HarsimusCoveAssociation@yahoogroups.com; on behalf of; Eric C. Fleming [zderic@yahoo.com]
Harsimus Cove Association
General Meeting Notes, Jan. 16, 2007
RTE 139 PRESENTATION The group overseeing the construction on Rte. 139 came to discuss some changes in traffic flow due to the work on the viaducts.
Alternate RoutesNew traffic patterns will be implemented during this stage and begin on Saturday, February 2 or Sunday, February 3, 2008 (weather permitting).
Travel restrictions on Route 139 eastbound (12th Street):*Two lanes closed at all times
*New Jersey Turnpike traffic will be prohibited from making left turns onto Jersey Avenue.
Alternate route is suggested (pdf 620 kb). *Route 139 eastbound traffic will be prohibited from making right turns onto Jersey Avenue/Newport Parkway (11th Street).
Alternate route is suggested (pdf 620 kb).Travel restrictions on Route 139 westbound (14th Street): *Far left lane is closed to westbound traffic and converted to a temporary, protected contra-flow lane for eastbound motorists only. Remaining westbound lanes will remain open and are not affected by the construction
*Signal operations at 12th Street and Jersey Avenue will be reduced from three to two phases to allow traffic to flow from the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 139 eastbound simultaneously.
TOLL BROS. v. PADNA At the time of the Jan. meeting, the Planning Board had repeatedly postponed voting on the Toll Bros. plans to amend the redevelopment plan in the Powerhouse Arts District. Those plans involved destroying one of the few remaining cobblestone streets left in our city, as well as three historic warehouses and throw up sun-ablating high rises.
The HCA urged its members to maintain the pressure on our Planning Board, the City Council and our Mayor to reject the Toll Bros. plan that would effectively annihilate the letter and spirit of the community that has grown in our warehouse district.
(At a subsequent meeting, the Director of City Planning Bob Cotter and the Planning Board chose to ignore that the PAD plan was meant to preserve the historic nature of the PAD and approve the Toll Bros. plan. – The next step is the City Council, which typically relies on the counsel of the Planning Board.)
EMBANKMENT The Embankment Preservation Coalition offered some amazing artistic renderings of their plan for a passive park atop our embankment on Sixth Street.
Harsimus Stem Embankment RenderingsThey also shared some images of Steve Hyman’s proposal: 30-story buildings that would tower over our community and be completely out of place with the fabric of our neighborhood. Please keep in mind that the Surface Transportation Board has twice ruled that the sale of the Embankment to Hyman was not proper, and he may therefore not have any claim to the property, and that the City may be able to buy the Embankment from Conrail. It’s important to note that the City Council thus far seems to be leaning towards Hyman’s proposal, thus completely ignoring the will of our community. The HCA fully supports the efforts to obtain a park on the embankment, as it has for several years.
2008 GOALS and AGENDAS There are three simple goals: cleaner streets, safer streets for pedestrians and a stronger HCA.
On cleaner streets--Cleaner streets comes from encouraging more rigorous enforcement of NID (that’s the Dept. of Public Works’ Division of Neighborhood Improvement Districts) code.
To report a pothole, visit:
Report PotholeIf you spot a broken curb, report it at:
Rep[ort Broken Curb For complaints like an abandoned car or boarded-up home that can attract criminal activity, visit:
Report Abandoned Car, Boarded-Up Home, Graffiti, Illegal Parking, Etc.The link above is also for graffiti, illegal parking and other issues. You can also call the NID(Neighborhood Improvement District) at (201) 547-5683 or contact the HCA and we’ll work to get the problem solved.
I’d also like to have a “Clean Up Harsimus Cove Day” later this year, where we will get dumpsters free of charge and clean up the debris and garbage that litters our neighborhood.
On safer streets –For any one that walks to the PATH to get to work in the morning, it’s a chronic problem that cars edge out to see around illegally parked car to make it through our intersections. These prohibited corners are marked in red paint, but that paint is either flaking away or all but gone. We need to encourage the
Parking Authority to repaint and enforce parking rules before some one is seriously hurt.
We also need the 25 m.ph. speed limit enforced on an ongoing basis. This can be accomplished not only through speeding tickets, but also through ‘traffic calming’ measures like speed humps, curb bumpouts and signs to warn of pedestrian crossing, as they have in Hoboken.
On a Stronger HCA –I see that in two facets: increased membership and greater financial security. To increase membership, we’ll have to do a better job of creating awareness of the HCA through flyers, posters, etc.
Financial strength can be bolstered by going after corporate funds with our pending 501c3 designation and greater fund raising efforts. Dues may also be charged to members.
DCNA UPDATEThe DCNA (Downtown Coalition of Neighborhood Assns) has a number of mandates, the first is to get its new website,
www.DCNA.org, off the ground. The site will have links to all of the member associations (HPNA, HPHA, PADNA, VVPNA and the HCA).
The DCNA’s new president is Gretchen Scheiman, the present president in Paulus Hook’s association.
The DCNA is also planning to request being named a “consultative/interested party” regarding the status of the Embankment abandonment process. DCNA also discussed assisting the EPC (Embankment Preservation Coalition) with fundraising.
The DCNA is continuing its ongoing efforts to improve its bylaws. The DCNA is considering adding new members like Robert Vivien’s group in Newport or the Italian Village, and in that regard, establishing the clear criteria for membership. Also, meetings of the DCNA may become quarterly over monthly.
Perhaps the most ambitious of the DCNA plans are for a Town Hall meeting where the Mayor will be invited to field questions from the community, moderated by a journalist or a DCNA member.
The DCNA members agreed that they would push for the ‘Construction Principles’ (created for the Goldman Sachs building in Paulus Hook) to be added to any new development in Downtown Jersey City.
And the DCNA will coordinate its efforts to get the vote out for the Primaries on Feb. 5.
To contact the HCA, send an email to:
HarsimusCoveAssociation-owner@yahoogroups.com
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