PJP land Fill controversy: ballfields vs warehouse....
If you missed the 8/10th meeting between the Lincoln Park / Communipaw Ave area residents & the Mayor with AMB, the developers, watch this show. It's streaming off our website, Talking Politics. Hear for yourself what everyone has to say...
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wonder why a low turnout? here's why:
All of this discussion is preceding a possible City Council vote on Wednesday, August 16th at 10am
This is a favorite trick of government not just in JC but all over the state. Schedule the meeting when most people are at work or in the throws of commuting. That way you keep down the opposition and say that you satisfied the letter of the law by holding a meeting the people didn't show up to.
Except the projects supporters
Who probably were bused in
At taxpayers expense
Now that should be a reality TV show!

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Call these council members and let them know you're against the warehouse. Downtowners especially can call Willie Flood.

Michael Sottolano, Ward A Councilman (201) 547-5098
Mary Spinello, Ward B Councilwoman (201) 547-5092
Viola Richardson, Ward F Councilwoman (201) 547-5338
Willie Flood, Councilwoman-at-Large (201) 547-5134
Steve Lipski, Ward C Councilman (201) 547-5159

Controversial developments at council meeting

No vote yet on AMB warehouse; 111 First St. removed from historic designation

Ricardo Kaulessar - The Hudson Reporter - 08/19/2006

The City Council failed to vote Wednesday to either approve or reject a controversial warehouse project for an old landfill site off Highway 1/9, but did designate the area "in need of redevelopment" so it can be studied for further use.

The matter drew nearly 200 people to the meeting, which was held at a community center away from City Hall.

In a separate matter, the council voted to remove two properties, 110 and 111 First St., from being bound by the development constraints of the historic district they're in, so that property owner Lloyd Goldman can build tall condominium towers there. The matter was part of a controversial settlement that allowed Goldman to drop lawsuits against the city (see sidebar).

The main issue on Wednesday's agenda was a proposed 883,000 square foot warehouse, to be built off Highway 1/9 by the San Francisco-based AMB Company as a distribution center for items brought from ports in Newark and Elizabeth.

There is disagreement among the mayor, the City Council, and county officials on what should actually be built on the 41-acre site.

Mayor Jerramiah Healy has been a staunch proponent of the warehouse because it is expected to bring about 300 permanent jobs for local residents, operating on a 24-hour, seven-day weekly schedule. It also would bring more than $1 million in taxes.

The project has faced intense opposition from residents living near the site, who claim that trucks going to the location will increase traffic on Highway 1/9.

Hudson County officials want the land to host a golf course and have actually voted to pursue public funds to acquire the land.

In order for the warehouse to be approved, the council would have had to vote Wednesday to amend a city land-use ordinance to allow for a high cube warehouse to be built on the site. Since March, the council had put off voting either for or against the ordinance.

As of Wednesday, the council was still too split to have the five-vote majority needed for a decision.

Four people are currently in favor of allowing the warehouse to be built - Michael Sottolano, Mary Spinello, Viola Richardson, and Willie Flood, and four are against - Mariano Vega, Bill Gaughan, Peter Brennan, and Steven Fulop. Steve Lipski would have been the undecided vote.

Instead, the council voted for a study of the proposed warehouse site and adjoining land located off Highway 1&9 near the Hackensack River, designating the region an "area in need of redevelopment." The studied area will be known as the Hackensack River Edge Study Area.

Councilman Sottolano, also on the Planning Board, lobbied successfully for a redevelopment plan to be drawn up along with the study. The study and the plan will be undertaken by the city's Planning Department and completed by the beginning of October. The Planning Board and City Council will then review it.

The study stems from a compromise proposed by City Council members Spinello and Lipski to deal with the furor over the warehouse issue, by looking at all the potential land uses for the entire landfill area before there is any vote to changing the area's zoning.

What they'll study


Of the 87 acres at the old PJP Landfill site, 54 acres are owned by the Archdiocese of Newark were put up for sale to AMB. The other 33 owned privately by the Siegel family, with a tracking facility occupying the land. The study would determine the appropriate uses for the land besides a high cube warehouse and trucking storage.

"The redevelopment plan, we believe, allows us to look at not only the interested site, but a larger area, so that could be a deliberate process by the Planning Board to go through that and make some recommendations," said Vega.

Currently a cleanup plan is in the works for the entire PJP Landfill site by Waste Management, a trash disposal firm that once dumped on the site. This was ordered by the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Spinello said the DEP has ordered a cap of 30 feet of soil be placed on top of the landfill site for no future use of the land. But Spinello went on to say that if any entity looks to develop the land in the future, they will have to remove the cap and clean up the contaminated land.

Still a passionate issue


Of the nearly 200 people in attendance for the City Council meeting at the Mary McLeod Bethune Center on Martin Luther King Drive, a majority were waiting for an actual vote on the warehouse by the City Council.

Some supporters of the warehouse were handing out T-shirts that read "We need jobs"; referring to the 300 jobs AMB is promising to Jersey City residents when the warehouse is ever constructed.

Local resident Joe Conte exhorted the council to make warehouse a reality rather soon.

"If you give one person, one family a job that's needed, and you help them, then your mission is accomplished," said Conte.

But Daniel Sicardi said the land can have a future as open public space that would be another sought-after destination in the city.

"A lot of green space, a lot of valuable property in Jersey City was built on contaminated land," said Sicardi, referring to such locales as Liberty State Park and Newport.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com
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Sidebar
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Powerhouse Arts District plan amended to allow high rises

A developer of two properties that used to house artists is now one step closer to building condominium towers on his property.

Before, Lloyd Goldman was prevented from erecting tall towers at 110 and 111 First St. because they are in the Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment area and the Warehouse Historic District.

But because the owners were suing the city for the right to build there, the city made an agreement in June to deal with the issue out of court.

The council on Wednesday voted 7-2 to amend the Powerhouse Arts District Redevelopment Plan. The amendments will allow New Gold Equities to build two towers on their 111 First St. property and one tower on their 110 First St. property.

The towers could range in height from 40 stories upwards to 60 stories in an area where most of the residential buildings range from 12 to 14 stories.

The First Street properties will be placed in their own special zone known as the "Power House Arts Residence Zone."

The amendments would also prevent the city's Historic Preservation Commission from protecting the 1870s era 111 First St. building from demolition.

Those voting against the amendments were council people Steven Fulop and Viola Richardson, who also had voted against the settlement in June. - RK

How much do you want to bet that most of the jobs created by this warehouse will go to people from outside of Jersey City. Evertime there is a development you hear "job, jobs, jobs", but none of the jobs ever seem to go to Jersey Citizens, or too Jersey City companies. The construction companies from Jersey City get freezed out while the contract goes to some "connected" contractor from sussex county or somewhere, who buses in workers from out of the city.

The ordinance re-zoning this property for the warehouse remained tabled (since March) and the council approved a resolution that is the first step in creating a redevelopment plan in the area, to determine if the area is in need of redevelopment.

Did anyone attend the meeting? What happened?


"The council may consider the zoning changes during tomorrow's Council meeting, or they may keep it tabled as the city conducts the redevelopment study. The meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Mary McLeod Bethune Center, 140 Martin Luther King Drive. "

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As noted before, AMB's lawyer for this project is former Ward A Councilman Robert Cavanaugh, an unsuccessful mayoral candidate in 2001 and a political ally of Healy in 1997. Anyone know the history between these two?

Maybe they are going to store Bud Light in the warehouse?

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One wonders if Elnora Watson has been in the neighborhood for very long. City fathers have been promising that every new development will bring jobs for city residents. And, surprise surprise -- these claims are, er, falsehoods.

Ms. Watson, try this exercise -- contact city hall and inquire about jobs for city residents from any of the past project (promises). Let me know how it works out for you.

-M

You nailed it, there must be more here than meets the eye.

Why would the mayor who appears to not care about and not put forth much effort about anything, now out of the blue work so hard for this?

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Local residents don't want the jobs created by the warehouse.

They got welfare.

I saw Healy on a television ad the other day pushing the warehouse. How much time and money is he spending on this and is it worth it?

A latest article in the Jersey Journal states that the warehouse will create 300 jobs. Is three hundred jobs for a city of 250,000 people a considerable amount? For the amount of space it is using it does not seem like it.

Healy also states that it will only accept 75 deliveries a day which should not create traffic congestion. I am assuming that the 75 trucks do not stay there so that number has to be doubled. Would you want 150 trucks driving past your neighborhood every day? How can this not create congestion?

It seems odd that Healy has invested way too much time on this issue. Am I missing something? It is not creating that many jobs, the amount of money received is decent but it won't make our lives any better, and the community does not support it.

Perhaps I am being naive and the main issue is, what is HEALY getting out of this deal?

Mary, Mary, Mary, where did you go wrong? Did the baby-faced representative of AMB just have a trusting face or did he whisper sweet nothings, full of promises there is no legal way the city can inforce him to keep, in your ear? Or did Healy and his "associates" promise you 50 pieces of silver in campaign contributions for selling out your constituents? Why is it that so many people outside of your district care more about its residents than you do?

In case my lamentations make no sense, you can read all about it in the Jersey Journal:
Spinello shifts position on PJP landfill

The JJ also has another article today about how much the residents doen't want this monstrosity built:
Healy fails to sway residents

Healy fails to sway residents
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
By EARL MORGAN
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

They came.

They listened.

But no minds seemed to change last week, as Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy spent nearly two hours at Temple Beth-El last Thursday trying to sell his plan for a mega-warehouse on the Hackensack River waterfront.

"He just doesn't understand that we don't want it," said a member of the Harrison Avenue Block Association, the group that sponsored the meeting.

Many in the crowd of nearly 50 said the project would only mean more traffic congestion along Routes 1&9, dismissing Healy's arguments that the warehouse would produce 300-plus jobs and $1 million a year in ratables.

Healy has been feuding with Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise and members of the City Council over the future of the PJP landfill. DeGise is known to prefer developing the site as recreation.

Healy mentioned the county's interest in creating soccer fields and a nine-hole golf course on the site. "But the county recently backed off the idea of a golf course," the mayor said.

Robert Cavanaugh of the law firm Waters McPherson told the crowd that truck traffic coming and going into the proposed 883,000-square-foot mega-warehouse would be limited to 75 trips a day.

But participants at the meeting continued to harbor their doubts about the traffic and the number of jobs that would actually go to Jersey City residents.

Cavanaugh said that officials of the California-based AMB Corp., the company seeking to build the warehouse, are willing to sign a binding agreement to that effect. Cavanaugh also said that AMB will not seek tax abatements from the city.

Downtown Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop attended, but didn't comment. Ward B Councilwoman Mary Spinello, who represents the Marion neighborhood where the warehouse would go, said she was at the meeting only to hear the community's concerns.

Elnora Watson, president of the Urban League of Hudson County, spoke on behalf of the project saying it will produce badly needed jobs for people in her community.

Warehouse, golf course, or parks?

City, county, and public debating what to build on PJP landfill

Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter staff writer 08/12/2006

HEALY MAKES THE CASE – Mayor Jerramiah Healy speaks on the proposed AMB Warehouse at a community meeting Thursday night.
Officials and the public are debating whether a proposed warehouse should be built off Highway 1/9 on the old PJP Landfill site.

The council will vote on zoning the land for the warehouse at a meeting this coming Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Mary McLeod Bethune Community Center, 140 Martin Luther King Dr.

Mayor Jerramiah Healy has been a staunch proponent of the warehouse because it is expected to bring about 400 permanent jobs for local residents, operating on a 24-hour, seven-day weekly schedule. It also would bring more than $1 million in taxes.

The project has faced intense opposition from residents living near the site, who claim that trucks going to the location would bring increased traffic on Highway 1/9.

Residents have been concerned enough about the issue that there was a community meeting Thursday night at the Temple Beth-El on Kennedy Boulevard.

Hudson County officials want the land to host a golf course and have been pursuing county and state funds to acquire the land.

The warehouse

The 883,000 square-foot AMB Warehouse would function as a distribution center for items brought from ports in Newark and Elizabeth.

It would be built by the San Francisco-based AMB Corporation on 54 acres of land, taking up 41 of those acres. AMB is currently under contract to purchase the property from its current owner, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. The entire site is over 80 acres, with 30 acres also owned by the Siegel Brothers, who operate a trucking facility on the land.

The warehouse is slated to have 36-foot high ceilings, a sprinkler system, 158 loading docks, 344 parking spaces, and 192 trailer storage spaces.

Some residents would like the area developed as a park or recreation fields.

However, the future of the warehouse and the site comes down to a City Council vote.

Tour of similar warehouse in Cranbury

In order for the warehouse to be built, the City Council must vote to amend a city land development law, which would allow for the proposed AMB Warehouse.

The area is currently zoned for retail stores, residential homes, and office space.

At the July 19 City Council meeting, the council postponed voting, as Mayor Healy requested, to allow the public to learn more about the warehouse. Healy suspected the warehouse would be rejected in a close City Council vote.

Recently, City Council members were taken on a tour, organized by Healy and AMB, of another warehouse AMB built in Cranbury to see a facility similar to the one proposed for the PJP Landfill site.

The tour was arranged to convince opposing or undecided council members to vote in favor of the warehouse.

Did the tour change any minds?

Ward D City Councilman Steven Fulop said last week that it did not change his opposition to the warehouse.

"I [asked] Mayor Healy a month ago how we would feel about living next to a warehouse," said Fulop.

Ward D City Councilman Bill Gaughan refused to tour the Cranbury facility.

"I didn't need to take a trip at 8 a.m. to go down the [New Jersey] Turnpike. I know what a high cube warehouse looks like," said Gaughan.

County puts aside funds for same land



Some believe that Gaughan, City Council President Mariano Vega, and City Councilman at-Large Peter Brennan are opposing the warehouse to allow county officials to acquire the property. But all three have denied that their opposition is politically motivated.

County officials voted to put aside $4 million in Open Space Trust Funds when the County Freeholders met this past Thursday.

Healy met on Tuesday at City Hall with county officials, including Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, and on Thursday with AMB representatives to resolve the issue.

Both possibilities at once

What if there were a warehouse and open space on the same site?

Ward C City Councilman Steve Lipski and Ward B City Councilwoman Mary Spinello are proposing to declare the landfill as an area in need of redevelopment, which would allow the city to either buy or condemn the site. Then it could be re-shaped to accommodate both the warehouse and open space.

What has been the response?

Spinello said that the compromise will be discussed further at the council caucus meeting Monday morning. Fulop was not impressed.

"This compromise comes down to the city getting what it wants, the warehouse and the county getting what they wants with the open space, but the people getting screwed," said Fulop.

Robert Cavanaugh, attorney for AMB Corporation, said earlier last week that he was waiting to hear from city and county representatives about the compromise.

"When they are prepared, we will be there to listen," said Cavanaugh.

Cavanaugh, a former Jersey City councilman, was surprised that council approval for the warehouse was taking so long, as the issue has been discussed since February this year.

"When I was on the City Council, if there was a proposal for a job producer that wasn't a garbage transfer station, there would be immediate movement," said Cavanaugh.

Thursday meeting


On Thursday, residents met to discuss the issue with officials at Temple Beth-El on Kennedy Boulevard.

For two hours, Healy, along with AMB representatives, addressed the concerns of residents who live an area primarily between Communipaw Avenue and Lincoln Park.

Their questions ranged from the amount of trucks that will be traveling in and out of the warehouse to the amount of jobs at the warehouse that will actually available for Jersey City residents.

Healy mentioned that AMB, based on a meeting earlier in the day, has made a commitment to set aside five acres of open space on the site and contribute $500,000 for improvements in Ward B, where the warehouse is located.

It this getting out of hand?


But are various forces using government employees to get residents to support their side?

Three Downtown Jersey City residents, who wanted to remain unnamed, said last week that they were approached by a city fireman at the Shop Rite supermarket near Newport Mall and by a city Recreation Department worker in Hamilton Park to sign a petition in support of the warehouse.

When Healy was asked after Thursday's meeting about city employees taking part in this petition drive, he said that Hudson County government employees had also been doing the same thing.

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com

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Healy's response, according to the Hudson Reporter (last paragraph): well the county is doing it too. No horror at the misuse of tax payer funds (not even mock horror) no denials, no pawning off responsibility on subordinates, nothing! Just a justification because supposedly the county is doing it too. Why? Because our illustrious mayor doesn't see anything wrong with it. I love it, we have a mayor with the reasoning skills of a six year old. "But mooommmm, Jimmy's mom lets him divert city employees for his own political gain."

ummm..... they did not advertise this meeting well. If they had, then I bet you would have a lot more people, it is mostly the people over by broadyway and sip avenue that will be affected, because the trucks are going to take shortcuts through residental streets.

I was at last night's meeting at Beth El. The turnout of residents was poor, but this is never really a surprise in JC, and I understand that the people in Marion who this most affects have had their own meetings.

I think my number one complaint about these kinds of meetings is that the mayor always brings a huge entourage of hangers-on who mill around the room looking overly smug in their bad suits, all constantly acknowledging each other and generally acting like assholes. What really annoyed me is towards the end of the meeting a number of them lined up to make comments (something I think should be reserved for the community members the meeting is for) so they could hear themselves pontificate, or perhaps it's a performance for the mayor so they can keep their jobs safe.

Then at the end of the meeting, the president of the Harrison Ave Block Association who was running the meeting called for an informal poll of who was for and against the warehouse project. Of course all the entourage raised their hands, to make it look like the room was 75% for the project. We made them do the poll over, and even though a bunch of the mayor's crew still voted, it certainly tipped the other way.

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.

Thanks to NJ Tammany, who has been following this story:
More on Healy's Warehouse Fiasco
More PJP Dealings
Double-talk on the Warehouse

I think this says it all:
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and this is interesting too. Healy may be using the Embankment as a bargaining chip:
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I have been told that there will be a community meeting to discuss the proposed warehouse tonight, Thursday, August 10, at 6:30 at Temple Beth El (2419 Kennedy Blvd.) and that Healy will be in attendance. It would be great to get a lot of turnout to show how much the public is opposed to this debacle.

This is getting ugly. Mayor Healy is appearing to be a puppet of realtors and developers.

Yesterday, in uniform firemen were at Metro Plaza Shop Rite collecting peitition signatures in support of the AMB Warehouse, when questioned, they said the mayor wants them to.

Today, Recreation employees were doing the same at Hamilton Park.

The Mayor keeps talking jobs, but how many jobs will a state of the art mechanized warehouse really create.

Think twice, how will we sell the 10,000 plus housing units planned in downtown alone without some park and recreation amenities.

I'll be at the next meeting with my visor, checkered pants and sign saying "We need a public golf course!" Who's with me?

What I could not understand from all those people waving the "We need jobs!" signs is just what exactly kind of jobs do they think it will bring? New warehouses are built to make it possible to hire as few humans as possible. Even my old warehouse is being updated all the time with devises that cut out the need for labor. At our peak we used to have over 120 employees, now at our busiest we only need around 60. The less labor force the less amount of supervisors....what exactly did all those middle age people think is going to employee them and at what positions?

Gina

Same project, vote was tabled.

This is not just about a warehouse operation vs. golf course.

It is about the warehouse project's impact on the surrounding neighborhood, not just downtown cares about traffic congestion.

This is not just about a golf course. While the proposal for park space would include I believe a back nine for the existing nine holes on the westside of Lincoln Park, it would also provide sorely needed recreation facilities including ballfields.

Not only do downtown residents also need active recreation facilities, but there are existing ballfields kept under lock and key that possibly could be kept open in the future if well maintained fields are available elsewhere in JC for organized leagues.

The creation of recreation facilities on the PJP site could reduce the call for active recreation on Reservoir #3, clearing the way to develop it as passive natural space.

i'll be there!! please we need some grass and trees in this concrete jungle!!

Yes, it is the same project. And I would rather have a public golf course there than a gigantic warehouse that according to the developer (and quoting the Jersey Journal not the developer) "won't improve traffic congestion - but won't make it unbearable either". Sorry, but when the developer pays for the study (even if it isn't directly) I've got to question its validity, especially when its impact is describe as not unbearable. The developer estimates 212 daily peak hour trips. Again the developer is estimating this so in actuality it's probably some number far in excess of this and that doesn't even factor in what it will do on weekend traffic in the area.

This whole thing reeks of insider dealings and is likely to have terrible results.

Of course I could be totally wrong. After all, our illustrious mayor is in favor of it so that must mean that it is in the City's best interest and will benefit everyone in the long run.

Is this news story about the same project? Seems like it, but I'm not 100% sure. Anyway, are the pro-open space folks in favor of a public golf course?

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Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Council tables warehouse vote

The Jersey City City Council tabled a controversial vote this morning on the future of the PJP landfill site, much to the dismay of both supporters and opponents of a plan to put a high-cube warehouse there.

The council is split on whether the site along Routes 1 & 9 off the Pulaski Skyway should become a warehouse or a public golf course. Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy has put a lot of political muscle in his support of the warehouse proposal, saying it would generate revenue for the city and create more than 300 jobs.

Meanwhile, critics say the warehouse would only create more traffic deadlock in the area, adding that the golf course would be a unique destination in Jersey City.

At a packed council meeting at School 28 this morning, the pro-job contingent, carrying signs and wearing union T-shirts, began shouting "we want jobs,'' while those supporting the alternate proposal also waved signs and sported colorful T-shirts.

The council quickly began the meeting saying that they were tabling the issue so that more research could be done, which led to a quick exit of the roughly 75 people that showed up for the issue.

Jarrett Renshaw

Imagine that...City Council doesn't want us to unite to protect open space for the whole of JC.....

tough nuts! I'll be there tonight.

Gina