Hoboken Reporter, July 9, 2000

Dear Editor:

Last week several groups were invited to meet with Joe Barry and representatives from his Applied Company to discuss the proposed development of 120 condo units on a pier which is just north of 14th Street. Each group, which included The Quality of Life Coalition, The Environmental Committee and the Coalition for a Better Waterfront, had their own take on the project's pluses and minuses. I am against this development because I have seen the impact pier development has had in Edgewater and Weehawken and because of the impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

My first concern is the increasing privatization of the waterfront by developers. Could you imagine if a developer today staked a claim to a beach in New Jersey and then limited access to the public? My fear is that Hoboken residents will lose, piece by piece, any future access to the waterfront's promise of serenity and recreation. I fear that uptown residents will never see the benefits of a Pier A park in their neighborhood.

Joe Barry's development of the northern waterfront, along with the Hudson Tea residences, Maxwell House and Frank Raia's northwest redevelopment will add over 8,000 residents to the neighborhoods north of 11th Street and the city is not planning to accommodate the increased demand for outdoor common space. The city is not planning to build any new playgrounds, ball fields or serene grass parks uptown. Joe Barry's proposal includes a few tennis courts and a 16-foot wide walkway which will only increase the supply of space enough to meet the demand created by the Shipyard project. In fact, the public walkway on the pier will also act as a dog walk for the residents, so watch where you step! (Remember that the newly opened 14th Street pier will have its river views blocked by the proposed condo building and that it is so narrow and its uses are very limited).

The question is whether or not this can be stopped because the state planners are encouraging pier development. If the planning board finds that the developer's proposal creates such a strain on the existing infrastructure then the municipality can demand reimbursement or deny the application. This extends to the strain on the school system by adding children, building a new road to handle the introduced traffic or providing a new park because the increase in population will overwhelm the existing ones. The Applied Company has said it will not donate any money towards the renovation of a nearby city owned pier. Unfortunately, this City's administration does not have the desire to make such demands on Joe Barry, which is a crying shame.

I encourage everyone to come to the next meeting of the Planning Board on July 11 to help stop the development of the piers. Also visit www.CityofHoboken.com for more details.

John Branciforte
Hoboken