The City of Hoboken issued a stop work order after New York Waterway ferries were spotted at Union Dry Dock this afternoon and it remains unclear what work was being performed at the time.Â
The two ferries were still docked around 4:45 p.m., minutes before Construction Official Mario Patruno issued a stop work order at 901 Sinatra Dr., the official address for Union Dry Dock.
“Stop work at once pertaining to construction, alterations or repairs on these premises known as 901 Sinatra Dr.,” the order says.
Few details were made clear at the scene, as no one appeared to be on the ferries at that time and no sort of actual construction was evidently taking place.
In a statement, the Fund for a Better Waterfront again chided the idea of Union Dry Dock being used by NY Waterway.
“This is the wrong place for this type of industrial activity in the middle of our beloved waterfront park,” they said.
“There are many viable alternatives for locating a ferry maintenance/refueling facility, something that our Governor must recognize and act on.”
A spokesman for NY Waterway did not immediately return an email seeking comment.
Back in July, dozens of residents told the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that they did not want Union Dry Dock to operate their ferry refueling facility at Union Dry Dock, which led to some dismay after the agency granted NY Waterway a permit to move there in December.
Days after that, local officials including Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, state Senator (D-33)/Union City Mayor Brian Stack, state Senator (D-32)/North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop joined Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla in urging Gov. Phil Murphy to preserve Union Dry Dock.
Hoboken officials have previously made their case that NY Waterway, which currently operates out of Weehawken, is welcome in the Mile Square City – as long as they set up shop at the Lackawanna Terminal.