Hoboken Yard Development Vote Postponed, May Cut Residential Part

HOBOKEN, NJ — No vote will take place at a special Hoboken City Council meeting this Wednesday night to consider an amended redevelopment plan for Hoboken Yard, but the revised plan will be presented for the public, said a city councilman on Wednesday. A vote will take place at the regular meeting on Feb. 5.

An amendment up for consideration would eliminate residential units from the plan and instead add more office space. The past proposal for the area around the city's train station — created in conjunction with NJ Transit — was to include a 300-foot office building, a 330-foot-story residential building, and flood wall.

On Wednesday, 1st Ward Councilman Michael DeFusco, in whose ward the development would lie, said he was disappointed that the council was only notified Friday of the impending special meeting. However, he said he was glad about some aspects of the revised plan. He said he will add an amendment for a pickup and drop-off spot for taxis, buses, and ride-sharing like Uber.

He said that the special council meeting will now be held only for a presentation of the revised, and the council will consider voting to introduce it at their regular meeting on Feb. 5.

" After spending the past 48 hours going through each line of the proposal," he wrote in a newsletter sent to residents, "it was clear to me that one of the largest community concerns had not been addressed: how this new development will impact traffic flow in downtown Hoboken. As such, I’ve written into the redevelopment plan an essential amendment that will incorporate a designated pick up and drop off zone contained within the development area. This covered area for ride sharing services (like Lyft and Uber), taxis and shuttle buses is needed to prevent these vehicles from clogging our neighborhood streets. I spoke with Council President Jen Giattino last night and she has agreed that this element is essential to ensure we are putting a sensible traffic circulation plan in place and I thank her for her collaborative spirit."

He added, "For that reason, the vote on the project has been pushed back until next Wednesday and the meeting tonight will consist of a presentation on the plan and will give the community the opportunity to share their feedback with the city."

He said, "Another amendment, advocated directly by Council President Giattino, replaces the proposed residential units in the first phase of the project with state of the art office space. I applaud this change of use as it will help our neighborhood grow responsibly, eliminate the potential burden on our school system and further diversify our taxbase. However, any future residential units that may arise through this redevelopment plan will still be required to provide 20 percent affordable housing that Council Vice President Vanessa Falco and I secured late last year."

If the council votes to introduce the revised plan (linked HERE), it will go to the Planning Board for a review, then back to the council for a final vote. The plan has undergone debate and discussions for more than five years.

The presentation of the revised plan will take place Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at Hoboken City Hall, Newark and Washington streets.

At the subsequent Feb. 5 meeting, the council may also vote on other business, including a proposed street parking rate increase.