The purpose of the meeting tonight is to have the developer explain the proposed plan to the community.

There will probably be a presentation by the developer - a half hour or so, followed by questions and answers.

The Planning Board ordered the developer to hold a community meeting prior to the Planning Board meeting 3.28.2006. This meeting fullfills that requirement.

I heard that plans call for the opening of Pavonia Ave. For those people that don't understand what this means..... if you stand in the center of the St. Francis Hospital with the park at your back, the building is going to split in two and a road will be erected between what will be two buildings. From the pictures it appears that retail shops will line both the left and right side of this new street, plus there will be retail shops on Erie Street, and by the Erie St. Garage.

We learned that the retail facing the park would be limited to just the corners of 8th and 9th Street, by the park. But what I don't understand is that the developers plans (renderings) have changed a few times, but the row of retail shop windows facing the Hamilton Park on McWilliams still appear in the renderings (see link).

I'm all for adding retail shops. I even put in my request for a Blockbuster... but I'm not going to get it. Nonetheless, with shops lining both sides of Pavonia, on Erie Street, at the Erie Street Garage..... and on the corners of 8th and 9th by the park..... how many retail shops do we need? There is a huge mall just 2 blocks from here, and all those shops on Newark Ave.

Outdoor cafes on the park sounds so cute.... but there is no room on the sidewalks for tables and chairs (look closely at the pictures) so I don't see how there can be any outdoor cafe dining.

http://www.25mc.com/

In the event that a representative from Jersey City?s Planning Department attends this meeting, there are some questions to ask-

First, however, forget about the ugly hospital buildings for a moment and keep in mind that a Redevelopment Plan can do many things and much more. The St. Francis Area Redevelopment Plan could require that all existing non-conforming structures be demolished and not re-used. The plan could require that only 4 story townhouses compatible with the surrounding area be constructed. The redevelopment plan is not required to give the right to the same square footage as the hospital complex currently has.

Ask City Planning what is the current density permitted in the Hamilton Park Historic District and what is the density proposed in the redevelopment plan for the hospital site.

Ask City Planning what retail can currently be built under existing zoning law and what is the maximum retail permitted in the proposed redevelopment plan.

If you feel that this project could not and should not be as big as proposed in the St. Francis Area Redevelopment Plan with a large retail component, act now.

This is not about the potential developer, Silvermans/Exeter Property, who recently purchased the St. Francis Hospital site and have a very good reputation as quality developers as many have described and will do again at the next Planning Board meeting. This is about dropping a mixed use high rise development into the heart of a residential neighborhood and historic district on Hamilton Park. Regardless of the outcome, even if the hospital site was reduced to a reasonable 150 units (from the proposed 225 units), the Silvermans/Exeter Property will still be getting approvals for a much larger project than any other developer could likely achieve on this site.

Here is how to speak up before the next Planning Board Meeting on March 28th :

Robert Cotter, Director, Division of City Planning
30 Montgomery St.
Jersey City, NJ 07302
(201) 547-5010

Mayor Jerramiah Healy
City Hall
280 Grove St.
Jersey City, NJ 07302
(201) 547-5200
MayorHealy@jcnj.org

Send Letters to-

Letters to the Editor
Jersey Journal
30 Journal Square
Jersey City, NJ 07306
Fax ? (201) 653-1414
jjletters@jjournal.com

Include your telephone number for verification

There is no point to this meeting unless the Division of City Planning participates.

PUBLIC NOTICE

ST. FRANCIS AREA REDEVELOPMENT PLAN
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
MONDAY, MARCH 20th, 2006
6:30 PM TO 8:00 PM
St. Francis Nursing School 6th floor

Corner of McWilliams Place and 8th Street
ELEVATOR AVAILABLE

ALL WELCOME - Please spread the word

Exeter Property Services

(201) 435-8000

www.saintfrancisjerseycity.com

(The Planning Board ordered the developer to hold this public meeting)