New York Waterway has rejected an invitation by Mayor Ravi Bhalla to present their Union Dry Dock plan at a public town hall-style hearing, escalating their feud over a potential new ferry refueling and maintenance station.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“We do indeed plan to discuss our plans openly and transparently with the people of Hoboken and with the tens and thousands of people who ride our ferries. We shall do so tirelessly and rigorously,” NY Waterway Chairman Armand Pohan wrote in a letter to Bhalla today.
“We have already begun to do so. Thank you very much, but we hardly need the feigned ‘assistance’ of someone who has publicly proclaimed that we will only occupy our own property ‘over my dead body.'”
Pohan is referring to a statement the mayor made during a press conference in November where he and other officials cited an engineering study that said NY Waterway’s new refueling station would be better suited for the Lackawanna Terminal.
“New York Waterway is not going to build a maintenance, operations and refueling facilities at Union Dry Dock. It will not happen during this administration: over my dead body,” he said at the time.
Last week, Bhalla offered NY Waterway the opportunity to make a public presentation this coming Thursday evening, as HCV first reported.
However, based on his reaction to their letter, he wasn’t shocked they declined.
“Surprise! NYWW doesn’t have the guts to meet w/ residents w/ their own plans. Instead they’d rather continue spreading misinformation & running scared from the public,” he tweeted.
“We won’t be fooled by a NYWW- a morally bankrupt actor prioritizing corporate profits, ruining our environment[.]”
NY Waterway wanted to present their Union Dry Dock plan to the city council last week, but that idea was rejected since no public input would’ve been possible, the mayor previously said.
With nothing from Trenton and Gov. Phil Murphy silent and no signs of that changing, looks like the dog and pony show isn’t happening.
Like it would even matter.