Here we go again…
I’m getting word through the grapevine that the mayor is going to resubmit the Southwest Redevelopment Plan for approval soon - March 21st, actually. The last time I looked at this “plan” it was incomplete to say the least. There weren’t any impact studies done and not a single projection was in sight. I’d say it was the worst dog-and-pony show this town has ever seen.
I’m no business person so I can’t claim to be able to produce the things I’m about to demand I’m fortunate in that I’m a tax payer and can demand that of my employees (i.e. the mayor and the town council). But what I can lay claim to is the intelligence to know that the following is absolutely needed before any elected official can say yay or nay on the item.
First, there is no environmental study. We’d all be kidding ourselves if we thought Hoboken didn’t have caustic chemicals stewing underneath us. Remember, there were a lot of factories in town before the projects, row houses, and skyscrapers were built here. There are already some areas of town that can’t be developed or even walked on by order of the EPA. What makes anyone think the Southwest is going to be any different. Before we dig, someone has to look into the toxicity of the land.
Second, there is no mention of any study concerning traffic, pedestrian safety, parking, noise pollution, regular pollution, irrigation, or flooding in the area. If I remember correctly, Mr. Campos publicly declared the flooding problem a thing of the past at the last (or next to last) council meeting. I remember having to swim across first street to get to work that morning and I’m sure I’ll be doing swan dives from my apartment if the city passes their plan. But the flooding is only part of it. Traffic is bad enough and when I walk to the PATH station in the morning, I see cars lined up Monroe for what seems like three blocks - certainly past 2nd street - and all the way down to Observer Highway. And Observer Highway is more like a parking lot in every sense of the word; even on the weekends its hard to navigate around there by car. Forget about walking the area unless you are looking to die by hit and run.
Third and most important, there has been no financial analysis done. At the town council meeting where they tried to pass thing thing through the first time, the mayor claimed it could bring in 10 or 15 million a year in taxes. Besides wondering where he came up with that number (is it a real number or some pie-in-the-sky figure? did he make it up? did he strike a deal already with a developer for that much?), I wonder if all the alternatives have been looked at. For example, have they looked at the tax revenue compared by the offset from expenses; the trash can’t collect itself and the street doesn’t sweep the dog shit from the curb last I checked - the city does with my tax dollar and while the 15 million is nice, have they looked at what it costs to run those skyscrapers? Similarly, have they figured out the property taxes will go up as the property values go up when a park is built? What about the decrease in property values when the new towers add hundreds of units with all the waste and byproducts I mentioned earlier?
No… They haven’t.
They don’t even have a plan for a park or building or anything. They have nothing.
Now if I were mayor or on the town council, I’d expect to review such studies lest I be considered a fool. I’d think to myself that I couldn’t possibly serve the public’s best interests by rushing through an incomplete plan nor would I be able to justify my hypocritical actions if I said one thing and did another. I’d expect the following in my plan:
- A true environmental impact study with:
- Toxicity & contamination study
- Irrigation, sewer, & flooding impact study
- Physical pollution (land & air) study
- A quality of life study which includes:
- A financial impact statement that factors:
- Operating expenses (annual)
- Offset income & expenses with park space
- Property value study - with and without parks & skyscrapers
- Long term financing options including bonding, abatements, PILOTs, and tax increases.
- A park plan that includes:
- Baseball, soccer/football, & basketball courts
- Playgrounds with equipment
- Trees, plants, & vegetation
- Safe entrances to facilities
Expecting at least three or four studies for each of the above items is not uncommon in the business world and we shouldn’t expect less from the city. No business would go and buy another company without first looking at their balance sheets or income projections. We shouldn’t allow that to happen either.
This plan was withdrawn at the last minute before and it should be done so again and again and again until the plan is complete with the proper investigation included. No matter what people want out of this city - park or otherwise - I hope that they want to make an informed decision when they decide how to invest their tax dollars.
I know I can’t make an informed decision on the Southwest Redevelopment Plan because its incomplete. How can the council make the same uninformed decision?