(April 2000)
Real estate developer Roseland Properties and citizen group Friends of the Weehawken Waterfront (FWW) have entered into settlement negotiations to resolve their year-long legal battle over the future of the proposed Port Imperial South project, one of the largest waterfront developments along the Hudson River.
Just weeks after public hearings ground to a halt due to revelations of a conflict of interest by Acting Chair of the Weehawken Planning Board, Mark Gould, the two parties agreed to a series of technical discussions over their differing visions for development of Weehawken’s waterfront.
Doug Harmon, president of FWW, says, “These negotiations, unimaginable mere weeks ago, are a breakthrough in communication between Roseland and the community. No longer are proponents of the community’s vision for the waterfront reduced to reacting to a plan presented as a fait accompli by the developer. The talks are the opportunity to use the community-shaped conceptual plan as the starting point of a process that will end in detailed site plans. This world class location deserves a truly world class design, one that complements the character of the small town in which it is located. The community is now in a unique position to realize its vision.”
Huge financial and legal outcomes rest on the results of these negotiations. Crain’s New York Business recently reported that Roseland is trying to attract leading technology companies, such as AOL, Microsoft, Oracle, and Cisco to their proposed state-of-the-art commercial buildings. The project includes 3.9 million square feet of commercial and residential development, covering more than 100 acres of land at the foot of the Palisades, directly across the Hudson River from midtown Manhattan. The development would include 1,643 residential units, a massive commercial center and parking for over 5,000 cars. Seven of the buildings are 10 to 12 stories tall.
FWW has conducted a number of public design sessions resulting in a “community plan” for the waterfront. This plan calls for a continuous, public waterfront park, low-rise development and a thoughtfully-designed urban environment. New York architect Craig Whitaker led the sessions that developed the community plan. Mr. Whitaker is known internationally for his innovative waterfront development planning and design.
The 1999 Weehawken Planning Board approval of Phase I of the waterfront application was brought before the Superior Court of New Jersey in Hudson County by FWW’s attorney James V. Segreto, who alleged numerous violations of legal process. The case is currently awaiting judgement. Mr. Segreto has also been cross-examining witnesses before the Planning Board since October 1999, regarding testimony on subsequent phases of the application. Without resolution of these matters, the development could be tied up in such legal battles for years.
Future hearings have been postponed until April 27, 2000 to allow time for the settlement negotiations to proceed.
FBW Editorial