North Bergen has entered into an Impact Fee Agreement with Strategic Rail Solutions (SRS). The one-of-a-kind $10 million transloading facility is designed to support major infrastructure projects like the Gateway Tunnel and is located in the township.

Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the North Bergen Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a resolution ratifying the financial agreement at its Jan. 12 meeting. The agreement will involve SRS voluntarily paying a fee to the township of 50 cents per ton of material shipped. Officials estimated it could amount to over $150,000 per year.

“Strategic Rail Solutions is an innovative business model that will help support infrastructure projects like Gateway, the Portal Bridge and others that are absolutely critical to our regional economy while also taking thousands of trucks off the roads, reducing emissions and helping our environment,” Sacco said. “We’re very pleased that this company decided to voluntarily work with us to ensure that they make a positive impact on our local community and I thank them for their willingness to be a good neighbor.”

Strategic transloading facility 

Located at the intersection of West Side Avenue and 83rd Street in North Bergen, SRS is a 20-acre transloading facility strategically placed on several major freight rail lines. The company is working directly with major contractors on regional infrastructure projects as its preferred vendor to offload tunnel boring material, which is non-hazardous rock, sand and shish that is drilled out of the ground to build new train tunnels.

The material is tested at each individual job site and then transported by truck to SRS, which is conveniently located just miles from both the Lincoln Tunnel and George Washington Bridge. SRS then again tests the material, weighs it and loads it onto rail cars to be transported to faraway processing facilities in “the most efficient, green manner possible.”

Then it transports virgin quarry material back to its location to be used in various local construction projects. According to the township, every SRS railcar can transport as much material as five trucks, meaning that each trip creates “a substantial reduction in carbon emissions and greenhouse gasses.”

Woman and minority-owned business

“Working hand in hand with our host community is incredibly important to our entire team and we are very grateful to Mayor Sacco and the township for being so willing to collaborate with us and for recognizing the transformative nature of this project and the positive impact it will have on not just North Bergen, but the region as a whole and ultimately the country,” said Maria Elisa Guido, president and owner of SRS.

Strategic Rail Solutions is a registered woman and minority-owned business and it plans to hire dozens of unionized employees with competitive salaries and benefits as its operations begin this year, according to the township. Its 13,000 square foot building includes state-of-the-art rail car scales, drainage and paving improvements, concrete floor, loading pedestals, and crane and lay down space.

SRS handles non-hazardous materials only, and will not transport any solid waste or recyclables. The facility is located within a federal Opportunity Zone as well as a state Urban Enterprise Zone.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected]. 

North Bergen is mourning the loss of a local police officer, Julio Luis Noriega, who died on Jan. 8 after being involved in a fatal motor vehicle accident with a garbage truck.

Noriega was killed in the crash at Tonnelle Avenue and 41st Street on his way to work, according to the North Bergen Police Department.

“It is with great sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the death of Officer Julio Luis Noriega, Badge #170, who succumbed to his injuries earlier this morning as a result of a serious motor vehicle accident,” the department posted on social media. “Please pray for Julio’s family and his dear friends during this difficult time.”

Noriega was knocked unconscious after the crash occurred around 7:03 a.m. The garbage truck driver, an off-duty EMT, and another person pulled him from the burning vehicle. Noriega was administered CPR and rushed to Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead of his injuries.

The driver of the garbage truck was not injured, but a passenger of that vehicle was injured and taken to an area hospital.

Mayor Nicholas Sacco offered his condolences to the family in a statement.

“It is with a very heavy heart that we must announce the tragic death of North Bergen Police Officer Julio Luis Noriega, who was killed in a motor vehicle accident while on his way to work earlier today,” Sacco said. “Officer Noriega served our community with distinction as a member of the NBPD for the past two years, including being honored as officer of the month in September 2020 for his excellent work solving a robbery, and he and several members of his family have been deeply involved in our community for many years.

“On behalf of Public Safety Commissioner Allen Pascual, Chief Peter Fasillis and the entire department, I ask North Bergen residents to join us in praying for Officer Noriega’s family, friends and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time.”

Noriega joined the force in 2019 after having worked as a dispatcher since 2015. In a social media post, Gov. Phil Murphy also mourned his death.

“Tammy and I are saddened by the passing of North Bergen Police Officer Julio Noriega, who served his community with honor and distinction,” Murphy said. “We are praying for his family, friends, and fellow officers.”

A fundraiser to pay for funeral expenses has been set up online at FundtheFirst.com. As of Jan. 11, it had already raised $34,142 of the $50,000 goal.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].

The property tax revaluation in North Bergen is nearing its final stages, according to North Bergen Chief Financial Officer Robert Pittfield.

Due to a directive from the state of New Jersey and the Hudson County Board of Taxation, the township began a mandatory property tax revaluation process to accurately assess the value of all properties in late 2020.

In November of 2020, the Board of Commissioners voted to adopt an ordinance that began a tax revaluation of all properties. The following month, the board voted to award the contract for the reval to Appraisal Systems, Inc. (ASI) for $995,000, which had previously conducted revals in Jersey City in 2018, and Bayonne in 2020.

After some months of waiting for further state approvals, the revaluation firm began inspecting properties in April of 2021.

Inspections nearly over

Pittfield told the Hudson Reporter that ASI has completed the first few phases of the process, which includes conducting interior inspections for property owners.

“Appraisal Systems Inc. has indicated that first visit residential inspections are complete,” Pittfield said. “They are continuing to conduct interior inspections for property owners who call to schedule inspections.”

Since ASI has finished its initial inspections, with the additional scheduled inspections underway, it is now in the review stage of the process.

“Preliminary values are complete and ASI is in their review process,” Pittlfield said.

So what does that mean for homeowners waiting to know the fate of their revaluation? According to Pittfield, letters with the new value of their property will be in the mail soon.

“Value letters will be mailed to property owners in mid-January, with informal meetings to follow for any property owner who wishes to discuss their proposed assessment,” he said.

Additional assistance available

The township has prepared an FAQ in English and Spanish with answers to the most common questions about the revaluation, broken down by topic. Additionally, it has also released a video with more information regarding the visitation part of the process for residents. For more information on both, go to northbergen.org.

The township is now primarily in between steps two and three of the seven-step revaluation, with step two being analyzing the data and step three being reviewing it. The next step, step four, is to inform the residents of the property assessments via mail and online.

Following that, residents would have the opportunity to meet with ASI in informal hearings as part of step five. Step six involves submitting the final values to the municipality and county, and step seven allows for appeals of assessments. There is no timeline yet for when the next steps are slated to occur.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected]. 

The North Bergen Board of Commissioners has adopted an ordinance amending the township’s pre-existing cannabis ordinance to further define regulations and restrictions.

The ordinance amends the original ordinance adopted in July to set forth specific provisions for cannabis microbusinesses, set additional limits on the number of cannabis businesses in the township, include medical cannabis related businesses within various requirements of the ordinance, and provide additional factors to be considered by the Cannabis Committee in evaluating cannabis business applications.

In order to operate any cannabis business in North Bergen, an entity will first need permits or licenses from both the state and township. The township will issue its license, valid for one year, through the Cannabis Committee consisting of the Township Administrator, Chief of Police, and the Director of Community Improvement, or their designees.

According to the ordinance, there will still be only two township-issued licenses issued to cannabis retailers, defined as establishments where “cannabis items and related supplies are sold to consumers.” But now micro-businesses and medical cannabis dispensaries will count toward the two-retailer limit.

“Those are smaller operations with a smaller number of employees, 2,500 square feet or less,” Township Counsel Tom Kobin said when the ordinance was introduced. “One of the changes we made is to say that if we have a micro-business, it counts against the cap of authorized licenses.”

One retailer will be located north of 43rd Street on Tonnelle Avenue and the other south of it. They cannot be within 1,000 feet of each other nor within the range of any school.

Limiting the number of licenses

The new ordinance will limit licenses for cannabis cultivators, distributors, manufacturers, and wholesalers permitted in the township’s industrial districts. There will be three licenses issued for each type, with one of each being a micro-business.

“We want to make sure we proceed cautiously, with baby steps, with respect to the cultivators, manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors,” Kobin said.

Under the ordinance, micro-businesses will not be permitted to expand to a standard license. Medical cannabis cultivators or wholesalers will be permitted and also count toward the three-license limit for each type.

Cannabis delivery services and consumption areas are still prohibited. In total, there can be up to 14 establishments including two retailers, three cultivators, three wholesalers, three manufacturers, and three distributors.

“We’re being cautious,” Mayor Nicholas Sacco said. “Many municipalities have turned down any cannabis use in their town, any retail, or growing, or cultivating. So it’s 70 percent out. We are one of the 30 percent that are in. I think it’s something that is the right thing to do. It’s allowed in New Jersey, and we should at least reap the benefits financially of having it in our borders.”

Officials said that the ordinance will likely be amended again in the future as the township continues to navigate the emerging industry. The board voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance at its Dec. 9 meeting.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected]. 

North Bergen wants to make improvements to a park in the southern portion of the township. But first it needs to secure funding.

The township’s Board of Commissioners has approved two resolutions applying for a grant from the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund for renovations to 46th Street Park. The park is located at 1223 46th Street, across from the Grove Church Cemetery.

The park is currently home to a playground, a basketball court, a baseball field, and a pedestrian walkway surrounding the baseball field as well as other amenities. The township is seeking to completely modernize the park and ball fields, akin to recent renovations at Policeman’s Memorial Park at 1455 Union Turnpike and the opening of the new park at 1811 Paterson Plank Road.

For the park area, the township is looking to: put in new playground equipment; resurface the basketball courts and outfit them with new backboards and rims; install new sheltered park benches; create an expanded splash park; repave the pedestrian walkway; repave the parking lot and add new spaces; install a trench system for draining; renovate the restrooms and storage building; relocate the dog run; create a new regular seating area; install new fencing; repair the existing staircase; and install new in-ground trash receptacles throughout the park. 

For the ball field area, the North Bergen is seeking to: install synthetic turf for both baseball and softball that includes a synthetic shock absorption for safety; put in a drainage system; replace the light fixtures and fencing; install a press box, covered bleachers, an on-field ball pens and new dugouts. 

There are no renderings or plan specifics yet, as the township seeks to first secure financing for the project. The board approved the township’s submission of two separate applications, for both park and ball field upgrades, at its Dec. 8 meeting.

Essential grant funding

After the meeting, Chief Financial Officer Robert Pittfield told the Hudson Reporter that the township had been looking to renovate the park for some time. The grant funding is necessary to bring the projection to fruition. Part of the cost has to do with the site’s terrain.

“Estimates are in at about four million or so for the outstanding grade renovations,” Pittfield said.

The park must be graded, meaning the topography must be fixed, as part of the planned upgrades. The grant funds would cover the cost of both the grading and the other proposed improvements.

As the township awaits to hear back from the county regarding approval for the project, it is continuing to look for other sources to fund it. This isn’t the first grant the township has applied to in regards to the project; previously, it applied for a state grant through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres program for the project to no avail.

“Unfortunately we weren’t on their award list,” he said. “So we’re applying for a Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund grant and looking at other sources of funding as well.”

Meanwhile, the township is also conducting the second phase of the renovations to 10th Street Park. Additionally, the new Community Center and Library is currently under construction but nearing completion at 2123 Kennedy Boulevard.

For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].