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The results are in, and it's 79.6% in favor of allowing front yard parking, and 20.4% against. So, assuming everyone followed OneSkirt's advice and the poll was not skewed in favor of one group or another, it seems front "yards" are soon to be a thing of the past. Except, I believe, on Ogden Avenue where RNA managed to get the zoning changed to prohibit them?

Technically illegal in most of the town if the garage is built into the bottom floor of a house. If you get on the wrong side of a person who has relatives in the city, you wind up getting a four figure ticket and summons.

They should make it explicitly legal, and give resident tags to allow the car to be parked in front. That way a single garage and driveway can hold three cars:

1. Car in garage
2. Car in front of garage
3. Car parked across front of driveway (legal if you apply for a permit and hang a resident tag on your mirror)

It allows more off street parking, and less sidewalk cuts.

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I meant papadage's idea. I already see people parking in front of their garages. Is this currently illegal?

I will also add that, in my opinion, Chico's proposal is hot garbage.

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It allows for new ones to be built by any homeonwer in an R-1 lot (25 ft. wide by 100 ft. deep, which is all over JC), exacerbating the issues we already have with the exisitng old ones which are grandfathered in.

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How does this differ from the current arrangement?

At the most, they should allow parking in carports in front of existing garages with existing driveways, and only as long as the vehicle does not block the sidewalk. This would get additional vehicles off the street and not reduce streetside parking.

if you thought our storm sewers were overloaded now and flooding was a concern before, you just wait till everyone's front yard is a slab of concrete!

this just revisits a bad idea from 7/8 years ago and only benefits a few while being detrimental to the community as a whole.

- curb cuts reduce the safety of pedestrians including the elderly and young children

- reduces street parking

- damages the street scape both visually and environmentally

Are you a Twitter user? You can respond to Chico's call for support here: https://mobile.twitter.com/ChicoRamchalJC/status/532315836460310528

So all the blocks will look like this. Fantastic.

Quote:just say NYET to this stupidity

The Dept of Planning's memo to the Planning Board opposing the idea -- I agree with every point:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/77fza9krph61 ... %20Memo%20Signed.pdf?dl=0

where have you guys been - all the nicest and most expensive rowhouse neighborhoods have front yard parking...

Not this crap again. Has the ghost of Bill Gaughan possessed Chico?

The Jersey Journal has an online poll to go along with their story on front yard parking.

Fulop pays attention to this stuff. If you are against it, we have to hit back hard. Here is the poll; you can vote multiple times (yes, I'm serious - it's totally unscientific). Vote from your work computer, your home computer, your handheld device, click refresh and vote some more. You don't have to live in JC to vote - pass it on to all your friends who will vote no just for fun. Right now, it is 819 votes in favor of the ordinance, 102 against.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... _nov_11.html#incart_river

It's off the agenda for now, but if we don't hit back hard, it will come back. Vote early and often!

I find it so ugly, if its not a drive way the front yard should be a nice garden not nasty oil stains from your car. I guess that's the difference between JC and Bayonne

Bayonne home




Jersey City Home

Misguided is an understatement here. http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/20 ... rking_to_jersey_city.html

Seems to me pedestrians are a lot safer without these front yard parking spaces.

Get used to it, parking is going to get tougher as more people move into JC...

I dont buy this at all

The owner of the home/structure is responsible for maintaining the side walk in front of their home. Keeping it free of debris and snow. Not allowing owners to use the space as they see fit seems a bit unfair - also consider that they likely pay more taxes than the majority.

Trouble finding a parking space in JC? Well - maybe you should be using the PATH, ferries, light rail, and buses to access JC. There are also plenty of garages where you keep your car and use said public transit to access what you need.

Street parking is NOT a public good. When we put up pay meters it is a public good. I am happy people have the privilege of owning a car, but NO ones owes anyone a space to park it in.

Also keep in mind that street parking also carries danger - it limits visibility around turns, allows for children, adults, and animal to go unseen, and contributes to street congestion.

Sorry - I say tough stuff...

Good news - the Planning Board will NOT be reviewing the front yard parking ordinance at its November 18th meeting - it has been pulled from the agenda. However, it will likely be on an agenda in Dec or January once the council officially refers it to the planning board for review (a step that had not happened).

While urban centers all over the country are creating legislation to lessen the emphasis on the vehicle, Jersey City in 2014 is creating legislation to encourage vehicle ownership. Uncool, I say!

This is a horrible idea that we must kill. It goes to the Planning Board on Nov 18, then to council. Time to act. This will affect neighborhoods city wide.

Stop An Effort to Reduce On-Street Parking!

Think finding a parking space is difficult now? Then pay attention! Ward B Councilman Chico Ramchal has drafted an ordinance that will reduce the number of on-street parking spaces in the R1 zoning district by allowing additional curb cuts for front yard parking/carports that will benefit a few homeowners to the detriment of everyone else.



While the proposed ordinance purports to increase parking by allowing homeowners that have 16 feet between the building line and the sidewalk closest to the front of the house to create a parking space/carport, in reality:

It decreases on-street parking. On average, an on-street parking spot turns over 3-6 times a day (e.g. 3-6 people benefit). Front yard parking only benefits the home owner who has the space to do it at the expense of residents and visitors who lose the curb length for on-street parking. The result of additional curb cuts is that overall parking capacity in Jersey City goes DOWN, the opposite of the intended goal.
It trades on-street parking for private parking. It serves to further privatize a public good (the public curb) and make parking less accessible for businesses, residents and visitors.
It makes the streets and sidewalks less safe because cars are backing over the sidewalk into traffic.
It increases flooding by reducing the permeable surface area and results in sheeting of water/runoff during storms.
It blights the streetscape. Parked cars become the dominant visual element in our front yards.

If this all sounds familiar, it is because similar ordinances were proposed in 2006 and 2007 and were soundly voted down by the Council after a grassroots effort by RNA and other community organizations throughout the city. Unfortunately, the city has not focused its energy on proposals that will truly increase parking capacity or worked to improve public transportation. This ordinance re-emerges because newly constructed homes are permitted to have a garage and the resulting curb cut. This provision for new construction has led to a reduction in on-street parking. Rather than change the zoning so that these curb cuts are not automatic for new construction, enabling existing homes to add a curb cut as proposed in a misguided effort to level the playing field.



Please let the Mayor and Council know that you do not support this zoning change and that you want them to work on real solutions (eliminating automatic curb cut for new construction, adding municipal parking, using existing lots for overnight parking, changing zoned parking, marking parking spots, and improving public transportation options, and more) by emailing the city council at the following addresses: RLavarro@jcnj.org, jwatterman@jcnj.org, DRivera@jcnj.org, FGajewski@jcnj.org, KRamchal@jcnj.org, RBoggiano@jcnj.org, MYun@jcnj.org, COsborne@jcnj.org, dcoleman@jcnj.org or calling the mayor's office at (201) 547-5200. Also remember to share on social media. Please plan to attend the planning board meeting on November 18th at 5:30PM where this issue will be on the agenda.

Please contact riverviewneighborhood@gmail.com with any questions or to learn more about this issue.