On December 18th, 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued several operational updates prohibiting the use of drones in many New Jersey communities. The move comes in response to dozens of residents’ reporting drones throughout the state. Read on for more about the latest update.
What’s Happening?
The FAA controls the access to airspace in the US, which includes the use of drones. Drone operators are required to comply with the FAA regulations that govern the use of drones, which includes information about operating over people, at night, in crowds, and other requirements. The main category of drones regulated by the FAA weighs up to 55 pounds. These drones are permitted to fly up to 400 feet in altitude.
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Drone operators are required to check for a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) and NOTAM before flight. A TFR is frequently a time-limited restriction of the airspace due to a security concern or a special event. A TFR can restrict a geographical area, a certain type of airspace, or many types of obstacles or restrictions. A good example of a TFR in action is the prohibition of most aircraft near or around the venue where the Super Bowl is played. A NOTAM is a system-wide notice to airmen that is a safety or operational bulletin to airspace users.
In light of the recent drone sightings above New Jersey and other states, the FAA has issued an expanded list of TFRs specifically concerning drones. “At the request of federal security partners, the FAA published 22 Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) prohibiting drone flights over critical New Jersey infrastructure,” the FAA said in a statement to CNBC, per NBC4 NY.
These TFRs are effective as of December 18th, 2024, and run through Friday, January 17th. The reason given is “for special security reasons“ and the restriction is “No UAS operations are authorized in the areas covered by this NOTAM (except as described).” Some of the locations where these operations are now prohibited include: Jersey City, Camden, Clifton, Bridgewater, and and Gloucester City. A full list is available here.
What Do the Experts Say?
Earlier this week, four federal agencies issued a joint statement in response to the situation. DHS, FBI, FAA & DoD Joint Statement on Ongoing Response to Reported Drone Sightings.
“There are more than one million drones lawfully registered with the FAA in the United States and there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones lawfully in the sky on any given day. With the technology landscape evolving, we expect that number to increase over time.
FBI has received tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks with approximately 100 leads generated, and the federal government is supporting state and local officials in investigating these reports. Consistent with each of our unique missions and authorities, we are quickly working to prioritize and follow these leads. We have sent advanced detection technology to the region. And we have sent trained visual observers.
Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones. We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.
That said, we recognize the concern among many communities. We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement. We urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.
Additionally, there have been a limited number of visual sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere, including within restricted air space. Such sightings near or over DoD installations are not new. DoD takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate. Local commanders are actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place.”
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Proposed Plan Looks To Redevelop Hoboken Parking Garage Into Mixed-Use Apartment Building
A 40-year-old parking garage in downtown Hoboken could be transformed into a new apartment building. The City of Hoboken proposed plans to transform Municipal Parking Garage B at 28 2nd Street in Hoboken into a mixed-use building. The plan was unveiled during a virtual community meeting on January 7th, 2025, but has yet to be adopted by City Council. Here’s what we know so far about the proposed plan to revitalize one of Hoboken’s largest parking garages.
The Plan
The goal is to redevelop Garage B into a transit-oriented, mixed-use site. The City wants it to have a new, updated parking garage, ground-floor retail space, a school, and residential housing. According to the plan, “Garage B is the only garage that exists as a standalone building, without other buildings attached to or flanking the garage structure. Garage B is also located furthest south and is closest to the Hoboken Terminal. For these reasons, Garage B has fewer barriers to construction than the other Garages locations.”
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The housing portion of the new site would include a minimum of 20% affordable housing for low to moderate-income households. The remaining balance would be affordable for households that don’t make more than 120% of the regional median household income in the region. No market-rate housing is part of this redevelopment plan.
“The intent of workforce housing is to provide opportunities for working- and middle-class residents to live within the City of Hoboken,” said Marilyn Baer from the City of Hoboken. “These residents can include police and fire officers, teachers, municipal workers, nurses, and other essential workers.”
According to a recent study done by the City of Hoboken, the parking garage is in substantial need of repair. The garage would be getting a much-needed update and Hoboken says the new space will have the same or possibly more parking spaces for residents and visitors to use, along with modern technology to help make the parking process a breeze.
The Goals
This plan is part of Hoboken’s Redevelopment Plans, aiming to improve the City to make it safer for both residents and visitors. Some of the other goals for this site include maximizing the future building’s proximity to the Hoboken Terminal, increasing access to to NJ Transit, the PATH, the Light Rail, and ferry services. Project leaders aim for new construction to be compatible with the surrounding area. They also want to make sure ground floor space is spaced and utilized well to improve the pedestrian experience on Hudson Place and River Street.
This redevelopment plan also calls for pedestrian safety improvements in line with the City’s Vision Zero goals. It will also use stormwater mitigation strategies to help reduce local flooding.
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Again, this is still just a proposed plan. If it’s adopted by the City Council, the City of Hoboken plans to send out a Request for Proposals from developers for concept plans. From there, the City will provide for an additional public process ahead of a potential Redevelopment Agreement between Hoboken and a developer, according to Marilyn Baer.
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