FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, April 18, 2017

 


Trenton, NJ – The Christie Administration has scheduled a hearing for Monday, April 24 to solicit public comment on the State’s design plan for the $230 million HUD-funded ‎flood resiliency project in Hoboken and parts of Weehawken and Jersey City. 

The public hearing on the project recommending construction of a strategically placed flood-resistance system will be held at Hoboken’s Wallace Elementary School, 1100 Willow Avenue. The hearing will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

The hearing is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which is funding the project as part of its Rebuild By Design (RBD) program that resulted from the destruction caused in New Jersey and other states during Superstorm Sandy in October 2012. 

The recommended alternative, known as Alternative 3, calls for construction of a flood-resistance structure stretching from 19th Street in Weehawken and extending south into Hoboken, slightly inland from the river. An additional flood resistance structure will be constructed along the southern end of Hoboken and into Jersey City. 

The flood-resistance structure will provide flood protection for communities and for critical infrastructure, including the North Hudson Sewerage Authority. Alternative 3 will be designed to blend in seamlessly with the urban streetscape and enhance the quality of life in the area. The system will utilize natural higher ground to maximize protection from storm surge and flooding. 

The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), working with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and the three communities, submitted a winning proposal in HUD’s RBD competition, created to promote projects that improve the resilience of urban coastal areas while providing infrastructure that improves quality of life. 

The DEP and DCA expect to formalize the recommendation as part of a Record of Decision that will be filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

 The public hearing will take place in the school cafeteria. Members of the public will be given up to three minutes each to provide comments. 

The facility is accessible for the mobility-impaired. Spanish interpretation and sign language interpretation will be available. Individuals needing special accommodations such as accessible seating or documentation in alternative formats may contact Sandy Recovery Division Constituent Services at (609) 292-3750 or by email sandy.recovery@dca.nj.gov

Residents may also submit written comments by email to sandy.publiccomment@dca.nj.gov or by mail to the attention of Constituent Services, Sandy Recovery Division, NJ Department of Community Affairs, 101 South Broad Street, P.O. Box 823, Trenton, NJ 08625. All comments will be considered equally, whether presented in-person at the public hearing or in writing. All comments must be received on or before 5 p.m. on April 30. 

 

CONTACT:
Lisa Ryan
(609) 292-6055