Saturday Construction of Waterfront Property on City Council Agenda

The city council will decide whether or not to allow Saturday construction on a waterfront development.

Under construction isn't allowed on Saturdays. SJP Properties, however, has asked the city for a waiver, in order to do construction work on Saturdays at the Waterfront Corporate Center III, a new development at Second and River Streets.

Because the project is part of a redevelopment area, the city council is in charge of deciding whether or not to grant the waiver.

According to SJP Properties, "saturday construction has become necessary to ensure the project meets the construction milestones required in the lease agreement with the anchor tenant, Pearson Education. The project is currently behind schedule to meet these milestones."

About 900 employees will be relocated from Pearson's other locations to the new Hoboken office.

According to the city's noice control ordinance, a waiver has to be submitted together with a noise mitigation plan.

Nearby residents are less than thrilled with the option of Saturday construction.

In an open letter to the mayor and city council, Hoboken resident Ariel Bucher — who lives on the tenth floor at Second and Hudson Streets — objected the potential waiver, saying that the construction noise would be too disruptive on the weekend.

"The noise from the 225 River Street construction project is so loud that on the 10th floor, I still hear the work noise while wearing earplugs," Bucher wrote.

"I am absolutely sickened by the thought of construction now continuing on Saturdays. I specifically left Manhattan to a 'bedroom community' with a better quality of life and less noise," Bucher continued. "I am frankly astounded that a construction project that flagrantly and knowingly violated this city's noise ordinances, and was forcibly shut down by the Hoboken Police on at least one occasion (Saturday April 13th), is actually being considered for favorable treatment by this city's council."

The public will be able to ask questions about the noise mitigation plan during the council meeting on Wednesday.