Dear Neighbors,
As we dig out from the biggest snowstorm ❄️❄️❄️ to hit Hoboken in 5 years, I would like to thank Environmental Services Director Jennifer Gonzalez and her team for working round the clock this week to clear our emergency snow routes and dig out from mother nature’s major wallop.
I hope you have stayed warm and safe this week, and want to update you on the latest in our community.
COVID-19 Updates
The number of positive tests in our community has, unfortunately, substantially increased in the past two weeks. Likewise, New Jersey’s new daily positive cases have risen to levels not seen since May, which caused Governor Murphy to extend the State of Emergency for another 30 days.
Hoboken’s recent spike in positive cases includes 32 on January 26th, 32 on the 27th, and 23 on the 29th. Indeed, in the time since I issued my previous newsletter on January 22nd, Hoboken has confirmed more than 200 new COVID cases. In July we celebrated the landmark of having no COVID patients at Hoboken University Medical Center (HUMC). Now we have 18 COVID patients at HUMC, including 1 Hoboken resident. If you have any reason to believe that you have been exposed to COVID, please quarantine and then schedule an appointment for a COVID test at least 5-7 days after potential exposure. Please remember that wearing a face mask, practicing social distancing, and avoiding indoor gatherings beyond household members is the key to keeping our community healthy and safe.
Since December, there have been seven COVID-19 related deaths in our community. I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to each Hoboken family that has endured this unimaginable pain. Please know that you have the full support of your neighbors and our entire Hoboken community. We send you our prayers and extend to you our wishes for your comfort, healing, and peace.
COVID Testing
To get the City’s latest information on Hoboken’s testing click here.
Free Testing for Hoboken Residents Only: Riverside
Riverside Medical (351 16th Street)
Dates: Mondays - Saturdays
Time: 8 am – 3 pm
Location: 351 16th Street (Bijou Properties location)
Type of testing: Rapid 15 minute test (Abbott ID Now), and PCR
Who: Hoboken residents only
(appointments typically released online for the following week on Wednesdays)
Riverside Medical Group patients should call their Riverside primary care office to schedule a COVID-19 test and should not use the online sign-up form. Patients without a vehicle should enter the test facility on Clinton between 15th and 16th Streets. Those driving should enter on 16th street between Clinton and Grand.
Free Testing for Hoboken Residents:
PromptMD (Jackson St. Gym, 605 Jackson St.)
Dates: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays (closed on President's Day, February 15)
Time: 8 am - 3:00 pm
Location: 605 Jackson Street
Type of testing: PCR
Who: Hoboken residents
Results are typically provided through Prompt MD within 48-72 hours.
Free testing for Hoboken Residents and Hoboken Business Employees:
Medicine Man (605 Jackson Street)
Date: Wednesdays and Saturdays
Time: 2 - 7 pm (Wednesdays), 9 am - 1 pm (Saturdays)
Location: 605 Jackson Street (updated location)
Type of testing: PCR
Who: Hoboken residents, Hoboken business employees
Free testing for Hoboken Residents and Hoboken Business Employees:
ivee (at Multi-Service Center, 124 Grand St.)
Dates: Every Wednesday
Time: 8 am – 3:30 pm
Location: Multi-Service Center (124 Grand Street)
Type of testing: PCR
Who: Hoboken residents, Hoboken business employees
ivee’s PCR test results are emailed within 48-72 hours. If results through ivee are not received within 72 hours, please call ivee's laboratory, Innovative Gx Laboratories, at 210-352-5175 (9:30 am - 6 pm, Monday - Saturday).
New Jersey Department of Health (221 Jackson Street)
Date: Friday (February 5), Friday (February 19)
Time: 1 pm – 7 pm
Location: 221 Jackson Street (Hoboken Housing Authority, Community Room)
Who: Hudson County residents, Hoboken business employees
Type of testing: PCR
No appointment needed, testing provided on a first-come, first-serve basis
Local Private COVID Test Facilities.
In addition to Hoboken’s five free, public COVID-19 facilities, you can visit City MD at 231 Washington Street or PromptMD at 309 1st Street, and walk-in without an appointment to get your COVID-19 test at their private facilities. To be safe, you should call ahead to confirm test availability.
COVID Vaccinations
To get the City’s latest information on vaccinations, click here.
Pre-Registration for Hoboken Residents with High-Risk Medical Conditions in 1B Phase
Residents with high-risk medical conditions in Hoboken can get the vaccine when the City’s supply is expanded by the State. Those with high-risk medical conditions can now register at www.hobokennj.gov/highrisk.
Residents with chronic medical conditions can pre-register provided they meet the criteria established by the State and CDC.
People in Category 1B Who Are Presently Qualified for Vaccinations:
People aged 16-64 who have at least one chronic medical condition that places them at high risk for COVID-19:
- Cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
- Down Syndrome
- Heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
- Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
- Severe Obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)
- Sickle cell disease
- Smoking
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- Individuals who are pregnant and those in an immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant are also eligible but should follow CDC guidance and first discuss vaccination with their medical provider before receiving the vaccine.
If you have already signed up on the City’s senior pre-registration list, please do not fill out this additional form.
The Council’s Approval of the Monarch Settlement -- And My Emergency Resolution for the City to Identify a Temporary DPW Garage North of 15th Street -- Not at 13th and Jefferson
Our waterfront is the pride of the City. When I ran for office, I pledged to work for an open, public Hoboken waterfront. One of the major obstacles to that goal was Applied’s Monarch project, which included two 11-story condominium towers over the Hudson, on the 15th Street piers. Mayor Zimmer initiated litigation to stop this project which Mayor Bhalla continued. However, numerous court rulings against the City made clear that the threat of these residential towers over the Hudson was real, constituting an existential threat to our treasured, world-class waterfront park.
With this historic Settlement, the 15th Street Pier will be deeded to the City, Applied will provide the City with $1 million which will help restore the piers, and forever abandon the Monarch development. Applied also will deed to the City its property at 800-822 Monroe Street, which is expected to become a new public park near the 5th Ward that will greatly enhance our community.
In exchange, the City will deed over to Applied the location of the City’s DPW garage at the corner of Newark Street and Observer Highway, which Applied will proceed to develop into residential towers with 15,000 square feet of commercial retail, activating a downtown corner of our central business district. The City will then relocate the DPW garage to the North End of the City.
Wednesday evening, the City Council overwhelmingly approved both the historic settlement of the Monarch litigation -- which had hung over the City for years -- and my emergency resolution urging the City to identify and build the temporary DPW Garage north of 15th Street -- not at the 13th and Jefferson location (the “North Lot”).
At the City Council meeting, Joe Maraziti, land use counsel for the City whose firm negotiated the settlement, informed the community that while the Settlement Agreement identified the North Lot as the location for the temporary DPW Garage, under the agreement, the City is free to substitute a different location for the temporary DPW garage at any time and is not locked into the North Lot location. Further, Mr. Maraziti made clear that according to the Settlement, post-closing, anticipated for September 15, 2021, the City can remain at the current DPW garage site at Newark and Observer for a year, until at least September 2022, and the City will rent that space from Applied for $1/year.
In my discussions with members of Mayor Bhalla's administration leading up to the Council meeting, I confirmed the City was actively working on identifying a new temporary DPW garage location in Hoboken's North End, north of 15th Street, on undeveloped land in our former ind. The emergency resolution, that I co-sponsored with Councilwoman Giattino and Councilman DeFusco, urges the City to identify and develop the temporary DPW garage location north of 15th Street, consistent with the efforts already underway to accomplish this important goal.
I commit to the residents of the Fifth Ward to keep you up to date on the progress of these developments and to follow-through on the important effort to locate a more suitable location for our temporary DPW garage.
More details about the benefits to our community, the Settlement’s historic significance, and the Settlement’s specifics are included in an FAQ Mayor Bhalla issued. You can also read my Special Newsletter on the Monarch Settlement from earlier this week here.
Update on North Hudson Sewerage Authority’s H6/H7 Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan, Phase I Project
The City of Hoboken and North Hudson Sewerage Authority (NHSA) continue moving forward with additional flood mitigation measures that will benefit all residents of Northwest Hoboken. A new flood pump station is currently under construction within the confines of the Northwest Resiliency Park, as well as major sewer infrastructure upgrades and replacements in and around the park, which will reduce combined sewer overflow events spanning several blocks. Over the next several weeks, North Hudson Sewerage Authority will be constructing and installing this critical flood infrastructure that will make significant quality of life upgrades for our residents of Northwest Hoboken.
Thanks to our partner NHSA and Mayor Bhalla's administration for prioritizing these critical infrastructure initiatives that are incorporated into what will be our City’s biggest park.
North End Redevelopment Plan
The City Council held a Special Meeting on January 27th dedicated to introducing the draft North End Redevelopment plan, which promises to transform 30 acres of the formerly industrial northwest corner of Hoboken. The draft North End Redevelopment Plan represents an important step forward in the transformation of Hoboken's industrial northwest into a holistic part of our present-day community.
I look forward to moving on this well-conceived plan for a resilient neighborhood, integrating 30 acres of our City in the 5th Ward in a way that reflects and serves our special, vibrant community – a place for families, commerce, the arts, and parks – at one with Hoboken’s growing community.
This draft plan includes a critical, new Hudson-Bergen Light Rail station at 15th Street, public open space to connect to a City-wide green circuit, a balanced mix of new commercial and residential uses, affordable housing, a pedestrian-oriented retail corridor along 15th Street, and raising the streets and sidewalks to accommodate underground flood infrastructure.
The next step is for the Council to review the Planning Board’s report on whether the draft North End Redevelopment Plan and then to incorporate public comments that we have received to date before the City Council votes on the Plan. Thanks to so many of you who attended and shared your views at our January 27 meeting. We had lots of excellent feedback.
You can read the draft Redevelopment Plan here.
A Protected Bike Lane For Sinatra Drive Is Coming!
Congratulations to Mayor Bhalla and Hoboken Transportation Director Ryan Sharp on securing a $325,000 grant from the State of New Jersey to construct Hoboken’s newest protected bike lane (PBL) on Sinatra Drive between 4th Street and 11th Streets. Thanks to Governor Murphy and the NJ Department of Transportation for this important investment in our community.
A system of connected, protected bike lanes throughout our City is key to realizing Hoboken’s Vision Zero goal of zero pedestrian deaths by 2030. This new Sinatra Drive protected bike lane will get us closer to achieving the goal of allowing riders of all ages and abilities to safely navigate the City’s streets, where they belong and not the City’s sidewalks, where they do not.
The City will begin designing the PBL later this year, with the build-out expected next year after Stevens Institute of Technology has completed the construction of its two residential student housing towers that impact Sinatra Drive’s traffic patterns.
Coffee with Cohen . . . the home edition
To practice social distancing, rather than eliminate my monthly Coffee with Cohen constituent events, I turned to the internet. On Monday, I hosted my most recent Coffee with Cohen Livestream event. Already, over 500 people have viewed this event. This week, Special Guest Hoboken Police Chief Ken Ferrante joined me to discuss the challenges of policing during COVID, protecting the officers of the Hoboken Police Department from COVID while protecting our community, the anticipated impact of marijuana legalization, the need for a redesigned Washington Street bike lane, and more.
My favorite part of Coffee with Cohen is answering your questions. This week you asked about whether you should pre-register with the City for the COVID vaccine if you have already registered with the State. You can check it out here.
Please submit your questions for my next event to HobokenPhil@gmail.com as I try to answer each one. The event is hosted on my Facebook page @Philcohenforcouncil and you can watch it here. As long as we have this state of emergency, I plan to continue virtually hosting Coffee with Cohen twice a month. My next event will be at noon on Monday, February 15th and I hope to see you there.
You can also follow me on Twitter at @philiphcohen here or on Facebook here. As always, if you’d like to reach out with any questions or concerns, or if I can be of any assistance to you or 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 (as well as read this newsletter and my prior newsletters) on my website philcohen.org.
