On 3-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, Hoboken boasts resiliency

On the three-year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy, the City of Hoboken is boasting resiliency in a number of ways such as acquiring the six-acre BASF property, installing new flood pumps and the ongoing Rebuild by Design project. 

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

Since Sandy ravaged the Mile Square City, Hoboken has funded the construction of the H-5 wet weather pump, which is currently underway, and is moving forward with the acquisition of the six-acre BASF property that will be designed with at least one million gallons of underground stormwater detention.

Both projects aim to alleviate flooding in northwest Hoboken, including the flood-prone neighborhood around the ShopRite, the city explained in a release.

Also noted is that the funding and plans are in place for construction of Southwest Park which is also designed with underground stormwater detention.

The start of construction has been slightly delayed due to State regulations and will begin as soon as the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issues final permits, which is expected to occur soon, the city said.

Additionally, Hoboken is finalizing negotiations for an agreement, which will soon be considered by the City Council, that would create a two-acre resiliency park and plaza at 7th Street and Jackson Street.

Furthermore, Hoboken may be the only city in the State of New Jersey, and among the few in the country, which has passed legislation to prohibit residential and commercial development on the waterfront. The City is fighting in federal court to enforce this legislation.

The City is also working with the State of New Jersey to implement a “Resist, Delay, Store, Discharge” flood resiliency strategy, which received $230 million through the Rebuild by Design competition.

“We are making real progress towards implementing a comprehensive water management strategy in collaboration with the DEP, federal government, and neighboring cities, and thanks to the dedicated work of our resident volunteers on the Community Advisory Group,” Mayor Dawn Zimmer said in a statement.

“I strongly encourage our community to remain involved so we build consensus and implement this plan with the goals of reducing flood risk and lowering flood insurance costs.”

Hoboken’s flood preparedness program was honored by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction in April.