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Aaron Morrill

Is a Bergen-Lafayette Luxury Housing Project in Trouble?

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At today’s City Council caucus Councilman Rolando Lavarro suggested that a plan to build a 361-unit luxury high-rise in Bergen-Lafayette may violate the terms of a grant received from the state. Lavarro also stated that newly uncovered documents show that the land, known as Steel Technologies, was supposed to be acquired to become part of Berry Lane Park.

A Power Point slide from Ben Delisle’s July 2014 presentation to the City Council. Parcel 11 is the Steel Technologies property.

In addition to the residential apartment building called “Morris Canal Park Manor,” the developer, Skyline Development Group, has promised to build at the same site a 22,000-square-foot, two-story structure, with a gym, a rock climbing wall, a sauna, dance studios, music studios, and a food concession as well as computer labs and classrooms for STEM instruction. Eight “incubator” commercial working spaces for minority business enterprises would also be included. Eighteen of the residential units would qualify as affordable.

The project, championed by Ward F Councilman Jermaine Robinson and apparently supported by most of the council, has been controversial. The Morris Canal Community Development Corporation, a local group that lobbies for affordable housing in the community, and Bergen-Lafayette residents have questioned the project’s community benefits.

In September, Morris Canal CDC Founder and CEO June Jones told a meeting that it would be better to “reinvest” by expanding Berry Lane Park instead of overburdening the neighborhood with a “luxury rental high-rise only offering 5% affordables fronting smack on Communipaw Avenue.” Jones continued, “For the cost of what we’re sacrificing [in potential parkland], there’s not a whole lot we’re getting back.  We can find alternate spots for a rec center.”

In a September 29 memorandum to City Council President Joyce Watterman, Jersey City Redevelopment Authority Executive Director, Diana Jeffrey — responding to what she called “mischaracterizations or misunderstandings”  — disputed that the property was meant to become part of the park. “The Steel Technologies site was never part of the original plans for Berry Lane Park. It was considered an ‘add on,’ meaning it would be nice if the City could acquire it but not necessary.”

However, Ben Delisle, who was JCRA Director of Development for 14 years and oversaw development of Berry Lane Park, disputed Jeffrey’s statement today. He noted that he had raised over $2 million to acquire the Steel Technologies site. “It was always the intention to include this property in the park.” He described Jeffrey’s characterization as “crazy and disingenuous.”

A Power Point slide from Ben Delisle’s July 2014 presentation to the City Council describing the Steel Technologies property.

Documents bear out Delisle’s account. Jersey City Times has reviewed a Power Point presentation that Delisle gave to the City Council in April 2014. Several of the slides reference the Steel Technologies land as among the properties to be acquired for Berry Lane Park. In March 2017, Delisle obtained an appraisal for the property as a first step in acquiring the land. According to Delisle, there were also discussions centered around building a large indoor recreation facility on part of the land.

The city also received several grants to purchase the property for the park. In 2010, Delisle applied to the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund. The application references an additional $2,475,500 in matching grants. Then, on September 17, 2018, Mayor Fulop applied for an additional $1 million grant from the state’s Green Acres Program.

In today’s meeting, Lavarro noted that previous discussions surrounding the project had focused on community benefits and affordable housing.  It should now be seen through a “different lens” he said. Disputing Jeffrey’s memorandum, he countered that “the Steel Technologies site was always meant to be part of Berry Lane Park. Why are we abandoning that vision?”

Lavarro moved to table an ordinance scheduled for a second reading at Wednesday’s council meeting which would allow for the project to proceed.

Jersey City Times reached out to Councilman Robinson.  We have not received a response as of this writing.

 

Aaron Morrill

Council Approves 50 Story Downtown Project with New School

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A 50-story building with 810 rental apartments and a new pre-K-5 public school are coming to a Downtown block currently occupied by 38 deteriorating single family homes. Last night, the City Council voted 8-1 to to adopt the Laurel Saddlewood Redevelopment Plan and thus give final approval to a project eight years in the making.

Ward E Councilman James Solomon, who shepherded the project through an extensive process of review and community feedback, said, “I don’t believe that this is a perfect project, but I do think it should advance.” According to Solomon, the project begins to baddress a “huge public school infrastructure shortage.” He pointed out that the Downtown schools are already over capacity. With Downtown adding 4,000 new units and no funds to build new schools he lamented the absence of a plan to address the dearth of facilities.

The plan came under criticism from Councilman-at-Large Rolando Lavarro, who complained that at over $2,100 per month the 41 “workforce housing” units included in the project were too expensive to be legitimately called affordable. (Workforce housing refers to housing designed for middle-income earners such as police officers and teachers who make too much money to qualify for various subsidized housing programs.) Solomon said that he was open to Lavarro’s proposal to have the developer, LMC, instead make a payment to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

Several council members highlighted the developer’s commitment to contract with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), for doormen, porters and maintenance workers.

Numerous residents of Laurel Saddlewood testified in favor of the project. Leigh Sellinger said, “Our homes don’t really make sense any more. They are old and difficult to maintain. The buildings are safety hazards.”  Said Andrew Prokos, “the homes are not pleasant to look at. We have flooding. When you factor in all of the community benefits, this is a plus for the city.”

The Harsimus Cove Association is withholding its approval until it receives a financial analysis of the school’s operations, according to its president, Sara Ordway.

Debra Italiano of Sustainable Jersey City was “particularly excited about the stormwater management infrastructure that’s being installed” to deal with flooding and the fact that the building is “green certified.”

In addition to building the school, the developer will triple the size of Philippine Plaza, the “park” on the corner of Second and Grove Streets that features a monument to the Filipino community in Jersey City and that is currently kept locked. Plans also call for 14,000 square feet of retail space and a garage for 294 cars.

In other business, the council passed a revised ordinance regulating sidewalk cafes. The new law creates a full-year license to add to the previous seasonal license, allows for semi-permanent roofs and partitions, and regulates the use of heating devices. The ordinance also regulates recorded and live entertainment in the cafes. Each cafe can host two live music events per week each with up to four performers. Amplified music must not be audible beyond the boundaries of the cafe. The ordinance also waives cafe license fees during the Covid-19 crisis.

Last night’s meeting was also the last for Business Administrator Brian Platt, who is headed to Kansas City, Missouri to take the job of city manager. Members of Jersey City’s Municipal Council sent Platt off with fond memories, compliments, and gentle ribbing. Councilman Richard Boggiano told Platt, “I can’t say what I really want to say. I’ve already notified my relatives in K.C. and told them to move.”  Councilwomen Prinz-Arey and Ridley recalled late night calls for help from Platt.  Councilman Solomon lauded Platt’s work putting Jersey City on the forefront of transportation policy.

Current view of Laurel Court of the Laurel Saddlewood Redevelopment Area

Proposed street view of Laurel Saddlewood development from Manila Ave & 2nd Street

 

 

Aaron Morrill

Fair Housing Group Calls for Changes to Proposed Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance

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A proposed inclusionary zoning ordinance before the City Council tonight is coming under fire from the statewide housing rights organization Fair Share Housing Center. Ordinance No. 20-089 was put before the council two weeks ago by Mayor Steven Fulop and Council-President Joyce Watterman.  Councilman-at-Large Rolando Lavarro has since waged a one man battle — with the support of Ward E Councilman James Solomon – to amend it. Local activists have come out in force in support of Lavarro’s amendments.

Today, Fair Share Housing Center Executive Director Adam Gordon released a statement calling for changes. Citing “serious flaws in the ordinance,” Gordon said “Although we welcome the stated desire of Jersey City’s elected officials to tackle the growing crisis of displacement and rapid gentrification in New Jersey’s second-largest city, the proposed ordinance set to be considered by the City Council this evening is riddled with developer-friendly loopholes.  If adopted without significant amendments, it will produce few, if any, new affordable homes.”

His statement goes on to say  that “The ordinance, as currently drafted, would allow wealthy and politically connected developers to build large numbers of luxury homes while negotiating their way out of affordable housing requirements. By allowing City Council members the ability to waive its requirements entirely whenever it wishes and allowing other buyouts at its discretion, the ordinance will create a political game by which developers lobby Council members to get special treatment for massive developments [instead] of creating one set of rules everyone must follow.  Not only is such legislation inadequate to address the deep need for affordable housing in Jersey City, but it also violates state law in a number of ways. We call on Jersey City’s elected officials to close the gaping loopholes in this ordinance and act swiftly to pass an ordinance that actuallyaddresses the affordable housing needs of Jersey City’s working families.”

 

Sally Deering

Council Approves New Police Recruits Amidst Pushback

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At last week’s virtual city council meeting more than 50 Jersey City residents called in imploring the legislators to defund the Jersey City Police Department by 50 percent in the 2020 municipal budget. They called for a halt to the hiring of 23 police recruits heading off to the police academy and asked the council to defeat a resolution for a police presence at public housing developments and for additional monies for protective armor.

Residents and Council Divided on Policing

Jersey City resident Vanessa Dodgson-Thomas lives in Ward F and volunteers with the Jersey City Anti-Violence Coalition Movement and other community groups that demonstrate outside Jersey City Hall every Tuesday at 4 p.m. Dodgson-Thomas asked the city council to listen to its constituents and “take action” on their behalf.

“We are demanding a reallocation of Jersey City Police Department funds to services that will better serve the community, particularly parts of the community that are chronically under-funded at the moment,” Dodgson-Thomas said. “Employment programs, mental health programs, affordable housing, better funding for our schools, the list of where these funds could be put to better use is endless. We don’t need investment in more police officers. We need investment in our community. We know Jersey City is not an equitable place to live. We need to change that. Adding another 23 police officers, purchasing armor, placing police officers in Jersey City housing sites and all the while cutting the youth development recreation funding, this is not what the community wants. If you don’t hear that, you’re not listening.”

Elayna Thompson, a member of Solidarity Jersey City and a Ward E resident, asked the city council to make a bigger decrease in the 2020 budget for the police department and invest that money in services that make the community safer and stronger like affordable housing, youth programming, and quality healthcare.

“Why would you reject the proposed budget amendments tonight?” Thompson asked. “Jersey City is facing a $70 million shortfall.”

Ely Tamman of Ward F agreed with Thompson, saying community services are what the people of Ward F need.

“Cops don’t make communities safe, resources do,” Tamman told the council. “We need social workers. We need social services. We need education, mental health access, and youth services. This is what makes communities safe.”

Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley voted in favor of hiring the 23 police recruits because what matters to her in Ward A are the calls she receives for more, not less policing, she said. People who live in public housing developments want a police presence and police patrolling the streets.

“I don’t see defunding the police as a way to go and as a way the residents of Ward A want to go,” Councilman Ridley said. “What matters to me are the residents of Ward A, and what sticks out in my mind are areas like Triangle Park and Neptune Avenue, people stealing things off porches on Cottage Street. I get calls all the time for more policing from people who want a cop patrol in their car. The fact that people who live in housing developments don’t want police presence, they do. They want the police presence, and they want social services. We need to look into better options and find a unique balance between the two.”

Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh agreed with Councilwoman Ridley, and although he voted against defunding the JCPD, he said he hopes in the future the city can reduce the number of police and live in a “community in harmony.”

“I do want accountability for police,” Councilman Saleh said. “I want something sustainable that holds this profession to account.”

Ward E Councilman James Solomon voted against the hiring of 23 police officers stating it sends the wrong message to the community.

“Actions matter more than words,” Councilman Solomon said. “We’re saying with this vote and budget, adding officers is a more important priority for the city than other things we can do. Life-long residents of every ward in the city spoke tonight. It’s important to listen to all the folks.”

Council President Joyce E. Watterman, who voted in favor of hiring the 23 recruits, said that when she took office in 2013, the police department did not reflect the Jersey City community. She said the council made a commitment to do just that.

“We want the police department to reflect the community,” she said. “I’m not against police officers. I don’t want to defund the police. We have good officers who work hard and put their lives on the line, (but) there is racism in police officers.. What (happened to) George Floyd allowed us to have a conversation that was hidden in the background for decades. Police brutality does exist. This racism goes deep. I don’t want to defund the police. I want the police to learn our culture. And we need our own police academy here in Jersey City.”

The resolutions to hire 23 police recruits, to purchase replacement body armor for the JCPD, and to provide on-duty police services to the Jersey City Housing Authority were approved 7-2 with Councilmen Solomon and (Rolando) Lavarro, Jr., dissenting.

Refining Bergen Avenue’s Bike Lane

The council voted unanimously to approve the second reading of an ordinance to amend parking and street cleaning restrictions to accommodate protected bike lanes on Bergen Avenue. Several residents from the Journal Square area called in with their support for the ordinance saying protected bike lanes help those who don’t own cars to safely travel to other city locations. Angela Roo, who lives in Ward B, said that when she worked in downtown Jersey City she could commute safely using the bike lanes.

“Additional bike lanes in Jersey City are actually enabling people who live in areas with worse public transportation to access places in Jersey City (like downtown) that hire numbers of employees,” Roo said. “I was able to go there for recreation and shopping as well. I fully support the continuing expansion of bike lanes in Jersey City.”

Anupama Sapkota, a resident of Ward C, called in support for the bike lane ordinance: “It’s a very important infrastructure that we need to enact in our city,” she said. “There’s been a 13-year study done in the Journal of Transport and Health published in 2019 that states ‘protected bike lanes in a dozen cities led to a drastic decline in fatalities for all users of the road.’ We shouldn’t lose sight that a lot of Jersey City residents are commuters who don’t have the luxury of affording a car. Creating these protected bike lanes will enable us to become a more inclusive community.”

Gary Spingeren, who lives downtown, said he’s all for cyclists sharing the road with car drivers, but unfortunately many cyclists don’t follow the rules of the road.

“I do think we need to make this community more connected and public transportation is a paramount priority,” Spingern said, “but I can’t tell you how many times, either walking or driving in the city, bicyclists continually ignore the laws of the road. I’m more inclined to increase accessibility to current public transportation. Let’s bolster that end of it. We’re trying to make everybody happy, but it’s going to make more problems than it’s worth. We’re going to have accidents pile up and scramble to fix them. I don’t think we have enough available information.”

To clarify, Councilwoman Ridley addressed the significance of the ordinance.

“The bike lanes in effect are already there,” Councilwoman Ridley said. “This ordinance is just controlling the parking situation. This doesn’t remove the current bike lanes.”

Business Administrator for Jersey City Brian Platt agreed with Ridley: “This is just adjusting the street sweeping schedule on the street, moving some bus stops. It’s essentially optimizing the traffic flow based on the feedback we’ve gotten from the residents there. Cars will no longer have to move a couple times a week for street cleaners.”

Councilman Lavarro clarified some of the sticky issues surrounding the ordinance. He said the issues surrounding the Bergen Avenue bike lane are more about how it had been installed. It seems the lane was created without community input.

“Literally overnight, the summer of last year, the bike lane was installed,” Councilman Lavarro said. “Councilman (Richard) Boggiano went on vacation and (when he came back) found a bike lane installed in his ward. That’s how that happened. Members of the community expressed concern including the business district, St. Aedan’s Church, the Coptic church there, (and) the school communities, as well. There was a lot of input not taken in. Churches couldn’t bring a limousine up to a church curb to bring a casket into the church. They talked about children departing and going to school. Throughout this process, this whole issue has been framed as an either-or proposition. Either you have a bike lane or not. We all want the same thing. Bike safety for bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers as well.”

Note: Although council meetings are usually held on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month, the next council meeting will be on Thursday, Sept 10, at 6 p.m.

For further recent news about the police in Jersey City, see the following recent Jersey City Times articles:

What Does Defunding the Police Mean?

City Council Focused on George Floyd

Opinion: It’s Time For Community Policing

Juneteenth: A Broken Promise