The City of Hoboken moved one step closer to using Eminent Domain as a “tool” to force the sale of privately owned property to the government for use as a park. 

In a unanimous vote, Hoboken City Council members passed two Resolutions that are necessary to initiate the eminent domain process.   The Resolutions approve the November 21, 2011 property value appraisals and authorizes the issuance of an “OFFER LETTER” based on fair market value to the record title owners of the properties. 

Not everyone in the audience was happy with the Council’s actions as two public speakers made their feelings know, one stating that Hoboken officials engaged in “price-rigging and zoning manipulation.

The debate over the future of the 17-building Neumann Leather complex located at 300 Observer Hwy. is heating up again after the Hoboken City Council declared an area including the property in need of rehabilitation.

On Oct. 19, the council unanimously agreed with the Planning Board's recommendation that the area's deteriorated sewer and water systems merited rehabilitation.

The city will form a committee to create a recommended plan for the area. It cannot, however, take its propertes or force owners like Neumann Leather's William Bernheim to follow their recommendation, said Planning Board attorney Clifford Gibbons.

More delays for Hoboken's Southwest Redevelopment plan
May 17, 2007 JJ

The Hoboken Southwest Redevelopment plan may face further delays, as state Superior Court Judge John O’Shaughnessy remanded it back to the planning board because a witness was not sworn in while giving testimony to board.

The judge ruled that planning consultant of Heyer, Gruel & Associates had not been sworn while giving testinomy at a board hearing last year.

The board was considering a blight study that was required to declare the southwest of Hoboken an area in need of development. The planning board must now hold another public meeting to rehear the tesimony under oath.

But the judge did not rule on the substance of the complaint. One of the plaintiffs, Dawn Zimmer, who is in the run-off for the Fourth Ward City Council seat, has been calling for more park space as well as reduced density of development. She said she wants a traffic study and flood study completed before the plan is finalized.

Councilman Peter Cammarano, who also is a member of the planning board, said it is extremely unlikley that the final outcome would change, and that the decision was based on a technicality.

NJ.Com Comments:

7048. Port-O-Podium Pete loses in Court
by TrutzFirst, 5/16/07 9:52 ET

Members of the Southwest Parks Coalition (Stojovic, Soares, Gregorios, Zimmer and a few others ) filed to throw out the testimony of the city's "expert testimony"

The judge sided with the Plantiff's because the "experts were not sworn in. Any amateur could figure that one out.

What was Councilman Preppy Pete doing that night? Did he leave his law book home?

Was he fixing his Burberrey Tie?

Or was he absent that day at Seton Hall "Law School"

Now they SW Redevelopment zone has to start from Scratch.

All because Preppy Pete was too stupid and not paying attention.