A new seven-story development near Hamilton Park was unanimously approved by the Jersey City Planning Board on Aug. 23, with 246 residential units set to be built on a former railroad embankment.
The applicant, Newport Associates Development Company, sought approval to build their new project titled the “Rampart House” on a 3.08 acre of vacant land on the corner of 10th and Monmouth St.. 203 of the units will be one-bedrooms, 26 will be two-bedrooms, and 17 will be studios, along with 222 surface parking spaces.
Newport’s attorney, Ronald Shaljian, explained that the site was part of the Erie Railroad Embankment and is currently surrounded by stone walls on the east and south sides. “The design of the site and the building incorporates those walls as an integral part of the project,” he said.
Going over the site plans, Matthew Neuls of Dresdner Robin started with the outside parts of the project. He explained how there will be a new concrete sidewalk along 10th St. with street trees, and similar improvements along Monmouth St..
The driveway to access the parking lot will be on the north side of 10th St.; the lot itself is located on the second level of the site to the north of the building. Neuls also added that 15 percent of the spaces will be required to have electric vehicle charging stations as per state regulations.
Scott Herrick of HLW continued that the entry lobby on the first floor will provide street level entry, with a reception area and feature stairs to the second floor. There would also be amenity spaces on the floor such as co-working spaces, a play room, fitness room and laundry room. There would also be bike storage for 124 bikes.
The second floor is the level where the parking lot is on the exterior, with a lobby on the floor that also has the aforementioned feature stairs from downstairs.
Herrick explained that the second floor will have 36 units laid out in a double-loaded corridor configuration, and floors three to seven will then have 42 units each in a similar layout. The studio apartments will be about 734 square feet, the one-bedrooms will be 772 square feet, and the two-bedrooms will be 1,220 square feet.
Michael Tegnell, also from HLW, explained that the roof will have a number of amenities that will be organized around a central gathering place, surrounded by ornamental planting and flowering trees. A barbecue area, picnic tables, pavilion and seating area will be up there.
During public comment, one resident, David Grabowski, had asked the applicants if the new building would inflate the traffic issues in the neighborhood, saying that the Embankment and Revetment buildings cause “constant” traffic issues on 10th St. due to delivery and taxi vehicles stopping in front of the buildings.
Chairman Christopher Langston agreed with Grabowski and asked if the applicants could speak to that. Shaljian replied that it’s an enforcement issue for the city and that it wasn’t his client’s obligation to restrict traffic.
“We could further bring it to the attention of the city and ask them for more enforcement, but that’s probably the extent of what we could do,” he said.
After public comment ended, the board voted 7-0 to approve the project.
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