The following are responses from Dawn Zimmer's City Council candidates to the Hoboken Rail Yards Task Force questionnaire. We are still waiting for responses from the Cammarano Team.
The responses are also posted on www.qlchoboken.org
I have included the questionnaire at the end of this email. I am also attaching the Zimmer responses to this email.
Responses from Zimmer City Council candidate’s to Hoboken Rail Yards Task Force questionnaire.
Dave Mello:
As Hoboken’s Master Plan states (page 129) when referencing the Hoboken Terminal, “Any new development should be limited in scale so as not to overwhelm historic Terminal buildings.” Thus far, what has been proposed for the terminal area is vastly out of scale with all of Hoboken, and would not only overwhelm the Terminal, but would overpower our entire City. As with any redevelopment area in Hoboken, I feel strongly that a mix of commercial, residential, and retail spaces must be sought, along with the creation of active open space. Building heights here should not exceed eight to twelve stories.
Carol Marsh:
Development around the NJ transit terminal should be designed to enhance the quality of life for all of Hoboken's residents. Many residents have expressed a desire for the terminal buildings themselves to be preserved as historic sites and reused for our current needs. Whatever is developed in the area should enhance the accessibility and usability of the historic sites, and make them pedestrian friendly community areas.
Dawn Zimmer has stated publicly that she supports buildings with a mix of heights between 4 and 16 stories. I agree with her position and add that there are members of the community who have spent their valuable time and resources studying this area. Before any plans are approved, these residents and all interested parties should be encouraged to openly discuss their views of the area in a public forum. Even in the context of this election I reiterate our view that development should start with the community.
Further, major projects should only be considered in the context of the entire city. The master plan was intended to be a blueprint for Hoboken's future but its value was diminished as the implementation of the actual ordinances was delayed. The master plan needs to be updated with particular attention paid to preserving our options for developing recreation space and commercial space, and for preserving and enhancing historic sites such as the Hoboken terminal area.
Ravi Bhalla:
In my opinion, the maximum height of buildings on the New Jersey Transit property, for both commercial and residential development, should be no more than twelve (12) stories. Development in this area, in terms of height, should be conservative and cognizant of preserving the view corridor of the historic Terminal building, avoiding construction over the tracks, and limiting the height of any development on the property to be consistent with the surrounding areas.
I understand that the height of buildings along the north side of Observer Highway are approximately 16 stories. This was a mistake and I do not believe a future City Council should be bound by the mistakes of prior administrations that chose to overdevelop along Observer Highway. I believe that a height limitation that is lower or even with current heights, such as 12 or 16 stories, is a form of development that is consistent with the surrounding areas. I do not believe that buildings that exceed 16 stories, such as 27 story buildings, are consistent with development in this area. I am also concerned that such development may disrupt the preservation of the view corridor along of the historic Terminal buildings.
In the event a developer claims that it cannot build over the rail yards with a 12 story height limitation and still make a reasonable return on investment, the burden should rest with the developer to provide the City Council with clear and convincing evidence of such an assertion.
Upon such a showing and the exhaustion of all other possible alternatives to maintain a 12 story height limitation, I would consider a 16 story height limitation.
Question to Hoboken City Council Candidates
From Hoboken Rail Yards Task Force- 5/27/09
Your position is crucial. We request your feedback to the following by 5:00 PM, Friday, May 29. Answers* will be shared with our members, other interested citizens, citizen groups and the media. We also suggest that you post our question and answers you provide to your own and/or your slate's website(s). Please send a link to such a posting, once it is available.
Background:
City Council is the designated redevelopment planning body for the City of Hoboken. Many citizens, including the members of the Hoboken Rail Yards Task Force, are concerned about the high-rise proposal for the Hoboken Rail Yards, which constitute the largest area for redevelopment within our City.
We would like to know your individual thoughts on this matter, as citizens vote for individual candidates and Council members will be voting on such matters individually, even though all currently running will are running within slates. Many, but not all, of our members would like specifics. Those would include, but not be limited to: height in stories, height in feet and/or height relative to other buildings near the Rail Yards and elsewhere in Hoboken.
*Although this question is being provided as an open end here, the request is to provide a forum-style answer, as though you had had the opportunity at this point to participate in such with your fellow Council candidates. You may use the form or transmit in some other fashion as is most practicable. As such, we shall only send the first 100 words of your response, along with a link or citation as to where citizens can locate longer text, if utilized.
Question:
What is the maximum height of buildings that should be allowed on the NJ Transit property, given that the Master Plan recommends preserving the view corridor of the historic Terminal building, avoiding construction over the tracks and limiting the height of any development on the property to be consistent with surrounding areas?
Your Response: ◦
