trying to live here! These construction workers have violated numerous Hoboken Ordinances, from littering, to driving down one-way streets the wrong way, to performing construction before the 8am ordinance.

Now, I must make you aware of the fact that there were construction workers onsite working throughout the night. One of our neighbors even took video of the noise at 3:50am. Please visit https://vimeo.com/89017001 to see the video...As you will see, there are very LOUD noises and LOUD BANGS coming from the tent. It sounds like metal grinding against each other. In addition, the large fans/AC Units located at the East end of the construction site located along Clinton Street remained on through the night. I noticed that large grey noise reducing blankets were hung to help reduce the humming, but it's not helping the residents in 1200 Grand. When these fans are on through the night, it sounds like there is a helicopter about to land on the roof of the building. I woke up because of all these noises and I have to work beginning at 7am!

Please come visit the construction site that sits in front of 1200 Grand Street. Come any time and you will hear the deafening noise, the engines that are louder than jet planes, and an inordinate amount of banging and disconcerting sounds. We are living with this day and night. As spring approaches, how are we supposed to open our windows with this noise? The filth, dust, and garbage has increased dramatically, but the noise is the worst. How long will this go on? Must the engines keep running at night? And the lights are always on all night! You must come see this for yourselves.

Kelly Henry, the main PR rep for PSE&G has said they are not going to budge on the AC Unit issue -- and that they will remain on throughout the remainder of the construction. There is no reason for those AC Units to be running throughout the night. Hoboken's ordinance's are very clear with the construction times of 8am to 6pm...this is taken directly from your own website -- 

-- All construction and demolition activity, excluding emergency work, is limited to the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays. No work shall be performed on weekends or federal holidays unless special permission has been granted by a Land Use Board subject to approval of a noise mitigation plan.

-- It is the policy of the City of Hoboken to prevent excessive sound that may jeopardize the health, welfare, or safety of the citizens or degrade the quality of life. This ordinance shall apply to the control of sound originating from sources within the City of Hoboken.

-- SOUND PRODUCTION DEVICE – means any device whose primary function is the production of sound.

I believe that doing overnight construction is against Hoboken ordinance... and overnight construction work in a residential area is strictly prohibited! Please help me take care of this situation.

I really appreciate your assistance with this issue.

Thanks,

1200 Grand Street resident