DeFusco calls for special Hoboken council meeting to address Washington Street construction

HOBOKEN – Councilman and mayoral candidate Michael DeFusco has called for a special council meeting to address the Washington Street construction project and the impact the current administration’s plan is having on residents and businesses, including the possible removal of 22 mature trees and what he says is the intended destruction of historic bluestone sidewalks.
Defusco’s press release follows a similar call earlier in the week from Councilman Ruben Ramos, who asked for a pause in construction to rethink the Washington Street changes.
DeFusco has submitted an official request to council president (and mayoral candidate) Jennifer Giattino, asking that the meeting be scheduled immediately given the urgent nature of the subject, and that it be open to public comment about the construction.
“No one would dispute that Washington Street is in desperate need of repair, but the current administration’s handling of this vital project has raised an enormous amount of concern throughout the community,” said DeFusco. “Businesses are suffering, quality of life is being disrupted, and most alarmingly there is irreversible damage being done to our city’s character in the removal of trees and destruction of a historic bluestone sidewalk in front of City Hall.”
“These two issues were never discussed during the long deliberations about this project, meaning that they were either overlooked or intentionally concealed by the administration,” added DeFusco in the release. “Either way, it’s now clear that we need an open public meeting to discuss these concerns and look for a solution that will repair Washington Street without further harming our city’s historic features or our environment.”