To save a piece of land it purchased in Hoboken, NY Waterway put out an all hands on deck call to for help.

So far, 1,500 people have responded.

NY Waterway officials launched an on-line "defend our ferries" petition drive after a March 15 vote by Hoboken's city council to use eminent domain to buy the land for $11.6 million to complete a network of Hudson River parks.

"This is a very significant issue. NY Waterway wants to use all resources to get our message to the public and we want to make sure our elected officials understand what's at stake," said Pat Smith, an NY Waterway spokesman. "It will be presented to officials in Hoboken, to state legislators and the governor's office."

NY Waterway bought the land from Union Drydock for $11.5 million last year to use as a maintenance and fueling facility to replace a site in Weehawken.

Hoboken officials and supporters want the land because it's the last property needed to complete a chain of parks on the Hudson River created over the past decades.

A January 2018 survey of 2,447 Hoboken residents said 2,200 support the park use. City officials pitched a different plan to locate the ferry maintenance facility at a former military terminal on the waterfront in Bayonne.

That idea got a boost last week when Bayonne officials said they were negotiating with Port Authority officials to start ferry service from the former Military Ocean Terminal.

NY Waterway officials said Bayonne is out of the way and would cost the company and riders extra time and money. Ferries would take longer to respond to emergency requests for extra service when NJ Transit train or bus service is suspended, officials said.

Where was @CityofHoboken in this negotiation? @ridetheferry can provide the service and maintain their fleet in @CityofBayonne A win win solution. — Linda Kwok 孝敏 (@lindahoboken) March 26, 2018

"The petition is a gross mischaracterization of the facts. Hoboken residents have spent decades of thoughtful planning to transform its former industrial waterfront into an open and publicly accessible walkway and parkland," said Jason Freeman, a city spokesman. "Hoboken seeks to work in partnership with New York Waterway, the Governor, and all stakeholders to undertake a thoughtful and comprehensive planning process."

Hoboken is committed to preserving this last missing piece of the waterfront as public open space, and helping New York Waterway identify another location for its operations, Freeman said. Mayor Ravi Bhalla said in a statement Monday that the city is waitng for a response to its $11.63million offer for the property.

Smith said the company will reply directly to the mayor.

"There have been ongoing talks between NY Waterway and Hoboken leadership to look for a resolution where NY Waterway operates a maintenance facility that minimizes impacts and makes land available," Smith said.

The issue bounced back to the city after NJ Transit put off a Martin Luther King day vote on a controversial plan to buy the land for $11.5 million and lease it back to NY Waterway after Mayor Ravi Bhalla and 100 residents came to the meeting to oppose the purchase.

We already have plenty of parks. If it's not purchased to create parking we don't need it. #Hoboken — JR Lipari (@JoeLipari) March 26, 2018

NJ Transit proposed buying the land and leasing it back to the ferry carrier. NJ Transit receives credit for ferry passengers to help qualify for federal grants. The lease proposal is still pending, said Nancy Snyder, an NJ Transit spokeswoman on Monday.

If NJ Transit buys the land, Hoboken can't use eminent domain because the land would be owned by a government agency.

Gov. Phil Murphy also voiced his opposition to the plan on Jan 13, days before the NJ Transit board was scheduled to vote on the purchase.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.