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509 Newark: High-Rise Condos?
04
November
11/4/2009 Update:
Now called 511-521 Newark – Meeting tonight!
The Hoboken Zoning Board is holding a special meeting tonight on former Fire Chief Cassessa’s proposed 12 story building across the street from The Skyline. At this meeting, the board will hear public comment and take a vote. If this is approved, it may lead provide legal cover for similar applications for high-rises along Observer Highway and Newark Street. Meeting starts at 7pm in the downstairs conference room right below the City Council meeting taking place at the same exact time. Bring on human cloning!
10/13/2009 Reminder:
Zoning Board Meeting continues tonight…
If you’re interested in finding out whether more high-rise condos get approved in Hoboken, head down to the Zoning Board Meeting at 7pm tonight at City Hall, where the public hearing continues in regards to the SEVEN variances the developer of this project is seeking.
8/18/2009:
Another 12 story condo tower proposed!
Here comes another southwest condo tower. This one’s been on the drawing board for years, but is only just now hitting tonight’s agenda of the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
Former Hoboken Fire Chief John Cassesa first proposed building a high-rise across the street from the Firehouse and southeast of The Skyline over three years ago. Politically speaking, Hoboken was very different then. Mayor David Roberts could count on a reliable City Council super-majority, and he planned to deliver big for his developer friends in the southwest. His pals the Caulfields of Fields Development proposed a 13-story building at Newark and Henderson, the Fire Chief filed an application for 14 stories next door, and Construction Code Official Al Arezzo wanted 15 stories on his property just up the street where the police horse stable used to be. Roberts said “Whoa! Pull back your applications fellas because I can deliver it all to you through a redevelopment plan!” (paraphrasing of course.) Well, the Roberts plan for the Southwest was so bad that the community rose up against it.
READ MORE AFTER THE JUMP…
(More Hoboken High Rises, continued…)
There was a little talk about SW redevelopment at the beginning of Dawn Zimmer’s term, but ahead of her Mayoral run she started sticking her beak into 2nd and 5th ward development issues while the downtown parks activists were fighting for the SW6 plan.
What’s in the application?
Cassesa has backed off a bit from the original 14-story plan, which has evolved into a 12-story building with 72 residential units on 100% lot coverage (naturally!) 77 parking spaces would be built, and neighbors at Toll Brothers’ 700 Grove complex would look at a three story blank wall where the garage is. Of course variances galore would be needed to approve this building, but they’re really no different from those approved to build the neighboring Skyline, Hoboken Grande, and Observer Plaza. The only thing different is the political climate. The block is in an industrial zone where use variances would be needed to allow for the residential units and the “Nursery School” added to the plan to appeal to southwest stroller moms.
There will always be those who oppose any building above 3 stories anywhere in Hoboken, and they will surely turn out to oppose the plan. Others will say the Newark Street corridor is lined with eyesore buildings that have long outlived their usefulness and should be replaced. Those opposed will have to raise money to hire attorneys and planners to fight the application. The developer will say he has no choice but to go to the Zoning Board because Zimmer and Roberts didn’t answer their mandate to come together on a southwest redevelopment plan that makes sense. The budget issues took center stage, and the southwest took a back seat to Zimmer’s Mayoral aspirations.
The 509 Newark application was tentatively scheduled to be on the agenda for tonight’s Zoning Board meeting, but the attorney for the applicant has requested the board consider scheduling a special meeting in September to begin hearing the application.
Hoboken411 will keep you abreast of the latest developments, as has been the case for years.
November 4th 2009 - 14:58:58 |
Honest question to one who doesn’t know.
When someone attempts to get clearance to build a condo of this size, WHO does it benefit?
Sure it benefits the developer who can make a lot of money.And to be cynical/realistic, it can benefit politically connected business that put in the toilets,windows, etc, and can also benefit politicians pockets who approve of it.
BUT does it in any way benefit ANY resident of Hoboken? Is there any added value to the quality of a Hoboken resident’s life to have more of these buildings? And if the answer is no, how in the world can this go through?
Please feel free to flame me if you seek, but why in the world would this be approved?
In response to patssoxrevscelts who said:
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November 4th 2009 - 15:54:41 |
Was there an actual traffic study done here?
The traffic on Observer and Newark heading out of town in the morning is chaos, it regularly backs up to Washington St. The traffic in the evening backs up in the other direction into Jersey City. The firehouse across from this property is already blocked off by vehicular traffic every day. If it wasn’t for those HPD police officers at the corner Grove and Newark redirecting the traffic flow every morning there would be allot of accidents and dead pedestrians. Crossing that intersection even with the police presence in the morning is still a near death experience.
The corner of Newark and Madison across from this property has been closed for years with metal barricades so the HFD can park their personal vehicle there. Not sure if the town passed a law, or the land was just appropriated.
How about this for a redesign and a give back from the developer. Town opens up the intersection of Madison and Newark one way to Newark and install as traffic light on Newark. Former fire chief Casessa donates a dozen parking spaces in this new building for the use of the HFD for 99 year lease at 1 dollar a year.
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November 4th 2009 - 16:41:22 |
No traffic study required. Anybody trying to navigate those 3 blocks of Newark St hell can vouch that it is a total failure in traffic management. It is way, way too congested, there is no signal light at Newark/Jackson with half the cars trying to turn left onto Jackson to get to the Patterson Plank. Cars making zig-zags to get from Monroe to Grove. I’m surprised there aren’t more accidents. Add a 12-story 72-unit building with cars trying to exit a driveway on Newark St?
100% land use with a nursery school? Where will the toddlers play at, the Henderson St. sewage flood pond? Pretty dumb. Hope the Zoning Board uses their noodles for once. Also…is this another PILOT?
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November 4th 2009 - 16:56:10 |
cc meeting & zoning board at the same time…your government in motion…..see ya…..
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November 5th 2009 - 10:02:35 |
This and all other requests for variance should be completely shot down until a master plan is adopted.
And yes, I bet it is another attempt to put through a PILOT building. How about this, shoot the PILOT down too.
One thing I was noticing in JS when I walked around down there was that while they have tons of real tall buildings, they mostly don’t have 100% lot coverage. They may be corrupt as heck down there, but at least they make sure there is some space around all those towers so you don’t feel like you are surrounded by nothing but bland concrete pieces of krapola.
In response to plaintruthiness who said:
100% land use with a nursery school? Where will the toddlers play at, the Henderson St. sewage flood pond? Pretty dumb. Hope the Zoning Board uses their noodles for once. Also…is this another PILOT?
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November 5th 2009 - 10:22:10 |
The variances for Casessa’s property were approved last night by the zoning board.
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