The new field at 1600 Park has seen changes to the original plan with significant progress this year but any wish for an April opening is most definitely not in the offing.
MSV took some recent photos and while the foundation looks solid, there’s no April Opening Day in sight. The new lights are up and ready to go but the field isn’t.
Is it something in the water, the soil? An update will be required when the field can possibly go online.
The field at 1600 Park has seen progress but it won’t make an April Opening Day.
New lights are installed and will offer the needed public safety.
Ramps and stairs have been built with the retaining walls.
Hope springs eternal and for politicians and their bag of tricks, rehabilitation is the hope and the game. Al Sullivan writing in the role of Neville Chamberlain continues to push the Mason political operative theme of “peace” in our time but there’s no peace in Hoboken, only Mason family lawsuits across the entire Mile Square City with more than a dozen residents being SLAPPED. In jeopardy at hand is the pending 2013 Hoboken budget.
Thanks to all those who continue to sign up as MSV subscribers and a couple of notes on that front. For those sending checks or money orders, please include an email address where you wish subscriber stories to go.
Don’t forget to include your email id if you subscribe via snail mail
Several have not done so. One person put a in a small manila envelope wrapped in a “T” interior.
Another included a lovely thank you note but did not include an email address.
Yet a third sent a money order from Jersey City to W.R. Brice but also no email address.Read More...
At the HHA meeting Thursday night, the Hoboken Police Department was out in force but a far usual crowd size of several dozen mostly Hoboken Housing residents witnessed the approval of the first Vision 20/20 building in a 5-1 vote.
The HHA board’s approval initiates the process to build a new HHA building at 333 Harrison Street with nine floors and 44 low income units.
The lone dissenting vote was cast by Chairman Jake Stuiver who was unable to attend due to a serious illness in his family but worked the entire meeting via telephone. (His mother passed away the next morning.) HHA commissioner Judy Burrell was absent with a high school event out of town.
Robert Powell of Nassau Capital Advisors speaking on behalf of the resolution for its recommendation: RPM Development of Montclair, the selected bidder among three on a short list originally nine said he was unsure if federal funding would be available next year and confirmed to the commissioners the approval could see their review again. HHA counsel Charles Daglian would later correct him saying the board approval was complete upon their vote. The new building will be paid for with federal funding from a Hurricane Sandy recovery bill as stated by meeting participants.
The award to build at 333 Harrison is a victory for Executive Director Carmelo Garcia who has pushed for the Vision 20/20 plan. The project originally slated for a 50% expansion before being scaled back to 25% against the existing 806 units in 25 buildings covers 17 acres in the city.
The original Vision 20/20 plan was wall to wall buildings with no open space, parks and planned a garage at the Pino site, now under review by the mayor’s administration as a park in the third ward. That design goes against HUD’s federal recommendations for lower density.
With members of the HHA shouting interjections for the building to be approved including Michele Russo, mother of third ward Councilman Michael Russo, the agitated crowd pressure was constant but not at the level of the previous contentious meetings. Previous, the crowd size and noise was deafening on behalf of the legal counsel Charles Daglian being re-appointed, as urged by Carmelo Garcia. (HUD after review has forced the contract to be rebid.)
Concerns about the procurement process, severely criticized by HUD recently were raised by commissioners David Mello and Greg Lincoln but were on the whole muted and sometimes drowned out by interjections from the audience including long time politico Perry Belfiore who again directed the start of his public remarks against MSV.
Commissioner Eduardo Gonzalez raised questions about the HHA unit recently raided by police found to be illicitly producing methamphetamine. Gonzalez referenced seeing a local website outlining environmental damage to the apartment and building itself, a clear reference to a recent story appearing on Grafix Avenger. Director Garcia said a contracted cleaning service would be responsible for the cleanup and if not able to adequately manage it, would subcontract the required work. Meth labs cause severe contamination and can affect structures indoors where produced including furniture, floors, walls and ceiling structures.
Perry Belfiore who has had construction interests spoke on behalf of Vision 20/20 as did
Michele Ruso who was seated at the very front, right behind the microphone.
=&0=&: One attendee quietly remarked in an aside to MSV, “You should watch your back.” Asked for a clarification as to why, no reply was offered. It was taken as a warning not a direct threat.
At an earlier City Council meeting, Councilwoman Beth Mason asked Dave Mello “what’s going on” down at the HHA? As Mello answered, there was some irony Mason had at least three political operatives plus Tim Occhipinti among them at the earlier HHA meeting. The only Mason political operative at this meeting held in Fox Hills was Matt Calicchio.
On a personal note, MSV wishes to extend personal condolences to Jake Stuiver and his family for their loss. Others wishing to do so may write him at jstuiver@gmail.com.
=&1=&: Grafix Avenger’s Old Guard “Deep Throat,” – Deep Uvula, blew the lid off the Vision 20/20 plan last June calling it a “a builder’s wet dream… =&2=&, – everyone has been slobbering over all the dough to be made.”
Michele Russo, mother of third ward councilman Michael Russo also spoke in favor of the construction. She’s made a seven figure sum from new construction in Hoboken among other reported “towing” bribes, re: Hoboken operations.
Correction: MSV underestimated the mammoth increase proposed in the original 20/20 plan. The “main campus” would have grown from 806 units to 1,853 residential units representing a 130% increase in the number of units in the main area minus Columbus Gardens and Fox Hill.Read More...
Based on a release from the plaintiff’s attorney, Flavio Komuves, the five Hoboken resident plaintiff’s request for a court order suspending the printing of ballots in the June 4th Democratic primary was granted this morning by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Peter Bariso.
The order means no ballots will be printed until a hearing scheduled next Wednesday. The court will weigh the eligibility of Carmelo Garcia as a candidate for the NJ Assembly’s 33rd District.
The restraining order signed by Judge Bariso means the five Hoboken residents have passed the initial threshold questioning Garcia’s eligibility based on state and federal law.Read More...
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Assemblyman candidate Carmelo Garcia, believed a shoe-in for the June 4th Democratic primary for the 33rd Assembly seat responded to the legal filing challenging his candidacy yesterday in an exclusive interview with MSV.
“Let the courts decide it,” Garcia said matter of fact. Acknowledging an interest in the Hoboken residents who filed the complaint, he said, “If they would have asked me, I would have given them the legal opinion that I already secured.”
With the Democratic primary set for June 4th, the election case is sure to receive quick scrutiny in court. Garcia concluded by saying, “I’m confident at the end of the day my lawyers and the judge will figure it out.”
Concluding the discussion before the HHA meeting last night, Garcia expressed confidence he would be the 33rd Assemblyman after the November general election.
In a surprise maneuver surrounding the county power broker’s selection for the 33rd Assembly seat primary, five Hoboken residents have filed a legal election challenge questioning HHA Executive Director Carmelo Garcia’s continuing in his current federally paid position while simultaneously running for a NJ Assembly seat.
The choice of Garcia was reportedly a selection by State Senator Brian Stack with the HCDO (Hudson County Democratic Organization.) The Democratic primary winner in June is considered the precursor to an election victory in November with a weak Republican and independent challengers.
The release from the law office of Flavio L. Komuves shows five Hoboken residents as plaintiffs. The residents are generally affiliated with Hoboken’s reform movement and the legal challenge as outlined in the release poses legal concerns on several fronts, both State and through HUD, the federal agency overseeing Hoboken’s housing authority.
The basis for the election challenge questions Carmelo Garcia’s holding both the HHA position and the Assembly seat stating,=&0=&
An update to the Hatch Amendment last year permitting some federal employees previously barred from running for state office, believed by some opening the door to Garcia’s assembly candidacy was addressed directly in the release, “… the fact remains that Mr. Garcia’s salary is still paid completely, directly, or indirectly, by federal dollars, making his candidacy void under that federal law.”
Garcia previously said he plans to continue in the role of HHA Director and its scheduled increased salary from $157,000 to $165,000 as of September 1st while taking on the duties of 33rd Assemblyman. In recent months, Garcia has been the point of controversy when a scathing letter from HUD criticized his procurement process overall and called his attempts to contract HHA legal counsel Charles Daglian again “legally flawed.” (MSV covered that story exclusively here.)
Both Carmelo Garcia and Hoboken City Councilman Ravi Bhalla who was vying for the spring Democratic primary seat being vacated by Assemblyman Ruben Ramos who is running for Hoboken mayor were not available for comment.
Other Hoboken candidates reportedly interested in the 33rd Assembly seat included Councilwoman Beth Mason, developer Frank “Pupie” Raia and Councilman Michael Russo. State Senator Brian Stack made the selection of Garcia in a late surprise pick according to numerous other reports.
On Monday morning, Hoboken’s century old water system received more attention with an unusual release from Beth Mason. What made it so odd was the immediate and unquestioned publishing of its content in both the Jersey Journal and the Hudson Reporter early that day.
What exactly was the reason Councilwoman Beth Mason brought up “past administrations” without detailing anything about the water contract itself? Far odder was the linking of the water infrastructure problems to a North Hudson Sewerage Authority commissioner, Frank “Pupie” Raia who has no responsibility on the issue. Perhaps NHSA commissioner Tony Soares will weigh in and provide similar odd “assurances.”
Why didn’t the media ask the Chairman of the NHSA what exactly sewerage has to do, if anything, to aid the Hoboken water system before publishing Mason’s release without vetting? Quite an odd non-sequitir all around or an illustration of an incestuous relationship.
Councilwoman Mason then made another odd remark about political donation issues during this period without substantiating anything directly evidencing her claim to “past administrations.”
All this is fodder worth more examination and is oddly timed with the Mason Civic Association’s strange political activity over Easter weekend. Mason’s paid political operative Matt Calicchio was also witnessed going in and out of the political section office Tuesday afternoon.
MSV will be exploring the less than civic activity and the media’s behavior in an upcoming subscriber story.
Da Horsey is on =&0=& for breaking news but otherwise the 2013 subscriber drive continues. Thanks again to those who continue to endorse the efforts here. =&2=&
The beautiful spring weather has most putting aside Hoboken’s water politics. Da Horsey however isn’t one.
Well it’s a simple answer – after more than three and half years of putting the horse to plough, it’s time to truly help pull the cart. Yes, that means you. No, that’s not a joke, I’m talking to you.
There isn’t going to be any PBS pitches, no long winded pleas for support, the market is the market.
Da Horsey has heard about the MSV addiction but being addicted isn’t enough. Plough all kinds of dough into cable or newspapers or magazines, etc… what do I look like a taco?Read More...
