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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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Got a call from a homeowner who has the property next to my rental on Belmont Ave:

He got a citation for using his carport out front. This carport has been in use long before the 2001. Apparently my property is being cited as well, which will stink for my tenant since she uses the parking space. I bought the place back in 1999 with the active carport.

Was their any grandfathering clause when the 2001 law was passed?

Posted on: 2011/12/2 21:31
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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What ever happened with this? Did they vote no on the carports?

thanks

Posted on: 2007/11/12 14:14
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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Agreed - whenever someone pushes something "for the children" my bullshit detector starts becoming very sensitive. In this case there are much better arguments against more curb cuts and yard parking. First, they make the parking problem worse by removing a curb spot and making it reserved for one car. The car owner needs to have 24/7 access via what was a spot but their car will only be there part of the time. If it remained a curb spot then when they aren't there someone else could use it (and we have neighborhood permits so parking is already limited to residents). Second, using half of a tiny front yard to park a car is just fugly. I think that just realizing that curb cuts for yard parking will make the parking problem much worse for people in the neighborhood is an overwhelming argument that requires no recourse to aesthetics or "the children".

Quote:

NNJR wrote:
Quote:
sidewalk curb cuts for driveways create unsafe pedestrian conditions for the young and elderly


won't someone think of the children? Nice one.

Just say what you really think, they look ugly and they jeopardize the already scarce street parking. The old lady & children speech is pathetic.

Posted on: 2007/5/23 1:32
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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You can stop right there because if a car extends beyond the sidewalk then it is illegal, I seriously doubt that the amendment would allow cars to be parked over the sidewalk.



Sure, and every illegally parked car in the city is promptly towed. Illegal or not, the the yard driveways that already exist always seem to have cars sticking out onto the sidewalk. Sometimes they block the entire sidewalk and pedestrians are forced into the street. Sometimes they only block a small portion of the sidewalk. But either way, a curb is a much better deterrent to a car parking on a sidewalk then a short yard driveway. Further, for children and midgets, this presents a seriously dangerous situation as they are shorter then the cars parked on the street, thus they cannot see over the car if there is traffic coming and on coming traffic can't see them behind a parked car.

Posted on: 2007/5/21 22:56
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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"Deja Vu all over again."---Yogi Berra

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COMING SOON: Sea of Concrete

GrovePath wrote:

Should people park on their own property?

Residents say council measure will subtract, rather than add, parking

Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter staff writer 08/12/2006


SPEAKING ON ZONING ? City Planner Claire Davis addresses the Jersey City Planning Board on the proposed changes to the city?s R-1 zoning regulations.
Ward D City Councilman Bill Gaughan says he wants to create more parking. But residents say his proposal will actually take away street parking.

Gaughan's ordinance, introduced at the July 19 City Council meeting, would let homeowners with 15 feet of space in front of their house park on their land.

But other residents say that the curb cuts will take away on-street parking.

The ordinance would apply to the city's R-1 zones, where one and two-family homes are located.

Gaughan said he wrote the ordinance in response to complaints he received from his constituents in the Heights section over the lack of parking.

"Parking is a problem, not in Ward D where I represent over 19,000 people, but throughout the city," said Gaughan. "People tell me more about parking than other issues, and if anyone has a better suggestion, let me know."

Gaughan said he enlisted the help of a friend whom he would not name but who is a "a professional planner who does not work for the city."

While there is agreement that there needs to be more parking, there is disapproval about Gaughan's approach to the problem.

Will speak out Wednesday

Among those in opposition is Becky Hoffman, president of the Riverview Neighborhood Association, who sees far less parking will be produced if the ordinance is approved at the next council meeting this coming Wednesday. The association represents many residents living in Gaughan's ward.

"You'll have all these curb cuts, and you have driveways two feet apart from one of another that will cut down on on-street parking," said Hoffman.

Residents aren't only ones who are unsure about Gaughan's idea.

Some of his City Council colleagues would like to see this ordinance studied further. One of them is Ward E City Councilman Steven Fulop.

"It's a knee-jerk reaction that I don't think will solve the issue of parking," said Fulop. "It would be like paving over Pershing Field to produce more parking."

Pershing Field is a city park located between Summit and Central Avenues, within Gaughan's ward.

Change in the zoning

The change in the R-1 zoning would allow houses to be built further back from the street, allowing for more parking in front of the house. Before, the setback from the street was 10 feet, but with the change, a 15-foot setback would be allowed.

In accordance with that, back yards could be smaller. The rear yard setback would be cut from 30 feet to 20 feet.

In terms of parking, the maximum length of a curb cut along the street would be 10 feet along the street. The maximum width of a driveway and garage would be 12 feet.

Garages built in any new two-family home have to be 13 feet wide and 44 feet wide and should accommodate at least two cars.

Part of the ordinance does not pertain to parking. Because the houses may have to be slimmer, building heights could be three stories with floor-to-ceiling height between 9 to 12 feet, with at least two floors connected solely by staircase.

A setback that many see as a setback

Some residents are concerned that residents may tear down the front of their house to make room for parking, and this could affect historic houses that are not actually located in one of the city's four designated historic districts.

Homes in historic district are protected by stringent regulations put down by the city's historic commission that govern how the exteriors are changed. Houses outside of the district, however, can be changed.

Joshua Parkhurst, president of the Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy, said last week that the ramifications of any change to the city's R-1 zoning would be tremendous from a historic preservation standpoint.

Many historic homes do not have enough set back from the front property line to comply with the proposed zoning changes, and therefore would either be torn down or renovated to allow for more front yard room.

"This would give developers carte blanche to tear down historic buildings," said Parkhurst.

"I live in a brownstone in an historic district in Downtown Jersey City which is protected, Parkhurst said, "but there are areas such as the Italian Village and Bergen Hill where homes will be greatly impacted."

Parkhurst also took issue with other proposed changes such as decreasing the backyard space from 30 feet to 20 feet.

"This reduction of backyards is a stealth de-greening and a loss of privacy," said Parkhurst.

Monya McCarty, a Heights resident and another member of the Riverview Neighborhood Association, would like to see the ordinance studied further, and not during summer months when people are away.

"When we pay taxes, we pay for due process. It shouldn't be circumvented in July and August," said McCarty at Tuesday night's Planning Board meeting.

Planning Board gives thumbs down

The Jersey City Planning Board had a meeting Tuesday and voted to recommend to the City Council that the ordinance not be adopted, and should be sent back to the city's Planning Department for further study.

Commissioner Leon Yost asked Robert Cotter, head of the city's Planning Department, to draft a letter to the City Council stating that the Planning Board disapproved of the ordinance.

"Streets are for cars and sidewalks are for people," said Yost. "The minute people start going out into the street and cars start going onto the sidewalks, then it is anarchy and chaos."

Residents at the Planning Board meeting also complained that cars parked in the new driveways would stick out into the sidewalks. They said cars could hit people who have to walk into the street to avoid cars getting out of their driveways.

Planning Board Commissioner Michael Sottolano, who is also a city councilman representing the Greenville section, agreed with Yost about recommending that the City Council vote against the ordinance.

He also expected that this issue will be discussed further at the council caucus Monday morning, where a decision may be made to table the ordinance for further study.

What's next?

When asked about the Planning Board's reaction, Gaughan said that he had no problem with their recommendation, but will still pursue the ordinance with some further changes.

As far as other council members, City Council President Mariano Vega said last week that he would like to see further study of the ordinance before the council votes on the matter.

Mayor Jerramiah Healy's spokesperson, Maria Pignataro, said that Healy "is currently looking into the proposed amendments to the R-1 zoning and is not in favor of many of them."

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com

Posted on: 2007/5/21 22:53
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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[quote]Coming Soon a Sea of Concrete

brightmoment wrote:

http://www.actionstudio.org/public/pa ... ?option=begin&pageid=7244

SAY GOOD-BYE TO ON STREET PARKING!

On August 16th, the City Council will vote whether to amend the zoning for neighborhoods with predominantly 1- and 2- family homes, the R1 category, the single largest zoning category in Jersey City. While purportedly drafted to address the parking problem in Jersey City, instead the amendments will:

*Decrease ON STREET parking by allowing any home with 15 Ft in front of it to create front yard parking and/or driveway. The multitude of curb cuts will reduce continuous curb space needed for ON STREET parking.

*Trade ON STREET parking that any resident can use for private parking that only an individual homeowner can use.

*Blight the streetscape by encouraging homeowners to cut down trees and pave over front yards to make way for parked cars.

*Create a safety hazard for pedestrians using the sidewalk and drivers who must back out into oncoming traffic.

In addition, these zoning amendments will:

*Eliminate green space 10 feet at a time by reducing the rear yard setback to 20 feet from 30 feet. This means less privacy for homeowners as well as less light and air.

Take Action Now! Scroll down to send an automatic letter to your mayor and councilman!

Encourage the Council to Vote NO on the R1 Zoning Amendments on August 16th. Save Our Neighborhoods.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

DELIVER TO
Your letter will be delivered to the following individuals.
Peter Brennan
Willie Flood
Steve Fulop
Bill Gaughan
Jerramiah Healy
Steve Lipski
Viola Richardson
Michael Sottolano
Mary Spinello
Mariano Vega
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SUBJECT

Please personalize the subject line.

YOUR MESSAGE

This portion will be included at the top of your letter and can not be changed.

Dear Mayor and Councilpersons,

The proposed amendments to the R1 Zoning category (areas with predominantly 1- and 2-family homes) are ill-conceived and will destroy my neighborhood. I urge you to vote NO.

Although positioned as a solution to the parking issues in Jersey City, these amendments will worsen the problem and create additional issues. These amendments will:

1. Decrease onstreet parking by allowing any home with 15 Ft in front of it to create front yard parking and/or driveway. The multitude of curb cuts will reduce continuous curb space needed for onstreet parking.

2. Trade onstreet parking that any resident can use for private parking that only an individual homeowner can use.

3. Blight the streetscape by encouraging homeowners to cut down trees and pave over front yards to make way for parked cars.

4. Create a safety hazard for pedestrians using the sidewalk and drivers who must back out into oncoming traffic.

In addition, these zoning amendments will:

5. Eliminate green space 10 feet at a time by reducing the rear yard setback to 20 feet from 30 feet. This means less privacy for homeowners as well as less light and air.

6. Remove "predominant setback" language - no longer will a building have to fit into the existing streetscape.

7. Create potential for abuse - illegal apartments (in garages), parking across sidewalks, etc.

8. Provide no enforcement protections.

At the next City Council meeting on August 16th you will have a chance to save my neighborhood. Vote NO to the amendments to the R1 zoning if you would like to count on my vote in the next election.

Posted on: 2007/5/21 22:43
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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I'm not sure why this is pathetic. When I walk down a street with my kids they can happily race ahead down the block. They know not to run ino the street and they stop promptly at the corner.

However, when there are several driveways breaking up the street, it creates an unsafe situation for my children because they are young and driveways follow no visible rules like the curb or the corner. Getting them to stop at each and every driveway to look both ways for cars is difficult creating an unsafe and unpleasant experience.

I come from beautiful country side... all of this city stuff already looks ugly to me, I don't really see how the car ports make anything uglier.


Quote:

NNJR wrote:
Quote:
sidewalk curb cuts for driveways create unsafe pedestrian conditions for the young and elderly


won't someone think of the children? Nice one.

Just say what you really think, they look ugly and they jeopardize the already scarce street parking. The old lady & children speech is pathetic.

Posted on: 2007/5/21 22:18
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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Quote:
Not necessarily. Yard parking leads inevitably to vehicles extending beyond the property line over the sidewalk


You can stop right there because if a car extends beyond the sidewalk then it is illegal, I seriously doubt that the amendment would allow cars to be parked over the sidewalk.


Quote:
Who cares if you're against it because it makes it unsafe for children and the elderly, or because it would be just plain ugly. What's the difference.


Because I am for or against amendments based on who/what is affected. I don't think children or elderly safety is impact by this amendment. I agree that most implementations of car ports look like sh*t.

So just argue the facts and don't try to throw in BS, it?s what makes politics stink IMO.

Posted on: 2007/5/21 21:20
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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Quote:

NNJR wrote:
Quote:
sidewalk curb cuts for driveways create unsafe pedestrian conditions for the young and elderly


won't someone think of the children? Nice one.

Just say what you really think, they look ugly and they jeopardize the already scarce street parking. The old lady & children speech is pathetic.


Not necessarily. Yard parking leads inevitably to vehicles extending beyond the property line over the sidewalk. In many cases, cars extend over the sidewalk and into the street so that pedestrians must walk around the back of the car in the middle of a lane of traffic. Children may be shorter than cars parked on either side of the 'driveway', thus are not able to be seen as they navigate around cars parked on the sidewalk, thus it is dangerous.

Beyond that, front yard parking spots are look trashy.

Posted on: 2007/5/21 19:35
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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I've passed DanL's post on to the entire Village Block Association's email list and urged them to get involved. I know this amendment would greatly impact our area of the city and it must be defeated. Who cares if you're against it because it makes it unsafe for children and the elderly, or because it would be just plain ugly. What's the difference. Both are valid.

Posted on: 2007/5/21 19:08
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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HPNA has alerted it's mailing list of this issue below:
*******************************************
This zoning issue potentially affects all of Jersey City and the adjacent R-1 zones in and around the downtown Historic Districts.

It was the subject of prior successful action by the HPNA, DCNA, Riverview and other Jersey City neighborhood associations-- and it is back again.

The Riverview Neighborhood Association has taken the lead on this issue and is asking you to take the time to respond to their message below.

G. Elkind
HPNA

Quote:

BrightMoment wrote:
Quote:

DanL wrote:
Note received from the Riverivew Neighborhood Assoc.
[...]
Please act and go to Citizenspeak to instantly send a personalized letter to the Mayor and Council telling them you do not want front yard parking in your neighborhood.
[...]

Thank you for taking action!

Becky Hoffman
Riverview Neighborhood Association

email: riverviewneighborhood@comcast.net


Thanks for posting DanL! I just went to Citizenspeak to send my letter to the Mayor and Council and hope others here will do the same.

I also sent this info to the HCA and HPNA asking them to email broadcast this info to their respective members.

Thanks much Becky and to the Riverview Neighborhood Association.

Posted on: 2007/5/20 3:27
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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Quote:
sidewalk curb cuts for driveways create unsafe pedestrian conditions for the young and elderly


won't someone think of the children? Nice one.

Just say what you really think, they look ugly and they jeopardize the already scarce street parking. The old lady & children speech is pathetic.

Posted on: 2007/5/19 23:37
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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With all the highrise apartments being built, City Hall might think the only way to deal with the expected demand for on-street parking, is to push resident's cars off the street for visitors and shoppers. Traffic congestion around Grove St PATH will be a pain in the ass, once those apartments above are occupied. Not fogetting the added impact to our pothole riddled streets.

Posted on: 2007/5/19 22:27
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Re: Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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Quote:

DanL wrote:
Note received from the Riverivew Neighborhood Assoc.
[...]
Please act and go to Citizenspeak to instantly send a personalized letter to the Mayor and Council telling them you do not want front yard parking in your neighborhood.
[...]

Thank you for taking action!

Becky Hoffman
Riverview Neighborhood Association

email: riverviewneighborhood@comcast.net


Thanks for posting DanL! I just went to Citizenspeak to send my letter to the Mayor and Council and hope others here will do the same.

I also sent this info to the HCA and HPNA asking them to email broadcast this info to their respective members.

Thanks much Becky and to the Riverview Neighborhood Association.

Posted on: 2007/5/19 22:21
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Say Yes to Safe Sidewalks and Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)
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Note received from the Riverivew Neighborhood Assoc.

These amendments are simliar to those defeated last year.

In addition to the reasons below, sidewalk curb cuts for driveways create unsafe pedestrian conditions for the young and elderly and can be a traffic safety hazzard on busy streets. I have always found that one of beauties and pleasures of our historic districts is to be able to walk uninterupted by driveways.

Please act and go to Citizenspeak to instantly send a personalized letter to the Mayor and Council telling them you do not want front yard parking in your neighborhood.

--------------------------------------------------

Say NO to Carports (AGAIN!)

May 16, 2007

We need your help. Despite public pressure that led to amendments being defeated last summer, on May 23rd, the City Council will again consider introducing an ordinance that will allow front yard parking (a.k.a. carports) in the R1 (one and two-family) zoning district.

Front Yard parking was allowed prior to 2001 and we are left with many blocks with so many curb cuts there is little, if any, available on-street parking. And, there was no enforcement so many of the driveways are illegal. Why go back to a failed policy?

Take Action

By working together, we can tell the Mayor and City Council that this is not what we want for Jersey City. Ask them to follow the lead of the Planning Board - who unanimously did NOT support this zoning change - and vote this amendment down. go to Citizenspeak to instantly send a personalized letter to the Mayor and Council telling them you do not want front yard parking in your neighborhood. Are there no other creative solutions to help ease parking in Jersey City neighborhoods?

Save Our Neighborhoods

If the amendments are approved, many residential areas will be profoundly altered. Our neighborhood will become a sea of concrete, with cars as the dominant visual element in our front yards, too many curb cuts to mention, and we will lose green space one yard at at time.
Please go to go to Citizenspeak now and then forward this letter to your neighbors and ask them to join this effort.

Thank you for taking action!

Becky Hoffman
Riverview Neighborhood Association

email: riverviewneighborhood@comcast.net

Posted on: 2007/5/19 21:58
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