The Hoboken Planning Board voted against the proposed Garage B plan, deeming it incompatible with the Master Plan, during a consistency review hearing last night.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
Board Planner George Wheatle Williams explained the plan for the area, which is close to the Hoboken Terminal.
“It’s a new redevelopment plan. This is not an amendment to a plan,” he began.
“This is simply an opportunity for the Planning Board to review the proposed ordinance amendment. This is not a public hearing,” Board Chair Frank Magaletta noted to those on the Zoom, indicating that public comment should be reserved for the city council.
Williams added that they were limited to reviewing its consistency with the Master Plan and that the Hoboken Parking Utility hired a consultant to give recommendations.
He continued that the site calls for affordable housing, office space, workforce housing, and more parking.
“This is along the waterfront. The waterfront is not the periphery. It’s one of the main points of attraction,” Magaletta observed.
“It’s a much taller building that’s being proposed. Is that really appropriate under the Master Plan?” he asked, noting it could obstruct the view along the waterfront.
“It’s a point worthy of discussion,” Williams replied, noting that the Master Plan likes mixed-use development near the train station and on the city’s periphery.
“We’re regularly being asked to do a consistency review,” Planning Board Commissioner Jim Doyle, also the council president, stated.
“Public art will be destroyed, not created … My whole issue is the scale. There has to be a point at which the number of stories becomes unacceptable. There’s one building in Hoboken that’s 313 feet, which is the W. The buildings surrounding this are, admittedly, 12 stories, 14 stories to the East,” he continued.
Doyle argued since the city paid for the garage to be painted with much fanfare in 2022, it didn’t make sense to destroy that with any redevelopment effort, noting that 25 stories is too tall – indicating 12 stories would have been more consistent with the area.
The council approved first reading of the measure at their March 3rd reading, with Doyle, 1st Ward Councilman Paul Presinzano, and 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher voting no.
Planning Board Attorney Nylema Nabbie noted the issue of a building with more than 250 feet is a significant ask, given that there are few examples of that in the Mile Square City.
Williams explained they could address it or vote it down as being inconsistent.
Additionally, Commissioner Joan Allman also did not like that the plan suggested a maximum height of 250 feet.
“It seems out of context and non-harmonious. It does not seem consistent … This is singling out a single property without giving a planning idea for those surrounding properties,” she said.
“Due to the scale, it’s inconsistent,” Doyle argued.
Williams noted the Board felt there were issues with the consistency with the Master Plan.
“It’s too tall,” Commissioner Tom Jacobson added.
Allman was also concerned about concentrated affordable housing and the loss of 800 parking spaces in the current garage.
Williams said the plan says the developer must come up with a temporary relocation option.
“In Hoboken where in God’s name would that be?” Allman asked, to which Doyle agreed.
“I am not ‘car friendly,’ I’m accused of that all the time. They have to go somewhere. Maybe they’ll give up their cars, but I’m not holding my breath.”
“The height is a factor. Does anybody want to make a motion?” Magaletta asked shortly thereafter.
“It feels like we’re setting a precedent that does not sit right,” Commissioner Lea Cloud said.
Commissioner Greg Francese noted the parking deck and the number of affordable housing units likely led to an increase in the potential size of a building.
“Is that where everyone is understanding the height issue is coming from?” he asked.
“These things are negotiable,” Magaletta noted.
He explained it just needs to be consistent with the Master Plan.
“We could say this is too high,” Magaletta declared before asking for a motion again a short time later.
“The height is out of context with the surrounding area, and therefore, it is not harmonious and does not meet the Master Plan’s goals,” Cloud argued.
Williams said they could add a clause to their resolution noting their height concerns were the main issue.
The Garage B Redevelopment Plan was voted down 7-1 at the consistency hearing, with Francese the sole no vote.
Afterward, the board resolved to note that they wanted a more comprehensive plan for the area in their resolution that would be forwarded to the council.
Mayor Ravi Bhalla had touted the Garage B plan in his final State of the City address last week, as HCV first reported.
Refusing to build housing is the whole reason rents are as high as they are in the first place, and here are these NIMBY losers making the problem worse.
Hoboken is already planning and approved to build thousands of new housing from subsidized, to work force, to luxury without adding this ill conceived project.
If allowed to proceed it will set the precedent on top of all the parking garages and opening the door to 24 plus buildings all over Hoboken
In the already very dense and over populated (64,000) Mile Square City supporting this kind of development will crush Hoboken.
Last time I looked developers are building new housing all over Hoboken
Considering everyone of the Planning Board Commissioners has been hand picked by Mayor Bhalla including the Chair Doyle Bhalla City Council. team member having all but one reject this plan is significant.
Was this rushed plan just self serving politics and virtue signaling as Ravi Bhalla tries to exit Hoboken for higher office ?