The Hoboken Planning Board granted a completeness review for a project with two buildings containing 420 housing units at 1500 Grand St. at last night’s meeting.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
Attorney Robert Verdibello explained that the project is part of the North End Redevelopment Plan. One building will be eight stories and have 112 units, while the other will be 12 stories with 308 units.
There will also be 20,215 square feet of retail on the bottom floor and between the building will be a plaza and a park. He noted it is subject to a redevelopment agreement the city made with the developer, ARE at 1501 Adams Street, LLC.
“This is an as-of-right application. There will be on site affordable housing as part of this development,” Verdibello declared.
He noted that 10 percent of the units (42) will be affordable.
“This is part of the redevelopment of the entire area. We entered into substantial collaboration with the city,” Verdibello said.
Board Chair Frank Magaletta noted they were looking for a waiver on the height certification.
“Our civil engineer has had several conversations with [Zoning Officer] Anne Holtzman. An elevated certificate is not necessarily appropriate when there is no building to define. There could be a future elevated certificate,” Advance Realty Senior Project Executive Patrick Kretz said
“Is there a topographical survey?” Magaletta asked, to which Kretz said there is.
Magaletta said he wanted to see it first. He was also curious about ownership disclosures.
“Your disclosure page is blank. Where is it?” Magaletta asked.
“I’ll have to go back and look,” Verdibello replied, to which Commissioner Lea Cloud said it was available on the portal.
“We were deemed consistent [with the Master Plan] by [Community Development Director] Chris Brown,” he argued.
“You don’t have the ownership disclosures here. It’s a jurisdictional document. We’re kind of bound by that. Honestly, there’s a backup right now. Even if we deemed you today, you wouldn’t be heard for a while,” Magaletta noted.
“We can’t deem you complete. I can’t. Legally, we’re kind of bound by that.”
Verdibello respectfully disagreed.
“It can be a conditional issue that can be addressed. We’re a designated developer. We’re not walking off the street. We already went through a vetting process as well,” he replied.
“I’m fine making it a condition. Is that something we can do?” Magaletta asked.
Attorney Board Attorney Nylema Nabbie wasn’t present to answer the question.
“You’re not strangers to this process. Is there a motion in respect to completeness?” Magaletta asked.
The Hoboken Planning Board deemed it complete by a vote of 3-0, with the condition they would provide the disclosure agreement as soon as possible.
