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Last night something remarkable happened at the Hoboken City Council Meeting. All parties, including council members, attorneys, government officials, developers and the public, agreed that this proposed new performing arts center was a much needed addition to our fair city. Several council members expressed how they wished every proposal and vote could come off this smoothly. This flow of cooperation and consent is a rarity in city politics.
The only real debate to surface addressed the fear that other developers would want to take advantage of an exception that was being granted to Water Music. In fact it was the very thing that last night's vote hinged upon. You see, in order to facilitate the needs of the new arts complex and comply with the city's need—or rather want—for residential space, this building would be a good deal taller than current zoning allows.
Some council members worried that other developers would come along and attempt to also go beyond the height restrictions. Another worry came from artists who feared that a developer could come in, buy the building and we'd lose it all to a condo development. According to City Planner Elizabeth Vandor however, only a building that is being constructed to the exact plans as the new Water Music complex can take advantage of this new variance. Also, the lease with the city would protect the property for a minimum of 50 years, possibly 99.
Following the presentation by the architect John Nastasi and others, the council agreed to put the issue to a public hearing and a final vote which would take place about an hour later. This was a vital hurdle that needed to be cleared. Still many involved felt that the upcoming vote was just a formality and an approval was inevitable. Despite appearances, this is still city politics so one never knows. The crowd grew larger as we eagerly waited in the lobby until being called back in for the hearing and vote.
Once back inside, we were all armed with signs of support that read 'Hoboken Arts Center' and 'We Love Water Music (Here in Hoboken)'. The rules of order were suspended so the Water Music issue could be dealt with quickly. Well, as quickly as it could be. Several folks got up to speak about the proposal. All were in favor. There were moving speeches from Chris O'Connor (Founder of Mile Square Theatre), Geri Fallo (Director of Cultural Affairs) and Ted Young (Water Music's Chief Engineer) who read a letter of support from Cyndi Lauper.
Two others that stood out for me were Zach Green who is an actor and a teacher. He mentioned how he has taught all over the state of NJ and, despite being located in Hoboken, has never had the chance to teach here. Others made similar claims driving home the ironic point that Hoboken is chock full of actors, artists, dancers and musicians but has not one single theater or public performance space available for continuing programs.
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