Dear Neighbors,
As May begins, it brings with it warm weather, new challenges, and hope for our community. I want to send you my best wishes and share with you this newsletter.
COVID-19 Incidence Update — Heartbreaking Losses and a Flattening Curve
As of Thursday, 531 Hoboken residents have tested positive for COVID-19.
It is heartbreaking whenever someone passes away in our community. Each loss weighs heavily on our friends and neighbors. Unfortunately, since March 30, 23 Hoboken residents have died due to COVID-19. I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to each Hoboken family that has endured this unimaginable pain at what is already an extraordinarily challenging and stressful time. Please know that you have the full support of your neighbors and our entire Hoboken community. We are with you. Together, we send you our prayers and extend to you our wishes for your comfort, healing, and peace.
It is important to note that the rate of new cases is significantly slowing. The week of April 26 represented the third consecutive week of a reduction in new, positive COVID-19 cases with only 5 new cases per day in comparison to 15.4 new cases during the week of April 5th. The number of patients at HUMC being treated for COVID-19 and the number of ventilators in use at HUMC has dramatically decreased such that ventilators from the federal stockpile on loan to HUMC from Washington State have been returned, and more than 125 Hoboken residents have recovered from the virus. Most importantly, over the previous 12 days, there have been no reported Hoboken fatalities due to COVID-19.
Please wear face covers in supermarkets, when going outside, and when you visit any essential business.
Please wear a face cover and maintain a social distance of 6 feet from others at all times when in stores and outdoors, as in all other places on those rare occasions when you must leave your home. Even though the weather is getting nicer, the virus hasn’t disappeared. I was disappointed to see so many people walking around outside without face covers as if the virus didn’t exist last weekend. We must continue practicing social distancing and wearing face masks or face covers at all times outdoors.
Wearing a face cover for your 15-minute walk is no doubt inconvenient. But we are all in this together, Hoboken. I wear my mask for you, and you wear your mask for me. Taking on this small task of wearing a face cover could very well save the life of your neighbor.
COVID-19 Senior Testing and Testing for Asymptomatic Residents
On April 29th Hoboken began door-to-door COVID-19 testing in our seniors’ buildings. Prompt MD and Dr. Javedul Islam conducted 115 tests, with 5 positive results, an additional 5 pending, and 105 negatives. Our door to door testing of seniors continued on Wednesday at a second Hoboken senior building. Seniors who want to be tested in their apartments in these buildings are tested, and I am hearing they appreciate the opportunity to have the test done conveniently, at home, and at no cost to them.
Riverside is now providing COVID-19 testing for all Hoboken residents, even if you are asymptomatic.
Hoboken’s collaborative COVID-19 test site, administered by Riverside Medical Center, is offering 15-minute rapid testing for all symptomatic and asymptomatic Hoboken residents. To get tested for COVID-19, residents with COVID-19 symptoms must schedule an appointment. Call 201 420-5621 Monday through Saturday, from 9 am to 5 pm to make your appointment. Proof of Hoboken residency is required (driver’s license or utility bill). The center is located on 14th street between Jefferson and Madison. The test will either be covered by your insurance plan or will be paid for by the City of Hoboken. Either way, the test will be done at no cost to you. I signed up for this test, and received a phone call 15 minutes after the test was complete that I was “negative.” While there was a long wait in my car for the test, and the test was somewhat uncomfortable, I was grateful to have it done. I encourage you to call 201 420-5621 to get your appointment.
Next Week, PromptMD and Hoboken Will Partner to Bring COVID-19 Antibody Testing to Hoboken Residents
A number of you have reached out to me asking when Hoboken will make COVID-19 Antibody testing available to Hoboken residents. In the coming week, Hoboken, PromptMD, Dr. Islam, and Power Analytics will launch an antibody testing site at the 7th and Jackson gym.
As Mayor Bhalla announced yesterday, “While a positive test may not indicate full immunity, those that take the test will have the peace of mind whether or not they had COVID-19. I’m proud that Hoboken will soon become one of the few cities in the region to offer both COVID-19 tests and antibody tests for residents.”
Antibody tests indicate whether or not an individual previously had COVID-19 and the levels of IgG and IgM antibodies in their system. Even if an antibody test was positive, the individual should not assume he or she has full immunity in the future to COVID-19, and should continue to take precautions including social distancing. You can read more about these promising developments here.
The Gradual Reopening of our Parks
In response to folks’ crowding into our parks and acting as if it were Spring Break in Columbus Park, Maxwell Park, and our waterfront parks in March, Mayor Bhalla and the Hoboken Office of Emergency Management made the right call and decided on March 29thto shut down our parks. While other communities and Governor Murphy have re-opened some parks, we have been careful, erring on the side of safety and caution, as we do not want to surrender the hard-fought gains we have achieved slowing the spread of COVID-19 by self-isolating and flattening the rate of new incidence of COVID-19 infections and the rate of deaths caused by COVID-19.
Today marks an important milestone in our efforts to gradually re-open our parks. Starting today, Hoboken is moving forward with the gradual re-opening of our parks. Let’s be smart and practice social distancing of at least 6 feet at all times, and wear our mouth and nose covers as we start re-entering our parks. Remember, congregating in groups & organized sports are still prohibited in our parks.
Passive recreation, which includes walking and taking in the scenery, is permitted at these 5th Ward Parks:
Columbus Park (Hudson County park)
Shop Rite Green Plaza
14th Street Viaduct between Grand and Adams Streets (Hudson County Park)
and City-wide at the following parks:
Church Square Park
Elysian Park
Southwest Park
Stevens Park
7th and Jackson Park and Plaza
Harborside Park
Maxwell Park
Pier A Park
Shipyard Park
Sinatra Park amphitheater
However, all playgrounds, athletic fields and courts, restrooms, gymnasiums, dog parks, spray areas, gazebos, and community gardens in the select parks will remain closed until further notice, reflecting guidelines provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. You can read more here.
Western Edge Rehabilitation Plan
At April 15th’s Council meeting I voted to approve the Ordinance Amending The Redevelopment Plan For The Western Edge Redevelopment Area Pertaining To The Jefferson Street Sub-area or better known as the Western Edge Redevelopment Plan Amendment. In July 2007, the Hoboken City Council declared the Western Edge region, along the palisades between 9th Street and 14th Street, an Area in Need of Redevelopment. The City adopted the Western Edge Redevelopment Plan in August 2015 and amended the Plan on December 19, 2018, and September 18, 2019. To learn more about the history of the plan you can go here.
What was voted on at the last April Council meeting was not an approval of any specific project, as there is no project to approve. What was approved by the Council is simply an amendment to the Redevelopment Plan. A Redevelopment Plan is a preliminary step wherein the Council establishes the parameters within which the Mayor may negotiate a project with the redeveloper in the form of a Redevelopment Agreement. However, before any Redevelopment Agreement comes before the Council for a vote, there will be open, public meetings to elicit feedback from the community on the project, and, if necessary, changes will be made before a final Redevelopment Agreement is voted on by the City Council.
Allowing negotiations to proceed between the City and the developer creates opportunities for significant benefits for the 5th Ward: (1) aging water main infrastructure in the western section of the 5th Ward, which is prone to water main breaks (as we experienced recently), will be completely updated and replaced at no taxpayer expense; (2) as City revenues decline, and expenses continue to rise, bringing new tax ratables online helps keep our property taxes in check; (3) new development revitalizes a neighborhood blighted with abandoned warehouses with the potential for community amenities; (4) there is a real possibility of bringing a long-desired municipal community center to the 5th Ward with a community pool opposite the Northwest Resiliency Park, all constructed at no taxpayer expense; (5) a rooftop hotel bar and restaurant, retail shops, and (6) a shovel-ready project for when some normalcy returns is important to help spur economic development by creating jobs for those who build the project and for those employed in the retail, commercial, and hotel spaces. While this Western Edge Redevelopment Plan permits a maximum floor height of 18 and 20 stories (plus accessory uses), I hope that the proposed project will be less than the maximum permissible scale and that the proposed community givebacks are significant. Stay tuned!
Standing up to Unfair Amenity Fees at 1000 Jefferson
During these uncertain times, additional economic burdens are hard. Recently I was made aware that management at the 1000 Jefferson building is continuing to charge amenity fees to its residents despite the community spaces being unavailable because of the pandemic. Having to pay this fee is an additional and unfair financial burden during these times for struggling Hoboken residents. On May 4th, Mayor Bhalla sent a letter to the 1000 Jefferson property manager requesting the amenity fee be reduced or eliminated while the amenities are closed during the pandemic. I also followed up with building management and await a response from 1000 Jefferson management.
Critical Census Filing
Despite the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hoboken’s 2020 Census participation rate has been impressive, and as of May 5th, we are at 58.7% participation citywide, tops in Hudson County! However, we still have a way to go.
I strongly encourage all residents to respond online at www.my2020census.gov, over the phone, or by mail. While the self-response period has been extended, we need you to respond ASAP to avoid the need for in-person follow-up from the Census Bureau.
In order to be eligible for critical funding for our schools, roads, housing initiatives, non-profits, and so much more, it is critical that all Hoboken residents complete the 2020 Census. It takes less than ten minutes to fill out the questionnaire online, but your response makes a big impact on our community. To receive the necessary funding we need from our state and federal government in response to COVID-19, Medicaid, Medicare, and more, we must be counted. You can learn more about the importance of completing the Census here and here.
Coffee with Cohen . . . the home edition
To practice social distancing, rather than eliminate our monthly Coffee with Cohen constituent events, I have turned to the internet. On Monday, I hosted my first May Coffee with Cohen Livestream event. I enjoyed updating you on the latest on what’s going on with Hoboken’s COVID-19 issues and answering your excellent questions concerning extensions for Hoboken taxpayers and my recent vote on the Western Edge redevelopment plan. The event is hosted on my Facebook page @Philcohenforcouncil. As of yesterday, it has been viewed over 380 times. You can view it here (the audio and program starts at the 4 minute and 20-second mark.)
As long as we have this state of emergency, I plan to continue hosting this event twice a month on the internet, and I hope you join me at noon on Monday, May 18th for the next one!
If you want to reach out, or if I can be of any assistance to you or to your family, please do not hesitate to contact me at HobokenPhil@gmail.com
Stay safe everyone!
Phil Cohen
5th Ward Councilman
City of Hoboken, New Jersey
HobokenPhil@gmail.com
(862) 234-9053
P.S. You can learn more about me and my ideas for Hoboken on my website,
