Author: SmartyJones

News

City Council records unanimous votes for eminent domain proceedings at Union Dry Dock & negotiations for Municipal Garage with Shipyard Assoc.

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Last night’s City Council meeting repeated the beginning of the 2017 process for eminent domain proceedings at Union Dry Dock.

Another unanimous vote recorded allows negotiations to continue with Shipyard Associates, re: the Barry family for developing at the site of the City of Hoboken Municipal Garage.

The following video report comes courtesy of the Hudson County View. Please note there is no settlement with Shipyard for the municipal garage site downtown. Its approval for the negotiation process and will require major redevelopment approval from the City Council at a later date. Read More...

News

Councilman Mike DeFusco ‘pleased Mayor Bhalla follows advice to renegotiate e-Scooter contract’

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Official release:

Councilman DeFusco Pleased Mayor Bhalla Follows Advice to Renegotiate eScooter Contract

After urging the Mayor to negotiate a better eScooter deal for Hoboken, the City Council approved amendments to the current eScooter contracts on Wednesday that will generate more revenue and begin to make much-needed investments in rider safety and enforcement. As part of the agreement, Hoboken will collect an additional $.35 per ride specifically for enforcement, rider education and transportation infrastructure investments.  Read More...

News

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher: ‘Unanimous votes!’

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Official release:

Dear friends and neighbors – 
This is what community looks like:
In front of a packed house at City Hall last night, the City Council not only voted unanimously in favor of both measures to complete our waterfront (Monarch and UDD), but also to invest in much needed affordable housing for Hoboken residents who are being displaced.  As Councilwoman Falco so eloquently pointed out last night… we did this in the same night.    

Thank you to everyone who worked together to make this happen.  I could not be more proud to be your neighbor and be part of our special community.  More voices matter.  #ourhoboken Read More...

News

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher: ‘The August meeting’

by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

Official release:

  Dear friends and neighbors –    Reminder that tonight the City Council will be voting on important legislation relating to the last two sites on our waterfront that if passed, would pave the way towards completing Hoboken’s waterfront.

  • NYWW/UDD – Introduction for first reading of an ordinance to acquire the site for an amount up to $13,500,000 (appraised value) through negotiation or eminent domain/condemnation. The public hearing for this will be held at the next council meeting, but members of the public are invited to speak on this tonight during the public portion of the meeting.  Also, if you haven’t done so already, please add your name to the FBW Petition to ask Governor Murphy for his help in defending our waterfront.
    • Read More...

    News

    City Council set to easily pass Union Dry Dock eminent domain and Municipal Garage negotiations with Shipyard

    by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

    Tonight the only City Council meeting in August is the backdrop for two aligned issues seeing easy passage this evening.

    First is a repeat of eminent domain proceedings on the Union Dry Dock now NY Waterway property. Looming over the matter as in late 2017 is the massive presence and superior eminent domain powers of NJ Transit.

    In early 2018, the City Council reversed its earlier passage of emiment domain requested by Mayor Ravi Bhalla after fulfilling his desire and former mayor Dawn Zimmer’s earlier request to approve in 2017. Read More...

    News

    Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher: “Defending Our Waterfront This Week”

    by SmartyJones3 Min Reading

    Official release:

      Dear friends and neighbors –    For those of you who, like me, are passionate about Hoboken’s waterfront, protecting it, defending it, and wanting to see it be complete from end to end, then this is the week you should pay attention.  The last two sites that are at risk of being commercially developed – Monarch and the former Union Dry Dock – are closer than ever to being permanently returned to public ownership.  The City Council will be voting on Wednesday night at the August council meeting on the following (more detail at the end of this newsletter):     The votes on both of these items will be at the beginning of the meeting which starts at 7pm.  Please plan to attend to show your support for either or both!  I plan to leave the HTB circle at 615pm and walk there if anyone would like to join me.   Additionally, there is also an information meeting tonight on the Monarch project at City Hall at 630pm if you would like to learn more and ask any questions.     MONARCH   The proposed settlement agreement is for the City to receive the Monarch site, a new state of the art DPW garage at Observer and Willow, and up to $1M towards both projects.  In exchange Applied / Shipyard / Ironstate will give up their rights to build 150,000SF of residential at the Monarch site and instead will be able to build up to 264,000SF at the DPW site that is owned by the City of Hoboken.  As Mayor Bhalla and Hoboken’s Director of Community Development Chris Brown explained to some of my 2nd Ward neighbors recently at a meeting at Hudson Tea, the process, if successful, is a three step process that will culminate in about a year from now with a binding Redevelopment Agreement.  

  • Step One – this Proposal
  • Step Two – by October 30th, an interim cost agreement will be signed and Applied/Shipyard/Ironstate would be approved as Redeveloper (this is a NJ Redevelopment Law requirement).  This step accomplishes two things: (a) gives the Redeveloper confidence they will be the one developing the project going forward and (b) outlines that the Redeveloper will be financially responsible for all the due diligence the City will be undertaking including financial, legal and environmental analysis on both sites.  
  • Step Three – By December 2020, a plan is agreed for both sites, a formal binding agreement will be entered into between both parties.
    • Read More...

    News

    City Council President Jen Giattino: “Public Hearings, Council Meetings and Thank you”

    by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

    Official release:



     Dear friends and neighbors,
    There are a few important meetings coming up this week that may affect you:  
    PUBLIC HEARING FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO PUBLIC PARKS
    When: Thursday, August 8th at 7PM Where: City Hall, 94 Washington St. Basement conference room This hearing will be to collect public input on improvements planned for the following parks city wide:

  • Stevens Park: Upgrade dog run surface from gravel to synthetic grass
  • Church Square Park: Upgrade dog run surface from gravel to synthetic grass and add drainage along the sidewalk north of the water feature(dolphins)
  • Elysian Park: Upgrade play equipment and surface in the 5-12 year old area from poured in place rubber to synthetic grass turf
  • Jefferson Park Playground: Upgrade play equipment and surface in the 5-12-year-old area from rubber tiles to synthetic grass turf and add 3 pickleball courts 
  • 7th and Jackson Park: Add shade sails
    • Read More...

    News

    BENCH SLAPPED

    by SmartyJones1 Min Reading
    Emails contained here are part of the public record after over two and a half years of civl litigation in the well known lawsuit against this MSV editor and a dozen or more Hoboken residents. The documents numbering in the area of 100,000 including electronic data are available to the public at Hudson Superior Court in the case: Bajardi v Pincus.     =&0=&=&1=&

    February 26, 2011

    In Part I of the hospital series, an email from early 2011 from James Barracato, a years long political operative for Beth Mason optimistically mused, “They can really destroy the administration if they work things properly.”

    From the Old Guard perspective, Mayor Zimmer had kept them blocked out of the bidding process and the complex workings over months to reach an agreement with the winning bidder HoldCo. The City of Hoboken with $52 million in bonds had every reason to want to see the deal succeed. Its failure could ultimately harm Hoboken and lead to massive municipal layoffs and the cusp of bankruptcy if not outright insolvency. Read More...

    News

    Roman Brice defeats Lane Bajardi & Kim Cardinal in their appeal of notorious SLAPP suit

    by SmartyJones1 Min Reading
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    After 14 months of deliberation, the New Jersey Appellate announced its decision Friday in Bajardi v Pincus upholding victories for all but one defendant in the notorious Hudson Superior Court designated SLAPP suit.

    That sole defendant, Nancy Pincus, saw two counts from the 2012 civil complaint remanded for trial in Hudson County Superior Court. A trial date is expected to be set this October or November.

    Named defendant Roman Brice once again proved victorious along with Mark Heyer against plaintiffs Lane Bajardi and Kimberly Cardinal. Read More...

    News

    Guaranteed loser: another UDD eminent domain action

    by SmartyJones1 Min Reading

    The definition of insanity…  Yes, it’s a repeat of the political eminent domain action against Union Dry Dock’s new owner NY Waterway. Governor Phil Murphy and NJ Transit will not be amused.

    The City Council will host its August meeting next week where the circular fire begins anew.

    Well, it is the dog days of summer but Hoboken never stops. Neither does Team Bhalla, whether it’s rustling up monies near and most often far or attacking a stroke victim who dared say a few words of common sense about NY Waterway not being stopped at Union Dry Dock. Read More...