Original Post 10/29/2009:
Here is a recap of the community meeting held last night regarding the community meeting on Parking and the new Clearview Cinemas in Hoboken. I was not in attendance and this communication comes from the office of the Mayor.
City Holds Community Meetings on Traffic & Parking Concerns
regarding New Clearview Cinemas Movie Theater
regarding New Clearview Cinemas Movie Theater
Last night, 5th Ward Councilman Peter Cunningham and Councilman-At-Large David Mello held a community meeting along with Transportation and Parking Director Ian Sacs to discuss traffic and parking concerns around the recently opened Clearview Cinemas movie theater on 14th St. between Adams and Grand Streets. The meeting was the second in the past week held to address community concerns.
The meetings were arranged after the last council meeting on Wednesday, October 21st, where Sacs informed members of the public that the City was reviewing plans, providing preliminary recommendations and requesting resident input to ensure public safety and protect neighborhood parking conditions in the area surrounding the cinema. At the meeting, a set of preliminary recommendations were submitted to the Council, including a pick-up and drop-off area, bicycle racks and a taxi stand.
According to Director Sacs, the recommendations will help to reduce the number of moviegoers choosing to drive to the new cinema by providing them with other convenient options to access the area. “The original assumption that the theater would always be accessed by local residents on foot was not entirely accurate,” Sacs said. “Therefore, the Administration, along with Council members, thought it vitally important that we get resident feedback about these issues.”
The overall response at the community meetings indicated that those participating are comfortable with implementing the pick-up and drop-off area as well as the taxi stand, so long as their operations are closely monitored. In response to resident concerns about taxis speeding and queuing, Sacs confirmed that he would pay special attention to those issues. Base on community members’ recommendations at the meetings, the City also agreed to conduct surveys of cinema patrons over the next few weeks to get a better understanding of how many moviegoers are driving, from where they came, and where they are parking.
In addition, as a result of the community meetings, discussions about parking meters were tabled until the results of the surveys and further feedback from the community regarding the effects of cinema-related parking were gathered. “We definitely need the community’s input before putting in any parking meters and the surveys will provide vital insight on parking demands in the area,” Sacs said.
Based on community input, the City, in coordination with Chief Falco and the Hoboken Police Department, will immediately implement a 30-day pilot of the pick-up and drop-off area as well as the taxi stand. If further analysis shows that these measures effectively address traffic and pedestrian safety issues, then an ordinance will be introduced to the City Council. In addition, residents can rest assured that the neighborhood area around the theater will be monitored closely by the police.
