The Coalition's plan expands park space by 2 acres, requires future structures to be more environmentally-friendly, and puts forth an innovative solution to the existing flooding problems that have plagued Hoboken (particularly in the 4th Ward) during rainstorms.
"There is no other plan in place that addresses the needs of the residents in that community like this plan," said Hoboken Southwest Parks Coalition (HSPC) founder and President Sara Stojkovic last week. "We don't want this to be a developer-driven plan; we want this to be a community-driven plan, and we're asking the City Council to take charge and make sure this happens."
The group's 50-plus page report, which took several months to create and involved the work of close to a dozen engineers, architects and planners, was presented to the City Council Wednesday night.
The council swiftly recommended that it go before the council's planning and zoning committees for further review.
The plan
The plan is centered around the creation of a continuous, level 6-acre park, stretching from Observer Highway to Paterson Plank Road, and from Monroe Street to New Jersey Transit's Light Rail tracks near the border with Jersey City.
The plan that the city was originally considering was developed by architects Heyer, Gruel & Associates and contained a 4-acre park with slopes.
The HSPC plan expands the park by including an additional block on First Street between Marshall Drive and Harrison Street.
Stopping flooding, reusing water
Another alteration to the existing plan comes in the form of enhanced environmentally-friendly building requirements. The coalition recommends that a "LEED Platinum" neighborhood be constructed instead of just the previously requested LEED-certified buildings. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a rating system for how environmentally friendly new structures are. For instance, vegetation on the roofs can increase the score.
The most significant and innovative addition to the HSPC plan is the installation of an underground storm-water retention structure that could be situated beneath the park, sidewalks and backyards of the new development. The underground system is made entirely of plastic, containing a series of chambers that can harvest rainwater, which in turn can be used to water the greenery in the park and as a source of water for the Hoboken Fire Department.
Stojkovic gave an example of how it works: if the underground water-retention structure is equal to the length of the six-acre park, it will collect 15 million gallons of water, which is enough to accommodate two inches of rain falling over 50 percent of Hoboken.
Stojkovic refused to speculate as to how much the project would cost, saying only that representatives from Invisible Structures Inc., which builds the underground structures, would soon visit Hoboken to provide estimates to the city.
Similar structures are currently being used throughout the country, from a nature preserve in Illinois to a football stadium in Texas. Stojkovic said that even the Pentagon, which, much like parts of Hoboken, is built on a swamp, has an underground retention structure for its massive lawn.
The city's current plan to deal with the flooding calls for the installation of a double-barrel sewerage line along Observer Highway as well as four wet-weather pump stations along the waterfront at a price of over $40 million. Unfortunately, the two contributing entities, New Jersey Transit and the North Hudson Sewerage Authority, have been unable to agree on who will give how much, causing the plan to be stalled indefinitely.
The HSPC suggests that the municipality seek a variety of state and federal grants and loans for the acquisition of park space. They also recommend funding from corporations and environmental trusts.
To view the HSPC plan for Hoboken's Southwest, log onto www.hobokenspc.org.
Political support from both sides
While the city's original plan was criticized by certain candidates running for Hoboken council in May, it seems that the Coalition's plan has support from different sides.
One council member who was particularly enamored of the proposed plan is Councilman-At-Large Peter Cammarano. Cammarano is also a member of the city's Planning Board.
"I think it's a fresh, novel idea that has a very simple, elegant solution to the problem of flooding, and I think it might work," said Cammarano. But he noted that he was concerned with the plan's anticipated costs, particularly for land acquisition.
Former 4th Ward Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer, who ran on an open-space platform in the recent council election and had at one time been on the HSPC's Steering Committee, said, "The people of the 4th Ward and all of Hoboken deserve to know that there are other options. I'm glad to see an alternative solution that can address the flooding and lack of park space in the 4th Ward."
Former 4th Ward Councilman Christopher Campos also endorsed the plan.
Campos previously supported the city's original redevelopment plan.
"The manner in which the plan simultaneously addressed two of the 4th Ward's most pressing issues [open space and flooding], is a true example of visionary thinking combined with a demonstration of technical know-how," said Campos. "I pledge to lend my full support behind this plan."
In order for the plan to be accepted, it must go before the city's Planning Board, where, if approved, it will be recommended to the City Council for adoption. That would in turn make the previous Heyer, Gruel & Associates plan null and void, according to Corporation Counsel Steven Kleinman.
The history behind the Southwest Redevelopment Zone
The Southwest Redevelopment zone consists of 13 acres in the city's 4th Ward and encompasses a 15-block area between Newark and Marshall streets from Paterson Avenue to the border of Jersey City.
The city's stated goal is to take a traffic-congested former industrial area, plagued by flooding and dilapidated buildings, and turn it into a thriving community.
According to the Heyer, Gruel & Associates planners, their redevelopment plan would add between 1,100 and 1,500 residential units to the area.
The proposal included in the HSPC plan includes no more than 732 units and recommends that buildings do not exceed six stories in height.
Michael Mullins can be reached at mmullins@hudsonreporter.com.
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