Although the Hoboken council voted unanimously to use eminent domain as a last resort to acquire Union Dry Dock last month, they rescinded that measure yesterday to prevent NJ Transit from purchasing the property.
[fve]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDzVvxUwOXg[/fve]
While NJ Transit cancelled an emergency meeting where they would have purchased Union Dry Dock and leased it to NY Waterway yesterday, they weren’t prepared to drop the issue completely until Hoboken’s governing body backed off on acquiring the property.
Representatives from Governor Phil Murphy’s (D) Office, NJ Transit and NY Waterway were present for the council meeting, eager to see how the council would vote on the eminent domain measure.
Before the vote, several council members spoke about the ongoing drama over the fate of Union Dry Dock, with 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher going so far as to say that NY Waterway is holding the state of New Jersey hostage.
“We’re in a very tough situation, and I’d like to personally say that NY Waterway seems to be holding the entire state hostage over this. That being said, my understanding is that NJ Transit is actively looking at other sites and working with all interested parties to try to come up with a solution that’ll benefit the community,” said Fisher.
The councilwoman also showed no sympathy for NY Waterway’s predicament where they have to vacate their Weehawken headquarters by June 1st.
“NY Waterway made a bad decision by selling their Weehawken property before finding an alternative location and now Hoboken is being pressured to accommodate them,” Fisher said.
After the vote, Hudson County View interviewed NY Waterway Chairman Armand Pohan for his reaction to the council’s decision.
“We’re very pleased and relived that the council has taken this step. It really enables a more sensible and open dialogue. We have some creative ideas for the joint use of the property so that we can stay there and allow for public access,” said Pohan.
“It’s hard to have a constructive dialogue when everybody thinks that somebody has a gun to somebody’s head. The council doesn’t want NJ Transit to have a gun to its head, and we don’t want the council to have a gun to our head, so I think [tonight’s vote] opens up the possibility over the next few weeks for more sensible dialogue by all parties.”
With Murphy now involved in negotiations to resolve the ongoing dispute, coupled with the announcement last month by Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis that the city is accepting bids for a commuter ferry operator, many believe that if NY Waterway were to move to Union Dry Dock, it would only be temporary.
We therefore asked Pohan if there’s still a good chance that NY Waterway will be able to maintain ferries in Hoboken.
“Well, nobody right now has come up with any alternative place for us to go in the short term. So I’m quite optimistic that we’ll be able to get in there for the short term on a ready move-in basis to Union Dry Dock,” Pohan explained.
According to NJ Transit’s website, they made good on their word and cancelled today’s special meeting following last night’s vote by the Hoboken council.
Here is a false narrative that keeps getting repeated by certain Bhalla supporters and the tin eared politically craven Mayor himself:The City Council can’t work with the Mayor.
On the big issues nothing could be further from the truth, Union Dry Dock and the hotel are prime examples of the council being prifessional and cooperating yet Ravi is calling for the Council’s head like a deranged French revolutionary.
Looks like the war mongering mayor picked a fight with Big Bad Phil Murphy and had to do a tactical retreat. Glad to see City Council rescinding this but keep in mind it was the Mayor’s leadership that led to this manufactured emergency.
You never disappoint. Once a doofus always a doofus.
Go back to your cave
Poor sloppy Stan, reduced to Nutso Nancy’s intellectual level of lobbing looney toons name calling. Can’t even defend the Backout Bumbling Beelicose Bobblehead strategy on this one. Lucky for Hoboken Ravi’s insolence appears at this point not to have done any permanent damage yet. We are in the same crappy position we were before after 8 years of dithering Dawn demonstrably doing diddly on Dry Dock.
Hey at least Ravi has your back on the $700k HHA settlement where your blatant arrogance and stupidity emailing an evidence trail with that dolt Fake Striver led to you having personal liability not covered by the City of Hoboken.
Don’t worry neither UDD or the HHA is enough to take much of a chunk out of Ravi’s Yuge 32% plurality. Believe it or not, not even the corrupt legal contract (ethically corrupt) seems to be enough to deter the low information voter for now. But they are talking about it. I have had at least 10 people approach me on the contract issue and ask my opinion and to a person they all think at best suspicious or worse. Sometimes the truth takes time.
The ONLY one name-calling is YOU, Kurt.
Nancy is the New Lane only dumber
Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the doofiest one of all?
Doubling down on doofusness is pretty doofy. You’re making a run at Doofus #1. Keep the doofy doofusness coming!
Mirror Mirror on the wall who will be left carrying the legal bills after my wife’s fall?
Shadow, do not worry, the poorest of the poor in Hoboken will pay for your email and lunchmate gate with the director in NYC…
Why get new doors and fire alarms when you can pay out 700,000 to shut down a case?
Wait Wait Wait.. Wasn’t Ravi and his shadow claiming victory?
Oh wait that was the Monarch… No we lost that too… Lost the Monarch case, Losing UD… what else Mother of Parks? Queen of Open Space? Diva of Disasters…