Mayor Responds To Worries About New Municipal Garage

Mayor Dawn Zimmer issued a statement today, responding to concerned and angry residents of West Hoboken. Dozens of people spoke up during the public portion of yesterday's City Council meeting to protest the rumored location of the municipal garage on 6th and Monroe Streets. 

"The lack of proper relocation planning in the five years since the garage was sold to fund operating expenses has been the single biggest challenge faced by my Administration," said Zimmer. "There were no good options available in the very limited time we were given."

The municipal garage was sold under former Mayor Dave Roberts in 2005, to plug budget deficits. But, all this did was leave the city without a municipal garage at all. The city currently leases the garage on Observer Highway.

During yesterday's meeting Council President Peter Cunningham said that the Stevens Institute for Technology campus was another place where the environmental services garage could be placed. 

"It doesn't make sense," said one member of the public.

The potential location for the garage was reported earlier this week by local blog Hoboken411. According to 411—and later denied by the Mayor's office—the Pino Property, which spans the blocks between Jackson, Monroe, 6th and 7th Streets, was selected to be the place. Hoboken Catholic Academy and the Jubilee Center are located right there. 

Council members Theresa Castellano, Beth Mason and Michael Russo clapped for some the members of the public who got up and spoke on the issue on Wednesday night. The other five council members did not. 

Russo proposed to have the members of the public speak at the beginning of the meeting, a motion that was voted down 5-3. The people waited, though, and aired their worries during a two-hour long public portion. 

Council members could not discuss the exact plans for the garage, because the on-going negotiations are not public. After the meeting City Council went into a two-hour closed session to discuss the matter. 

"It is personally frustrating that I cannot further reduce concern by more fully briefing the public," said Zimmer in Thursday's release. But, she added, "We have been working diligently to find the least bad solution."