Hey everyone,

This will hopefully provide further info, as it was sent out by someone who has been very involved in following the meetings:

This is a last minute notice to all interested in the PJP Landfill tussle that has been taking place between the Mayor and those communities on the western edge of Jersey City - esp. Marion and West Bergen. There is a meeting this evening at Temple Beth-El, Harrison and JFK, lower level entrance on JFK side, at 6:30PM with Mayor Healy, AMB representatives and public officials in support of the warehouse. They will make their case and answer any questions that you might have about the issue. (see history of PJP landfill: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/0200569c.pdf)

All of this discussion is preceding a possible City Council vote on Wednesday, August 16th at 10am on a Ordinance that changes the zoning presently covering this land from mixed-use development to industrial. It had been tabled earlier in the year by the Council because of the tremendous objections from the Marion residents who were not informed of the city's intent. Public meetings were held and AMB
added $125,000 donation to Ward B as an incentive.

At issue is the reuse of a long standing Superfund site called the PJP Landfill sitting just west of Sip Avenue's intersection with Routes 1-9. The Mayor has AMB Warehouse interested in acquiring the site, assuming the final remediation and constructing a High-cubed warehouse of 880,000 sq feet. (8 football fields). The facility is to serve as a distribution center for goods arriving via Newark Airport or Port Elizabeth and then shipped out locally. The offering includes job opportunities (potentially 165 construction jobs and 300-500 permanent jobs offered to Jersey City residents first) and adds $1.1 million to the tax roles each year, AMB will ask for no abatements to develop the land, claims their investment will be $100 million and added another $125,000 as a donation to Ward B for community development projects. (see Jersey Journal stories: PJP Landfill)

The alternative is that Hudson County is interested in the same land to expand Lincoln Park West. Currently, in all of Ward B there is only one city park containing a little league field. Most baseball, softball, soccer and football teams in Ward B as well as throughout Jersey City utilized the fields in Lincoln Park. Even today, there exists a waiting list for every field in Lincoln Park. The PJP site boarders the Hackensack River, includes wetlands and diverse flora and fauna that have reclaimed the area. It offers an unprecedented opportunity to develop more active recreation opportunities - soccer, football, baseball, cricket, tennis, lacrosse - as well as passive waterfront walkways and bike paths. Once new residential communities are established on the Western Side of Jersey City land will be too expensive to acquire for parkland and developers are not required to provide active recreation areas for their projects - that is the municipal responsibility. The talk of a Golf Course does not have wide public support among the residents in the area but is repeatedly touted as the only county supported use for this land. The site remediation plans have stalled because Jersey City has not indicated to the NJDEP yet the final use of the land - when it does, it will then be capped to that standard. This could be industrial or recreational. Waste Management is the responsible party for the clean-up and funds have been mandated by the courts for that.

If you can attend this evening, please do. If you support Open Space, please contact Mary Spinello, Ward B councilwoman and make your opinion known. A simple email containing the words - I support open space at the PJP Landfill site is sufficient. Also contact our At-Large councilpeople, Willie Flood, Pete Brennan and Council President Mariano Vega.

Mary Spinello (Ward B Councilwoman), Tel: (201) 547-5092, Fax: (201) 547-4678 (Council Office), spinellom@jcnj.org

Mariano Vega, Jr. (Council President), Tel: (201) 547-5268, Fax: (201) 547-4678 (Council Office), mariano@jcnj.org

Willie Flood (Councilwoman-at-Large), Tel: (201) 547-5134, Fax: (201) 547-4678 (Council Office), floodw@jcnj.org


Peter Brennan (Councilman-at-Large), Tel: (201) 547-5319, Fax: (201) 547-4678 (Council Office), brennanp@jcnj.org


Here are a few of the points made at other public meetings:

1. Air Quality - Jersey City consistently registers unsafe levels of carbon monoxide, addition truck traffic significantly impacts the health of all the residents. (See Hudson County Master Plan: http://www.hudsoncountynj.org/downloads/masterplan/chapter10x.pdf)

2.NJDOT: Wittpenn Bridge/Rt 7/Tonnelle Circle improvements - proposed 18 month construction schedule, beginning late 2007, impacting this vast intersection of roads/bridges is the route to which AMB is claiming to confine all truck traffic entering their facility. Improvements were dictated by NJDOT listing it as one of NJ's most dangerous sections of roadway and bridges after several fatal collisions. Traffic spillout onto local streets is most likely during this period. (See NJDOT: http://www.state.nj.us/transportation/works/studies/rt7wittpenn/)

3. Assurances by AMB of limiting trucks to only certain routes is unrealistic. They cannot yet name their tenants to this facility and yet AMB assures Jersey City that all trucks will only travel southbound along Rts 1-9 from the Charlotte Circle to the Communipaw Bridge.

4.Similarly, AMB's promise of Jersey City hires in reality applies to their tenants - currently unknown. Unless made a requirement of the lease agreement, not likely, it is an unrealistic offer and unenforceable. Although some employment will be gained by Jersey City residents - the numbers quoted are misleading.

5. While there still is significant remediation needed for the PJP Landfill site to be safe for any type of reuse, both the NJDEP and the USEPA await direction from Jersey City as to its ultimate use. Only then can the final cap be designed to accommodate either recreational or industrial use. (See USEPA: http://www.epa.gov/region02/superfund/npl/0200569c.pdf)

6. The Jersey City Master Plan did in fact state that the most likely use for this site, considering its contamination and surrounding businesses, was industrial. It also recommended the creation of more municipal parks and suggests the city to continue to think of itself as a walkable urban environment. As any plan, situations and opportunities effect changes to the plan which has the municipality revisit and revise it periodically. The huge residential boom to downtown Jersey City without any development of municipal parkland for active recreation continues to stress the limited space the existing residents have available. Add to that the planned 10,000 new residential units beginning to be constructed just one mile south of the PJP site along the Westside light rail station near Mallory, the NJCU development, Society Hills expansion, and the Honeywell site - any parkland acquisition now builds a stable, healthy community for the future. Developers do not build parkland. Ward B contains only one municipal Little League field and no plans for adding more to match the coming development unless its a Lincoln Park expansion. The Hudson County Open Space 2004 report illustrates that both Jersey City and Hudson County park systems could double and triple their size respectively and still not fullfill the open space needs of Jersey City residents. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. (See HC Open Space 2004: http://www.hudsoncountynj.org/plannin ... 0Needs%20Assessment_1.pdf)

7. During the various sports seasons, Lincoln Park ballfields, tennis and basketball courts are already overburdened by Jersey City Schools, both public and private, for competitive games. There are no available slots for practice sessions and waiting lists are lengthy. Unorganized groups or a pick-up game make due with any open space. Even the summer programs offered by Jersey City Recreation make full use of Lincoln Park throughout the week. Lincoln Park could double its ballfields, add tennis courts, crickets courts and dedicated soccer fields with this acquisition.

Open space does not produce any tax revenue - offers limited job opportunities - takes advantage of state and federal grants for acquisition and development - reduces crime and creates a safer and more enjoyable neighborhood - cleans pollutants from the air and seldom creates a traffic problem - and enhances the residential value of the surrounding homes as a desirable place to live. Your comments could very well make a difference today to this issue - please advise the city council of your opinions before the City Council meeting on Wednesday at 10am.