Happy Impeachment Day! You too, Wingnut Trolls and Russian Bots! Especially you! See you here later, since these posts catch you like flypaper.
Honestly, can anything more exciting be happening in Hoboken politics today? Well, maybe this...
JAN 2020 PROPOSED RAILYARD PLAN AMENDMENT
Hear ye, hear ye! A special meeting of the Hoboken City Council has been called for this Wednesday to introduce the January 2020 Amendment of Hoboken's Railyard Redevelopment Plan. The Agenda has (2) items:
- First Reading of an Ordinance approving the January 2020 Amendment of Hoboken's Railyard Redevelopment Plan.
- A Resolution sending the Amended Redevelopment Plan to the Hoboken Planning Board for review.
For all the details, here it is... the January 2020 Amended Railyard Redevelopment Plan Draft:
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
ORDINANCE-FIRST READING
RESOLUTION
Does the "no build zone" clause have any teeth or an mechanism for financially penalizing NJT if they change their mind later and want to build in the "no build zone"? If not, that needs to be added to any agreement reached w/ NJT on this matter.
ReplyDeleteThat is a GREAT question.
DeleteThe "no build zone" is not a change - it was in the previous iteration of this plan that was passed by the council on first reading but then rejected by the planning board because the building heights were inconsistent with the Master Plan.
ReplyDeleteThe only "teeth" consists of the reality on the ground. If the supposedly alignfinal RBDment were to change in a way that permitted development, or if for some reason RBD doesn't get built (if, for example, the Trump Administration doesn't extend the 2022 deadline), the Plan could simply be amended to add back in that development. There is nothing in the Plan language even now indicating the City doesn't want that development, only that it currently doesn't appear to be possible.
As best as I can tell, the the main change from the previous iteration is that two of the things many found troublesome - the increase in height of one building from 200 feet to 300 feet and the conversion of another from commercial to residential have been made contingent on a feasibility study concluding that the changed are needed to make the Plan financially feasible.
This change is only as real as the feasibility study is real. So to me the big issue is who will be conducting this study and what role will LCOR have in it?
LCOR should have no role beyond paying for the study and providing answers to questions that are asked. It needs to be the City's study - not LCOR's - tasked with providing the City with an objective analysis of the minimum requirements needed to provide the minimum rate of return to a reasonable developer to be financially feasible.
The amended Railyards Redevelopment plan presented to the Planning Board on December 3, 2019 shows the "No Build" designation, dated October 31, 2019. That change was added after public comment on the Amendment dated September 5, 2019. Was the "No Build" version was presented at the City Council? I recall it being pulled from the November 6 agenda, so I don't recall seeing that iteration. Here it is, for anyone who is interested:
Deletehttp://hobokennj.iqm2.com/Citizens/FileOpen.aspx?Type=1&ID=1388&Inline=True
Thanks, numbers.
GA it only goes to the PB after the Council passes it as well as passing a res submitting it to the PB.
DeleteSo yes - it was passed by the council. The DeFusco and Falco announced they had "negotiated" changes which would have required another 1st reading, but that never happened because the PB voted it down for reasons that DeFusco's amendments did not address.
Giattino is saying that at tonight's meeting there will not be a vote taken just an informational and chance for the public to speak. Word is she not at all happy that MDF ran out and did another press release to make it appear he is in charge. The rift widens.
ReplyDelete