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Hoboken, N.J., Councilwoman Fisher's Newsletter: Tonight's Council Meeting, Cannabis Issues & More
Here's Hoboken's 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher's latest newsletter: Petition · Protect Hoboken Families and Children from Cannabis Dispensary Danger...
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Here’s Hoboken’s 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher’s latest newsletter:
- Petition · Protect Hoboken Families and Children from Cannabis Dispensary Dangers · Change.org
- To give you zoom information for you to participate in tonight’s City Council meeting that begins at 7pm à https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81121823351?pwd=MFJjVi8yTVVla0liVDZRMWdITnVBQT09 . You can also watch on FB, YouTube, and the city’s website.
March 23, 2022
Dear friends and neighbors,
So much to cover so kind of a long one. But there are a few time sensitive updates and calls for action like calling in to tonight’s City Council meeting to share your voice regarding recreational cannabis dispensaries! But before I start…
PUBLIC SERVANT PSA
Something this week happened that reminded me what I most love about public service and being your representative in our local government – it is when the partnership between you and me results in change that is good for everyone.
One of our neighbors brought to my attention that the portion of Harbor Blvd that runs from Weehawken, under the Park Avenue Bridge to the intersection at 16th and Park, that many in Hoboken take when they come home, was closed for construction. And because of this, there was now a lot more traffic on the Park Ave Bridge but the traffic light at 16th was still unnecessarily stopping for the closed street. He asked me to look into it and so I did, and long story short, the Hudson County traffic engineer had the light changed so it will NOT stop for the closed street, meaning the light changes faster and traffic flows better for everyone. This should be for 3 to 4 months.
Your neighbor advocating got this done for all of us. Don’t get me wrong, this happens a lot. But for some reason this one just stuck with me and reminded me that we are in this together. That more voices are always better. And that I am just proud of and thankful for our partnership.
OK, IN THIS NEWSLETTER…
- First, Ukraine – Hoboken Helping
- Second, All Things Cannabis – Call to Action (big local issue and a lot to cover)
- Everything Else:
- Hoboken Yards Project – Revised Plan
- A Bunch of Kid Stuff – A Lot Of It
- Tonight’s City Council Agenda Items
- Tomorrow’s Public Meeting to Discuss Proposed HHA Redevelopment
- Repaving Coming to Your Neighborhood
- Bird Friendly Glass Legislation
- Taste of Hoboken Tickets On Sale Now
- Next Clean Green Jersey Community Cleanup
UKRAINE FIRST…HOBOKEN IS HELPING UKRAINE
Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse, we are all watching that it has. A smaller glimmer of positive is that Mayor Bhalla spoke during a press conference hosted by the deputy mayor of Białystock and shared that Hoboken’s Rent for Refugees program has raised over $30,000 already to help this town house Ukrainian refugees cross the border into Poland!
Keep up the great work! Reminder that other ways to donate include: International Rescue Committee, Razom, and Friends of Chervonohrad.
CANNABIS SECOND… ALL THINGS CANNABIS – CALL TO ACTION
Most City Councilmembers and the mayor’s office, working together, are moving forward to put common sense regulations in place with regard to recreational cannabis dispensaries. But when I say there is a lot of pressure from recreational cannabis operators, their lobbyists and property owners to fight any restrictions on Recreational Cannabis Dispensaries in Hoboken, it is an understatement. The issue is not what these dispensaries look like inside, rather it is the potential negative impacts on our community like:
- more impaired people on our streets and roads – the antithesis of Vision Zero
- more visitors in our parks, near our schools and on our sidewalks smoking cannabis which will be difficult at best to enforce
- inviting a new kind of gun related violence to our city, neighborhood and residential buildings. See this related, recent article about recent robberies of cannabis dispensaries in Washington State Rash of robberies has Washington state’s cash-only cannabis industry on edge (mjbizdaily.com)
Whether we have recreational dispensaries or not, Hoboken residents will be able to get recreational cannabis, and I am sure most will use this anyway, via delivery services. So why bring the risks related to dispensaries to our communities?
Because of the pressure from the Cannabis industry, we need your voice:
- Participate in upcoming City Council, Cannabis Review Board, and future Planning Board meetings – whether to speak or to just be one of hopefully a large crowd to show that this is an important issue for Hoboken.
- Sign the growing petition (currently at 848)
- Volunteer to help get the word out to others.
City Council Meeting Tonight – 3/23:
At tonight’s meeting there are four pieces of legislation relating to Cannabis with one being carried – You can speak on all during public portion that begins at 7pm or the one at the end of the meeting. Come and share your views about the urgency to put in place commonsense legislation concerning recreational cannabis dispensaries:
- 2nd reading of commonsense amendments for recreational cannabis dispensaries (200’ notice, 600’ buffer zone for schools, max # of dispensaries at 6, removing from neighborhood commercial areas) – THIS HAS BEEN CARRIED TO APRIL 6TH.
- Resolution for Planning Board’s consistency review of the commonsense regulation ordinance (has to occur before 2nd reading of aforementioned ordinance)
- 2nd reading on ban of cannabis smoking in parks
- 1st reading on further commonsense amendment to ban of cannabis dispensaries at Marine View Plaza (big residential building trapped in the C1 commercial zone).
Some suggested talking points:
- Hoboken needs commonsense regulations that keep recreational cannabis dispensaries out of residential areas, out of residential buildings like Marine View, out of neighborhood commercial districts, and away from schools.
- The Cannabis Review Board should not meet until all of the commonsense legislation has been passed by the City Council and signed by Mayor Bhalla.
- Hoboken residents’ voices should be heard regarding a recreational cannabis dispensary coming to their neighborhood.
- The Cannabis Review Board needs to be the gatekeeper of the welfare of its residents, not the gatekeeper of the profits of recreational cannabis operators. From Hoboken Code, “The purpose of the Cannabis Review Board is to assure the public health, safety, and general welfare of the City of Hoboken and its residents, business establishments and visitors.”
- Hoboken needs commonsense regulations that keep parks free of second-hand smoke from recreational cannabis.
- Hoboken needs commonsense regulations that minimize gun violence not invite it.
- Hoboken needs commonsense cannabis regulations to coincide with Vision Zero that minimizes risk of injuries and death on our streets, not increase it.
- Please make sure that the City Council, the Mayor’s Office and the administration do everything they can do to approve commonsense regulations as a matter of urgency and as quickly as possible.
- Ask the City Council to public oppose the Hudson Tavern Dispensary – it is NOT tool late.
Cannabis Review Board Meeting – 3/24 7PM:
It has already been a month since the CRB meeting for the former Hudson Tavern location. This month’s CRB meeting is for the preliminary review for the following three proposed recreational dispensaries:
- 128 Washington Street (current Precious Restaurant)
- 516 Washington Street (current Pho-nomeno Restaurant)
- 628 Washington Street (currently vacant).
The last one is about 300 feet from All Saints Day School and Hoboken Charter.
What we learned from the previous meeting – they are run like land use board meetings (planning and zoning). The public can be heard in two ways:
- After the applicant’s representatives present the public can ask questions of that representative.
- At the end of the meeting, the public can speak to give general comments.
At the last meeting for the Hudson Tavern Dispensary, the three members of the CRB Board – CP Mike Russo, Hoboken BA Jason Freeman and Hoboken HHS Director Leo Pellegrini – actually shared how they would vote BEFORE the public was able to weigh in. Hopefully that will not be the case this time and they will hold their votes until the end of the meeting. Also, although the CRB Lawyer says repeatedly “This is Not Quid Pro Quo”, in fact the lawyer effective coerces the applicant to agree to financial terms before an official vote is taken. Crraaaazzzzyyyy. It doesn’t feel legal.
EVERYTHING ELSE…
HOBOKEN YARDS PROJECT – REVISED PLAN
Last week, LCOR and NJ Transit provided an update to the plan for Hoboken Yards. This is the redevelopment of the terminal area around the PATH / NJ Transit station. In a nutshell, the plan calls for an entire redo of Warrington Plaza into a pedestrian center, a new bus terminal, a London type market in the old ferry terminal building, and two, close to 300’ towers – one a 20 story office building (site 1) and one that is now being changed from office to a 28 story residential building with 389 units, 20% of which would be affordable units. Three hundred feet is effectively around the height of the top of the W on the W Hotel. This article has a bunch of renderings of the project that I encourage you to click through and see à New Plans Released as Redevelopment of Hoboken Terminal Moved Forward | Jersey Digs
I am personally very supportive of this project which has been 15 years in the making. The single most important feature for me is that site one be commercial. This will be the anchor to Hoboken and will redefine our community from one that is just a bedroom community to one that is a full-service community with major employers that diversify our tax ratables, where our residents can work and where employees can also support our local economy. I was happy to hear LCOR recommit to keeping this commercial and not changing it to residential. We have always contemplated more height in this corner of Hoboken. But this height is still significantly lower than in neighboring Jersey City. Let me know your thoughts!
A BUNCH OF KID STUFF
THIS WEEK Hoboken District Schools Pre-School Registration. Registration is this week, ending Friday at 3pm, so click to learn more and sign up.
FRIDAY AT 5PM Family Movie Night at Hoboken High School – Encanto. Little know fact, my last long term boyfriend was Colombian and I am obsessed with all things Colombian culture still (ate at Noches de Colombia just yesterday up in Jersey City). I am dying to see this film set in Colombia so you may just see me there on Friday at 5. Your $5 donation per person goes to support the Hoboken District Schools Award winning theater program.
SPRING/ SUMMER Boys & Girls Club Activities – Girls Basketball & Summer Camps…
Girls Basketball Tryouts: Looking for all 7th and 8th grade girls to tryout for the Boys & Girls Club Girls Basketball Team.
Date: Saturday, March 26, 2022
Time: 12:00pm
Place: Hoboken Boys & Girls Club
Contact: Reggie Quinn at 201-310-0590 or email rquinn@bgchc.org
Youth Camps Registration – Kindergarten to 8th Grade. Click for more information….
Teen Tech Camp. Click for more information….
APRIL 9TH Volleyball Clinic for Kids in 5th – 8th Grade
The Hoboken Public School District is hosting a fun community activity for all Hoboken kids in 5th – 8th grade. The Volleyball Clinic is a great way for children to learn and sharpen their skills, meet kids from across the city and interact with the HHS varsity volleyball players and high school students. The Volleyball Clinic will take place on Saturday, April 9, 2022 at 9:00 a.m to 11:00am at the Hoboken HS Gymnasium. All registrations to participate must be received by 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6th. Click to register…. Hoboken Public School District Community Event: Volleyball Clinic (google.com)
BACK AGAIN Children’s Art Classes at Hoboken Museum
APRIL 9TH Nerf Tournament – Nerf tournament for kids of all ages! Even I know that those are magic words to kids.
SHOUT OUT Debate Champions – Model UN Tournament
This is not an activity, rather a congratulations to Hoboken High School’s debate team for winning top honors in a state model UN debate tournament. You can read all about it in this Hoboken Patch article: Hoboken Teens Win Slew Of Awards In Model Un Debate Competition | Hoboken, Nj Patch
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA TONIGHT – HIGHLIGHTS
Other than the Cannabis legislation mentioned above, here are a few notable highlights on the agenda tonight:
- End of rent increase moratorium (2nd Reading)
- Resolutions authorizing the start of our local farmers markets Uptown (May 7th), SW Park (June 9th) , and Church Sq Park (June 9th).
- Hoboken Yards Redevelopment Plan Amendment (1st Reading)
PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS PROPOSED HHA REDEVELOPMENT
Please join me for a special, virtual board meeting of the HHA this Thursday night (March 24th) to discuss the proposed redevelopment plan for the Hoboken Housing Authority to upgrade the quality of housing for HHA residents.
Time: 7:00 PM
REPAVING COMING TO MANY NEIGHBORHOODS THIS YEAR
Who doesn’t like a freshly repaved street? Here are the blocks using various funding from Hudson County for county roads, annual NJ State DOT grants, and DEP / Rebuild By Design funds:
- Hudson from Observer to 15th (starting in two weeks)
- Park from Observer to 16th
- Garden from 2nd to 12th
- 2nd from River to Clinton
- 3rd from Washington to Park
- 6th from Madison to Jackson
- 8th from Hudson to Willow
- 9th from Willow to Madison
- 10th from Park to Grand
- 11th from Willow to Adams
- 14th from Sinatra to Park
- The entire road network near the PATH where the RBD work was being done.
Also, I just confirmed with Hudson County that they will be upgrading the intersection of 14th and Hudson with modernization of the traffic light, upgrade of corners and installation of a rain garden feature (designs to come…)
BIRD FRIENDLY GLASS LEGISLATION
If you don’t already know, I am a huge animal advocate like I am sure many of you are. I often get calls from neighbors to help birds that are injured, a seal who has lost its way or rabbits that have been abandoned by their owners. And I am a repeat customer and supporter of Wild Bird Fund in NYC, having brought seven injured or abandoned birds to them in the last few years. We can also bring birds to The Raptor Trust in NJ – I haven’t only because I have a friend on the board of WBF so I learned about them first. Both are amazing organizations! Worth following on social media to see all the rehab work they do. What injures birds the most is when they strike a building window that they don’t realize is a window. In NYC in 2020, they passed a law requiring newly constructed buildings to use bird friendly glass. It isn’t a complicated or costly prospect, just one that can help mitigate the risk of bird injuries. I raised this at the recent LCOR / Hoboken yards meeting and was happy to hear that LCOR are committed to putting in bird friendly glass in their two new towers. I am hoping we will have a similar ordinance to NYC to vote on at the April 6th meeting.
SPEAKING OF RABBITS
We are getting close to Easter, the time of year that people have the sudden urge to buy a baby bunny for their child and then abandon them months later. Please resist the urge to do so. I have been a rabbit parent since 2005 when I adopted a baby bunny from my neighbor who had made a bad purchase. They are a lot of work. Require special exotic vets. Are not meant to be caged (either in a big pen or free roaming). And do not liked to be picked up. They are not a children’s toy, but rather are an adult’s responsibility. And they can live for over ten years.
If you are up to it, they are incredibly rewarding with the personality of a dog and litter habits of a cat. And they loved to be pet, but on the ground. Until just about a month ago, I had two – Jack, who passed at 15.5 – and Lil, who is now approaching 11. I am happy to answer any questions or help in anyway I can.
But please resist the urge unless you are committed to caring for a rabbit for over a decade. Choose chocolate or a stuffy instead.
TASTE OF HOBOKEN TICKETS ON SALE!
Tickets on sale now for the Taste of Hoboken which returns on June 7 from 6-9 p.m.. This year it will be on the Hoboken waterfront at the 2nd Ward’s Maxwell Park featuring local restaurants, delicious drinks, live entertainment and a silent auction to benefit the Hoboken Community Center, which encompasses the Hoboken Food Pantry. The HCC are looking for sponsors and donations for their silent auction so please email chesleighm@hobokencc.org for more information!
NEXT CLEAN GREEN JERSEY COMMUNITY CLEANUP THIS SATURDAY
The third in what will be four organized cleanups in total in Hoboken: 3/26 Stevens Park, and 4/2 Maxwell Park / Hoboken Beach. You can learn more about Clean Green Jersey in this Hoboken Girl article: Clean Green Jersey: A Mission to Clean Up the Community – Hoboken Girl
Amidst all of the terrible news comes a Cinderella story close to home. Whether you are a basketball fan, or not, I hope you will tune in this Friday night to watch and cheer for Jersey City’s own Saint Peter’s University Peacocks play basketball powerhouse Purdue Boilermakers in the NCAA Sweet 16. Like many, I read the crazy headline that Saint Peter’s knocked out Kentucky in the first round. And then I watched the Peacocks keep the lead the entire game against Murray State last Friday. They were amazing to watch! And did you know that the last time NJ was represented in the Sweet 16? It was when Seton Hall got there in 2000. Their star player then – Shaheem Halloway – is now Saint Peter’s Basketball Head Coach. Full circle. #StrutUp #GoPeacocks! #Sweet16
Please forward to everyone you know who may be interested in this newsletter. Feel free to email me at councilwomanfisher2@gmail.com or call me at 201-208-1674 to discuss what you have read or anything else that is important to you.
TiffanieFisher
Hoboken City Council, 2nd Ward
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