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Hoboken council adopts first reading to reaffirm Western Edge redevelopment plan, refers plan to planning board
Summary
At a virtual special meeting April 14, the Hoboken City Council approved on first reading an ordinance reaffirming the Western Edge Redevelopment Plan (B 754) and voted to send the plan to the Planning Board for review; a final vote is scheduled for April 24.
The Hoboken City Council on April 14 approved on first reading an ordinance “affirming and re endorsing the redevelopment plan for the Western Edge Redevelopment Area B 754” and voted to refer the plan to the city Planning Board for consistency review, with a final public hearing and vote scheduled for April 24, 2025.
The measure passed on a roll call vote during a virtual special meeting called for April 14 and noticed under the Open Public Meetings Act, NJSA 10:4-6. Council members Cone, Fisher, Javor, Quintero and Council President Doyle voted yes; Council members Ramos and Russo were recorded as absent. The council also made an explicit referral to the Planning Board, which council members said is scheduled to meet next week.
Council members and staff emphasized that the action taken on April 14 was a first reading only. “We will have a vote on first reading. And then after the vote is taken, we will have a public portion where the members of the public that are waiting can speak,” the Council President said during the meeting. The council scheduled a special meeting for April 24 for the ordinance’s second and final reading and final adoption.
Public commenters raised procedural and transparency concerns during the public portion of the meeting. Patricia Waiters asked why the meeting was virtual for “just one short vote,” and urged clarification about in-person opportunities. Max Merker, representing the City of Union City, said the online agenda and portal at times listed the ordinance as “second and final reading,” and asked the council to confirm the item’s procedural status. “The agenda that was published indicated that this ordinance was up for a second and final reading or final adoption,” Merker said.
A resident who identified himself as Arthur Nees objected to the substance and process, saying the ordinance and its amendments had not allowed adequate public participation over the years. “In my view, the process engaged here tonight merely carries that theme forward,” Nees said.
Council members and staff clarified that attachments and amendments had been added since the prior meeting and that the formal final reading would occur at the April 24 special meeting. Several speakers on the dais also noted that a Planning Board hearing is scheduled before the final council vote; during the meeting staff and council members referenced an upcoming Planning Board meeting to consider consistency with the master plan.
Vote tally on first reading: yes 6; no 0; abstain 0; absent 2. The council’s referral to the Planning Board passed by the same recorded votes.
The council closed the meeting after the votes and directed that the ordinance and its record be sent to the Planning Board for review before the April 24 final reading.
