37-year veteran of the Bayonne Police Department Captain Paul Jamolawicz has passed away. Photo courtesy of the Bayonne Police Department.
Bayonne Police Captain Paul Jamolawicz has passed away while on duty, Mayor James Davis announced on Saturday, November 12.
“Bayonne is mourning today, as we have lost Bayonne Police Captain Paul Jamolawicz while on duty serving our community,” Davis said.
Jamolawicz, a graduate of New Jersey City University with a degree in Criminal Justice, began his career in 1985, with Davis following behind him in 1986. Davis said they remained friends throughout their careers.
In 1999, Jamolawicz was promoted to Sergeant, followed by another promotion in 2013 to Lieutenant. In 2018, he promoted to Captain.
During his career, Jamolawicz worked in the Patrol Division, Detective Bureau, Narcotics Unit, and Internal Affairs Unit. He has received three commendations and seven Excellent Police Service Awards for his service.
According to Davis, Jamolawicz was not only an outstanding police officer, but a devoted family man to his wife Jeanne, daughter Lori Anne and son Paul Jr. He has also been a longtime businessman in town, serving residents as the owner and operator of the First Street Laundromat and past owner of Manny’s Liquors.
“Paul’s love of family and this city was evident every day of his life and his friendship will be sorely missed,” Davis said. “Please keep Paul’s family in your thoughts and prayers, as well as our great Police Department… Rest in Peace Paul.”
This is the first line of duty death for the Bayonne Police Department in 52 years. Police Chief Robert Geisler also released a statement following Jamolawicz’s death.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must announce the death of Bayonne Police Department Captain Paul Jamolawicz,” Geisler said on November 11. “Captain Jamolawicz died unexpectedly tonight while on-duty serving our community. On behalf of the City of Bayonne and the Bayonne Police Department, I would like to express our condolences to the Jamolawicz Family.”
Additionally, Fire Chief Keith Weaver sent his condolences from the Bayonne Fire Department.
“The Bayonne Fire Department mourns with our brothers and sisters of the Bayonne Police Department, as they suffered the loss of Captain Paul Jamolawicz,” Weaver said. “Our agencies are intricately tied together as their loss is our loss, and this is especially true as Captain Jomolawicz is also the brother-in-law of Bayonne Fire Department Battalion Chief Thomas Obiedzinski. On behalf of our entire department, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to the entire Jamolawicz and Obiedzinski families.”
The manner of death has not been announced.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
Bicyclists rallied on November 12 to protest the proposed expansion of the 1-78 appreoach to the Holland Tunnel
Bicyclists were out in force on Saturday, as Hudson County residents came together to denounce the proposed Turnpike Expansion project which not only would derail the city from a path of environmental equity, but would increase traffic volume and carbon emissions.
The $4.7 billion dollar proposed project by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and NJ Department of Treasury would affect Newark, Bayonne and Jersey City.
According to the summary of the project it would “provide sufficient travel lanes to reduce congestion and safely and efficiently accommodate existing and future vehicular demand,” establishing the highway road structure for the next century.
Last year Gov. Phil Murphy launched a New Interim Greenhouse Reduction Goal which would invest $33 million in transportation projects meant to secure Jersey’s clean energy future and protect residents quality of life.
On the other hand, the governor has also been a proponent of the controversial Turnpike highway expansion to and from Holland Tunnel, as reported by NJ.com.
But residents such as Emanuelle Morgan who came out today, said “nonsensical projects such as these hurt our communities rather than serve them.”
Morgan, who is a resident in Hudson County, brought her bike out to encourage residents to advocate for more public transportation options instead of expanding I-78 highway, which would be “squeezing more cars into a tunnel,” she said.
Historically interstate highways expanded America’s roadways and infrastructure bringing 90 percent of all American cities together with populations of over 50,000 people. Congress approved the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, intended to eliminate unsafe roads and inept road structures, and it also detrimentally impacted urban communities of color.
Over 475,000 households and more than a million people were displaced nationwide due to the federal roadway construction, according to data collected by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Tyler Newcomb, who is the organizer of NJ Turnpike Trap, a coalition against the city’s Turnpike widening said that “not only does this not achieve the goal that they are claiming of reducing traffic…it’s also going to make our streets more dangerous.”
Hudson County has the highest population density in the state, according to the 2020 census, growing from 634,266 in 2010 to 724,854 in 2020 as reported by the Hudson Reporter.
In a tweet made earlier this year, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who opposes the NJTA’s Turnpike expansion project said, “This proposal would bring more traffic and more pollution to Jersey City. Instead,the investment here for NJ should be in mass transit as we have plenty of needs on that front.”
City officials and city workers also stepped up alongside residents to reject this project.
“This project is on the wrong side of history,” said Barkha Patel, Jersey City’s director of infrastructure. She said if the state sees this project through it would result in not only an increase in traffic but would be “creating a vicious cycle of traffic that we cannot build our way out of.”
Jersey City City Council members James Solomon and Frank Gilmore echoed Patel’s frustration, saying they believed the highway expansion would degrade the community rather than improve it.
Phil Cohen, Hoboken’s Fifth Ward city councilman also attended the rally. He said Hoboken had unanimously passed the first resolution against the expansion of the highway.
“We breathe the air with you,” said Cohen. “We are not looking for it, we don’t want it.”
Dana Patton, who came out today to protest the expansion of the bridge in support of her son who attends P.S.5 as a fourth grader, a school adjacent to the highway, said the actions taken by the state are simply “unconscionable” and of “great concern.”
She said the surrounding neighborhoods near Mary Benson Park, where the bicycle rally concluded, are historically low-income communities and would be severely impacted by the highway expansion.
“We literally spend hours every day at this park with our son, with this approved expansion it would just remove it entirely,” said Patton.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Jordan Coll can be reached at jcoll@hudsonreporter.com.
Vehicles with coverings on them are no longer permitted on public roads. Image via Google Maps.
North Bergen has banned covering vehicles on public streets and in public parking lots because the covers interfere with enforcing parking regulations.
Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the Board of Commissioners adopted an ordinance at the November 9 meeting after it was introduced in October.
The Parking Authority utilizes automated license plate reading technology to enforce its parking requirements.
The ordinance states that when a person covers their vehicle when it is parked on the public street or highway, or in public parking lots, the license plate becomes obstructed and inhibits the Parking Authority’s ability to enforce parking requirements.
The inability to effectively enforce parking regulations results in parking space being lost to those who follow the parking rules and regulations. According to the ordinance, the lack of ability to enforce parking regulations also inhibits effective and efficient street sweeping.
The ordinance states that when a vehicle is covered, the Parking Authority is limited in its ability to issue a summons. The ordinance says no vehicle parked on a public street, highway, or public parking lot within the township can be covered, partially or totally, with a car cover, motorcycle cover, or other similar protective cover.
Owners and leases of vehicles violating the ordinances now face a fine of $75 for each offense. For each summons written by Parking Authority enforcement officers where a fine would be collected by the township for a violation of the ordinance, the Parking Authority will collect 40 percent of the fine.
The ordinance will be enforced by the Parking Authority or Police Department.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
This property adjacent to Berry Lane Park is now open for redevelopment (Screenshot from Goggle Maps)
Mayor Steven M. Fulop has announced the redevelopment of a former industrial site on three acres of land in the city’s Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood can finally move forward to construction.
A Superior Court Judge’s ruling to dismiss a “meritless” lawsuit filed by June Jones and the Morris Canal Redevelopment Area Community Development Corporation has cleared that legal obstacle to the project beginning.
Despite opposition from Ward F Councilman Frank Gilmore, the proposed 17-story residential and commercial redevelopment project will include over 20 affordable housing units, a community recreation center, public outdoor space, new off-street parking spots, and a retail incubator for minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses.
“While this baseless lawsuit has done a tremendous disservice to our community, it is my hope that residents now hear the full truth with the court’s dismissal so that we can move forward on this important neighborhood improvement project together,” said Mayor Fulop.
The Fulop Administration is the first to implement affordable housing requirements in Jersey City, the administration said, adding that no other administration in decades has invested more in parks and open space than Mayor Fulop.
Plans to redevelop the former industrial site have been amended numerous times over the last two decades, leaving the three acres of land adjacent to Berry Lane Park unused. In 2019, the Fulop Administration put forth a proposal to revitalize the underutilized property, located at 417 Communipaw Avenue, with a residential and commercial building that include numerous community benefits and affordable housing units.
The new 17-story residential and commercial project will include the following:
20+ New Affordable Housing Units
22,000 sq. ft. Community Recreation Center
20,000 sq. ft. Public Outdoor Recreational Space & Plaza
Historic Building Preservation
Retail Incubator for Minority-, Women-, and Veteran-Owned Businesses
According to a press release, the city’s requirements for the site redevelopment include the following:
Maximum of 420 residential units, of which 21 units shall be Affordable Housing Units with a mix of very low, low, and moderate housing.
22,000 square foot Recreation Center to be dedicated to the City for public use which must include a fully functional basketball court and areas to host other extracurricular activities such as classrooms, media,dance, administrative offices, storage, and the like.
14,000 square foot retail component, no less than 40 percent of which will be designated as retail incubator space for certified Small, Minority, Women, and Veteran-Owned Business Enterprises (SMWVBEs) or Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).
20,000 square feet of public outdoor recreational space and plaza.
40 off-street public parking spaces for park and rec center visitors.
Installation of improvements along Woodward Street.
Historic preservation and adaptive reuse of the Steel Tech Head House.
Additional on- and off-site improvements.
“This redevelopment project is a win for the community as we incorporate numerous benefits that were put forth by the City as well as residents,” said Diana Jeffrey, director of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency
A few empty lots on the west side of River Road would be included in the new zoning district. Image via Google Maps.
North Bergen is contemplating a new zoning district in the township.
Mayor Nicholas Sacco and the Board of Commissioners introduced an ordinance at their November 9 meeting to implement a Master Plan amendment creating a new zoning district, known as the RRC-2 River Road Commercial 2, to permit commercial use along a portion of the west side of River Road.
The Planning Board adopted a “Periodic Reexamination and Report of the Master Plan and Land Use Plan Element Amendment” at its November 1 meeting. It recognized the character of certain properties on the west side of River Road between Bulls Ferry Road and the border with Edgewater as predominately nonresidential.
The commercial nature of that portion of the street has occurred despite being residentially zoned.
In addition, a number of lots don’t conform to existing zoning bulk standards. Those factors, coupled with significant residential growth in the vicinity, warrant an amendment to the current zoning for these lots in terms of uses and bulk standards.
The Board of Commissioners is responsible for implementing recommendations of the Master Plan to create the new commercial zone district. The new zone permits retail and commercial uses on that side of River Road.
Permitted uses in new commercial zone
Permitted uses in the district would include retail sales, personal services, professional offices, banks, and eating and drinking establishments without drive-thru or walk-up service.
Cannabis retailers and medical cannabis dispensaries with the proper permits would be allowed, so as long as there is only one within the district and it does not exceed the township’s limit of two dispensaries.
According to the ordinance, the bulk standards would now require a minimum lot area of 2,500 square feet, a minimum lot width of 25 feet, a minimum lot depth of 27 feet, no minimum setback from the street or side yard setback or 5 feet if provided, a minimum rear yard setback of 10 feet, a maximum building coverage of 50 percent, a minimum landscaped area of 10 percent, maximum impervious coverage of 90 percent, and a maximum building height of three stories or 40 feet.
Buildings with expansive blank walls facing the public right of way are prohibited. Large horizontal buildings would be broken into segments having vertical orientation.
Architectural elements and design variation, including building offsets, would be integrated to preclude a continuous uninterrupted facade. Side and rear building elevations would receive architectural treatments comparable to front facades when visible from a public right-of-way.
A significant landscape feature would be provided. Total landscaped are must not be less than 10 percent of the site area. Street trees would be provided around parking areas. Parking rows longer than 20 spaces would have a six foot wide landscaped island. There would be particular focus on landscaping the River Road frontage in a “creative and aesthetically-pleasing manner.”
Residents support new zone, but question certain bulk standards
During the public comment portion of the meeting, resident Kathy Krickovic applauded the proposed creation of the new zoning district.
“We are in favor of and we’re here to support the creation of the new zone,” Krickovic said. “The uses are similar to the existing RC zone with the exception of hotels.”
Krickovic took issue, however, with the bulk standards for the front yard setback being zero. The existing front yard setback in area is 15 feet. She said Planning Board officials determined that 15 foot front yard setbacks were not feasible due to the short lot depth, but that setbacks would be necessary for pedestrians to safely traverse.
Krickovic brought a packet of pictures with her to explain her point. She showed empty lots of the west side of River Road at the corner of Churchill Road, followed by Lolita’s Mexican Cantina, Hasan’s Rug, and Beethoven’s Veranda, and some other stores, as well as townhouses, as well as the sidewalks nearby at issue.
“So it’s all developed as commercial properties and we agree that it should stay commercial,” Krickovic said. “The existing sidewalk in front of 8400 River Road, which has a light pole in the middle of the sidewalk… we have only 13 inches on one side and 19 inches on the other side. A person walking with a stroller, they actually have to walk on River Road because they cannot pass through on either side. Zepter has the fence directly on the property line. There’s zero setback.”
Residents ask for 5 foot front yard setback
Since the township is rezoning the area, Krickovic asked for a 5 foot set back at minimum. She said it is currently not defined by the ordinance.
Krickovic said the Board of Commissioners can set the bulk standards in the zoning district. She echoed that the existing zoning district for the area has a 15 foot setback.
Township Attorney Tom Kobin said that the street setback would be zero. He said that the board can set the standard higher for the front yard setback before the public hearing on the ordinance, since it first goes back to the Planning Board before final approval from the Board of Commissioners.
“We can intro it, and then raise these comments, see what the Planning Board says,” Kobin said. “I don’t know what the logic was from them to have that, although I think it was to make it more buildable, you need to zero setback. So we can raise that concern after it’s introduced.”
Krickovic again rasied the issue that the poles and a fire hydrant were blocking the sidewalk. Kobin agreed the pictures she showed the board supported her argument.
“Clearly, you can’t walk by on these things,” Kobin said. “I’ll raise the concerns with the Planning Board and see what the logic was and then we’ll talk about dealing with it.”
Issues to be addressed before ordinance adoption, officials say
“We’re not voting on anything other than an introduction right now,” Sacco said.
Krickovic also asked what the lot depth requirements were, to which Kobin said it was 75 feet. She said this was shorter in comparison to the existing district of 150 feet.
“You have to take into account… with 84 units nearby, we have a lot more people walking,” Krickovic said. “We want to make the town walkable. So it has to be safe. That’s the point.”
Krickovic also took issue with the trees that would be planted, noting that the ordinance does not denote they would be native trees. She said it was important to plant native trees to “preserve biodiversity, support wildlife, create a health ecosystem, brings clean water, purifies the air, maintains healthy soil, regulates the climate.”
Castro noted the township has a new policy of only planting native trees. She said that requirement would extend to this new zoning district.
“We are already moving in that direction,” Castro said. “We have a Green Environmental Advisory Committee that has already recommended to the Mayor and the Commissioners that. So anything moving forward that the township engages in will all be native.”
Nenad Krickovic also asked about the height and rear yard setbacks, which officials confirmed were three stories or 40 feet maximum and 10 feet minimum. He then thanked the board for creating the new district.
“I really appreciate you guys having this zoning to the RRC 2 Zone so we can have some services like professional services, personal services, some sales close to our neighborhood, he said. “There’s so much residential redevelopment so that’s going to help us a lot.”
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
Bayonne has finished its study on existing residential redevelopment following a pause on new redevelopment, although the results pave the way for the halt to be lifted. Photos by Daniel Israel.
Bayonne officials have concluded the study on the status of redevelopments in the city, and the data clears the way for residential redevelopment to resume.
Most major residential redevelopment was paused by Mayor James Davis amid the 2022 May non-partisan municipal election until a study could be completed to determine if new redevelopments were being occupied or not.
Despite the pause, a number of residential redevelopment received planning approvals anyway, including the 18-story Silk Lofts tower that seemingly prompted the halt. City officials said this was an exception because the developers had already gotten planning approval and were midway through the process and could not be stopped.
However, new residential redevelopment without prior approval was halted.
The newly sworn-in City Council passed a resolution in July authorizing the study. According to the resolution, the absorption study would look at the total number of new residential dwelling units and multiple dwelling developments built in the city of Bayonne after January 1, 2015, the number of units occupied and unoccupied, new units expected in multi-unit developments over the next 24 months, the amount of tax and other revenue realized by the city as a result of multi-unit residential development completed after January 1, 2015, and the amount of tax and or other revenue the city would have realized if these properties were not developed.
Absorption study completed and preliminary data collected
Now, as of the November 9 council meeting, the study has concluded. City Council President Gary La Pelusa read the data obtained from the study aloud prior to the public comment portion of the meeting. Before that, he noted that before the residential and even commercial redevelopment ushered in by the Davis Administration, the city was losing population as job opportunities shrunk in the city.
“Since 2009, the city of Bayonne has been through a renaissance of growth after many decades of decreasing population, loss of jobs, and the lack of local opportunities,” La Pelusa said. “This change slowly occurred over time, such as the closure of the Texaco plant in the 1980s, the closure of the MOTBY in the late 1990s, and the closure of Best Foods in the early 2000s.”
As a lifelong resident and small business owner who raised his family here, La Pelusa said he has seen the ups and downs the city and community have faced. He said most people know someone who grew up here but decided to leave.
According to La Pelusa, the declining population and job opportunities have in part been remedied by the Davis Administration through residential and commercial redevelopment. He said this has been a boon for Bayonne, without which the city may not have recovered.
“There has been some fear that the values of the town will be lost as redevelopment occurs throughout the city and our community and that community itself will be a thing of the past,” La Pelusa said. “Bayonne has had a population growth over the past decade to over 70,000 people. This growth in population is a direct result of the redevelopment occurring all over our beloved city.”
Assessing a city on the rise over nearly a decade
Hearing residents’ concerns over redevelopment, he said that the administration and council agreed to a pause. Following that, one of the first things the new council sworn in after the May election did was set out to conduct the study of redevelopment impact.
La Pelusa said, “The council specifically asked for an absorption study to find out if the units built were being filled and if more units can be maintained without jeopardizing the stability of our community. We can ponder the future of Bayonne, and I feel the future is promising. The residential development impact on Bayonne needed to be studied, and this council made the study our first priority.”
Law Director Jay Coffey (left) and City Council President Gary La Pelusa (right) discuss the study on residential redevelopment at the November council meeting.
La Pelusa said according to preliminary data, things look promising for Bayonne’s future.
“After looking at the numbers, the future of the city’s well-being is encouraging,” La Pelusa said.
La Pelusa defined the absorption rate as the amount of housing stock a community has available to sell or lease, and how quickly it is being sold or rented. Absorption rates provide information on the leasing rates of a rental market or an individual property over a time period known as an absorption period, he said.
An occupancy rate is the number of units being occupied over the total amount of units available. La Pelusa said that high occupancy rates show the demand for people wanting to live in that area.
“These rates are important to understand the health of the community, buildings, and what impact it will have on the city’s revenue,” La Pelusa said.
Preliminary data shows high absorption and occupancy rates
Since 2009, there have been 20 residential redevelopments constructed featuring 2,978 units. He said these buildings were 92.6 percent occupied.
This number includes buildings that are currently in their lease up phase, La Pelusa said. The average stabilization for buildings that have been leased up is about 94.6 percent occupied. According to La Pelusa, the lease up period is an indicator of the absorption.
The buildings currently in their lease up period are being leased “at a breakneck pace” of five to six months, La Pelusa said. Meanwhile, the industry standard is up to 12 months. He noted that in one example, a building was fully leased up within 2 to 3 months.
“To put this in perspective, for a building to be considered stabilized according to Fannie Mae, a federal government created corporation tasked with lending money to mortgage lenders, the minimum occupancy rate for Fannie Mae to issue a multi-family loan is 75 percent occupancy,” La Pelusa said. “With that stated, the city occupancy rate for new construction is will in excess of this standard.”
According to La Pelusa, the minimum occupancy rate per federal standards is 75 percent. Given the data, the city’s occupancy rate is way above that.
La Pelusa said the current occupancy rate is even higher than its 10-year historical average of 91.372 percent, according to data from Rutgers University. He added that a full presentation from city professionals will follow his announcement to detail their findings.
According to La Pelusa, the pause will likely end soon after more conversations with administration officials.
“The preliminary findings are extremely promising for the pause on development to end after more discussion with the administration and my council colleagues,” La Pelusa said.
Residents have mixed reactions to the announcement
During the public comment, former city employee and outspoken resident Gail Godesky said residential redevelopment had not stopped. This was a reference to the planning approvals for projects that were allowed to go forward even amid the halt, in part due to prior approvals.
A rendering of the planned 18-story Silk Lofts residential redevelopment that prompted the pause but was approved during it anyway due to prior planning approvals. Rendering courtesy of Marchetto Higgins Stieve Architects.
“There was never a pause on redevelopment,” she said. “So that needs to be corrected.”
Meanwhile, resident Mike Morris was happy with the results of the study. He said it showed his property value had increased.
“I’m happy with the absorption rate study and the numbers that make my property more valuable. I know how valuable it is, because right now, I’ve had several offers on my particular home. I turned one down today. I had a near contract… I’m glad I didn’t accept it, because that study proves that my home is very valuable. And I’m very happy with it. So thank you.”
Now it appears that Bayonne is getting ready to march full steam ahead with plans to again allow residential redevelopment in the city.
Davis told the Bayonne Community News: “I would like to thank everyone who was involved with this important analysis of Bayonne’s housing units and population growth. The overwhelming majority of new apartments in Bayonne are occupied. The study demonstrates clearly that people looking for a place to live find Bayonne to be an attractive community. We will keep a close eye on housing and population trends as we continue to plan for the future.”
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
Afaf Muhummad, Christopher Tisdale, and Noemi Velazquez (Photo by Mark Koosau)
The Education Matters slate, with the backing of the local teacher’s union, has prevailed in the race for the Jersey City Board of Education. The slate consisted of returning incumbent Noemi Velazquez, an incumbent who ran on the opposing slate for her first term, Christopher Tisdale, a teacher who’s a newcomer to politics and Afaf Muhammed, an independent candidate from last year.
In recent years, control of the city school board has primarily become a battle between two slates, one backed by the Jersey City Education Association and another backed by real estate developers.
The opposing slate, Change for Children, consisted of trustee Alexander Hamilton, along with newcomers Kenny Reyes and Doris Toni Ervin on the sidelines.
Velazquez, who has been an at-large member for the Board of Ed since 2019 and who voted for the $973 million school budget, said her focus would be on improving teacher’s wages and school infrastructure.
Tisdale, who is an educator and has taught in both Englewood and New Jersey, advocated for better curricula in the city’s school system.
Muhammad, who is a mother of four daughters, and has served as president of the parent council of Mahatma K. Gandhi School, P.S. 23, ran her candidacy on bringing conversations of mental health to the table of school discussion.
Throughout his campaign leading up to elections, Hamilton opposed the school budget tax increase and said if elected he would hire a budget advisor to stop what he called the “tax shell game,” between them and the state, county and city, as covered by the Hudson Reporter at public hearings.
Independents Isnel Sanon and Ahsan Nawaz were defeated. Sanon, who ran his campaign taking about creating more programs focused on bridging students with technical jobs after graduation, said if elected would also review the tax budget increase.
Nawaz, a real estate agent, had the lowest voter turnout out of all the candidates.
The total unoffficial votes cast 71,366, with a total number of 38,636 for all three candidates in the Education Matters slate. Velazquez was the top vote getter with 14,254. Tisdale received 12,542, and Muhammad came in third with 11,840 votes, according unofficial results posted to the Hudson County Clerk Office website.
The total votes cast for the Change for Children slate totaled 26,804 cast votes. Sanon received a total vote of 3,506 Nawaz received a total of 2,143, and Hamilton won 9,374.
Voter turnout in this election cycle was 26 percent of all registered voters.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Jordan Coll can be reached at jcoll@hudsonreporter.com.
The "Together We Can" slate from left to right: Trustee Hector Gonzalez, Miriam Bechay, Mary Jane Desmond, and William "Bill" Young. Photo courtesy of the ticket.
Once upon a time in Bayonne, an endorsement from the mayor used to help a ticket for the Board of Education go far in an election, but now it appears it didn’t mean as much in the Tuesday, November 8 election.
Mayor James Davis and the current City Council members among other administration officials endorsed and supported the “Voices for Progress” slate, as well as the Bayonne Education Association, Assemblyman William Sampson, and outgoing Trustee Denis Wilbeck, among others.
Meanwhile, former City Council President Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski, who failed to unseat Davis in last May’s municipal election, her former council slate running mate Executive Director of the Bayonne Police Athletic League “KT” Kim Torello, and most of the current Board of Education including Trustee Jodi Casais, Board President Maria Valado, Vice President Christopher Munoz, Trustee Melissa Godesky-Rodriguez, and others supported the “Together We Can” slate, resulting in something of a proxy war between the two forces.
Running as “Together We Can” with teacher and incumbent Trustee Hector Gonzalez were: former Trustee and former City Councilwoman Mary Jane Desmond; Financial Services and Registered Representative with the New York Life Insurance Company William “Bill” Young; and New Jersey Institute of Technology Biomedical Engineering student Miriam Bechay.
They faced off against the “Voices for Progress” slate featuring: President of the Board of Trustees at the Bayonne Community Day Nursery and the Bayonne School Employees Credit Union, and a retired public school teacher Saverio “Sam” Maggio; businesswoman, community activist, and President of the Bayonne Youth Center Angelique Jackson-Belle; previous candidate and teacher at Jersey City’s P.S. 17 Gina Irizarry; and businessman in the financial sector and major proponent of the mosque in Bayonne, Ali Hassan.
Running as an independent was Jahnbaz Almas, a Trustee of the Bayonne Education Foundation and former educator at Saint Peter’s University, Saint Peter’s Preparatory School, and New Jersey City University, under the banner “Education is Freedom.”
From left to right: Trustee Hector Gonzalez, Mary Jane Desmond, Miriam Bechay, and William “Bill” Young.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner
The “Together We Can” slate won three out of four seats up for grabs on the Board of Education. Gonzalez, Desmond, and Bechay were elected, while Maggio was the only candidate from the Davis-backed “Voices for Progress” ticket to be elected.
According to unofficial election results on Wednesday from the Hudson County Clerk, the top three highest vote getters for the three seats with three-year terms were Desmond with 4,043 votes, Gonzalez with 3,822 votes, and Maggio with 3,812 votes.
In a close fourth place was Irizarry with 3,568 votes followed by Jackson-Belle in fifth with 3,524 votes. Trailing in sixth was Young with 3,420 votes.
Almas came in a distant seventh with 551 votes, and there were 61 write-in votes. In total, 22,807 votes were cast by voters from 10,544 ballots.
For the seat with the one-year unexpired term previously held by Gonzalez, Bechay beat out Hassan with 2,745 votes to his 2,452 votes. There were 14 write-in votes with 1,457 votes cast by voters from those 10,544 ballots.
Bechay won a seat despite being the only candidate to not attend the candidate forum as well as the only candidate who was unavailable for a feature interview with the Bayonne Community News.
The “Voices for Progress” slate and the Mayor from left to right: Gina Irizarry, Saverio “Sam” Maggio, Mayor James Davis, Ali Hassan, and Angelique Jackson-Belle.
Did Davis endorsement matter?
The “Voices for Progress” ticket issued a joint statement after the polls closed: “Thank you Bayonne! Polls are closed and now we wait for the final results. We are so grateful for the love, support and hard work everyone gave this campaign! Together we are Bayonne Voices for Progress!”
Also before the results came in, the “Together We Can” slate issued a similar message thanking voters for their support this election cycle. Neither slate has issued any statements since the most recent official results have been posted.
“Thank you to every supporter, family member, friend, and neighbor that came out to vote for us,” the ticket wrote in a joint statement on social media. “No matter the outcome, it has been an amazing journey. Nothing would have been possible without YOU. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
The election was largely sleepy this cycle. In typical fashion, candidates knocked on doors, appeared at community events like the Bergen Point Fall Festival, and held meet-and-greets all in attempts to convince voters to pick their side. One interesting development, however, was who ended up backing who, and ultimately how much the endorsements mattered to the outcome.
Despite Davis not endorsing anyone in 2021 and the “Voices for Progress” slate in 2022, the results show the “Together We Can” slate continues to largely dominate Bayonne school board elections as it did when it had his endorsement in 2018 and 2019. While voters chose Maggio over Young, “Together We Can” is still 9 for 10 in successfully electing candidates in the past three elections.
Districts colored in: green were won by Hector Gonzalez, blue by Mary Jane Desmond, Purple by William Young, dark yellow by Saverio “Sam” Maggio, red by Angelique Jackson-Belle, and pink by Irizarry.
Candidates clash at forum, followed by online drama
In addition to the endorsements, the candidates and their slates did clash somewhat at the candidate forum, largely over tax abatements for redevelopers. While “Together We Can” members like Gonzalez said that they were against those financial agreements that don’t produce tax revenue for the school district, members of the “Voices for Progress” slate like Jackson-Belle argued that the agreements ultimately benefited the community.
The candidate forum also sparked some online chatter about Irizarry regarding her stance on inclusivity and social justice in the curriculum, which many applied to the topic of sex education in the health curriculum. She said that while parents should be involved in their children’s education, the curriculum standards are determined by experts and should remain that way, drawing ire from parents who have sought to remove sex education from the curriculum entirely.
When it comes to turnout, this election appears to have had higher turnout than the May municipal election. With 42,626 registered voters, there were 10,544 ballots cast in this compared to the then-42,374 registered voters and 10,023 ballots cast in the municipal election.
Those numbers equate to an approximately 24.7 percent turnout for this election compared to the approximately 23.6 percent turnout overall for the municipal election. When looking at the mayoral contest alone, there was an approximately 23.4 percent turnout with only 9,909 votes cast despite 42,374 registered voters at the time.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
The Beacon is a mixed-use development located on 14-acre site on Bergen Hill. Photo taken by: Jordan Coll
A proposal for a new high-rise apartment building designed to blend into The Beacon apartments, a group of Art Deco landmark buildings that were the former Jersey City Medical Center built during the Great Depression, must first overcome several zoning hurdles.
The Beacon is listed under the National Register of Historic Places and the New Jersey Register of Historic Places. Earlier this year, Jersey City’s Historic Preservation Commission held a virtual meeting to discuss a proposal for the new building.
GRO Architects, a New York based architectural firm contracted by Jones Hall Associates, designed the proposed 17-story 203 foot tall building at 591 Montgomery St. and submitted the application to the city’s planning and zoning boards.
Richard Garber, a partner at the firm who presented modified plans for the property at 593 Montgomery St., also introduced additional proposed plans for 591 Montgomery St. as reported by the Jersey Digs on Oct. 5 of this year.
According to the zoning tabulation chart filed for the project summary by GRO the new project would include new medical facilities, a garage with structured parking and 75 spaces (49 residential and 26 existing in Jones Hall), and the remainder of the tower would be 98 new apartment units.
In addition, the proposal would divide the property into two lots, keeping intact an existing building and adding the new building, in addition to a 5,600-square foot park.
Resident concerns
Robert Stein, along with other residents who attended two community meetings this year related to the project, said he voiced concerns about clear deviations from the city’s zoning regulations in reviewing their proposals, but the firm “remained silent,” recalled Stein at the first meeting held in January.
The 17-story building exceeds the permitted height under the zoning which allows a maximum of eight stories (110 feet) as cited in the zoning report, so it would require a variance allowing the greater height. The project would also require a use variance because of the medical facility.
“The proposals are in clear violation of a majority of zoning ordinances provided by the city,” said Stein. A petition has been put out called Save Jersey City’s National Historical Treasure in response to the proposed building.
Jennifer Porter who is a real estate lawyer for Chiesa Shahinian & Giantomasi PC confirmed to the Hudson Reporter that a revised proposal had been submitted to HPC, after hearing the concerns at the second meeting.
HPC, which has advisory review rights over the application can either approve or deny the proposal to the city’s zoning board. The HPC is limited as it can only serve as an advisory board which is not binding to the historical site under federal and state law.
“After reviewing the plans and speaking with residents at the Beacon, I agree with the residents that this project is not appropriate,” said Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey. “Just because you can build something doesn’t mean you should.”
The next meeting is scheduled to take place on Dec.12 according to their agenda listed on the Historic Preservation Commission site.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Jordan Coll can be reached at jcoll@hudsonreporter.com.
North Bergen officials cut the ribbon officially opening the recreation center on Saturday, November 5. Photos courtesy of the township.
North Bergen’s new, highly anticipated Downtown Recreation Center and Library is now officially open.
Mayor Nick Sacco, Parks and Public Property Commissioner Hugo Cabrera, Commissioner Frank Gargiulo, Commissioner Allen Pascual, Commissioner Julio Marenco, County Commission Chair Anthony Vainieri, Assembly members Angelica Jimenez and Pedro Mejia, Sheriff Frank Schillari, Library Director Sai Rao, NJ State Librarian Jennifer Nelson, and many other officials held a ribbon cutting for the grand opening on Saturday, November 5.
Hundreds of local residents and business owners attended the event. Offerings included tours of the new site, music, food, carnival games, bounce houses and much more.
“Residents will be delighted when they see the abundance of new technology, athletic equipment, and other learning facilities at their disposal,” said Sacco. “I am very proud to see this happen for the community and residents of downtown North Bergen, whose children and families will be utilizing this center for decades to come.”
The site was formerly home to a furniture store until a massive fire destroyed the building in 2016. The township bought the property and utilized a combination of municipal ordinance bonds, Green Acres funding, as well as federal, state, and county grants to fund the new $19.5 million, state-of-the-art facility.
Many residents came out to enjoy the official opening of the new facility.
“When a devastating fire destroyed this building we didn’t cry over spilled milk, we viewed it as a catalyst and tremendous opportunity for positive change,” said Cabrera. “I want to thank Mayor Sacco for being the driving force behind this project and keeping a promise of academic, athletic, and social equity to our downtown residents and their children.”
The new Downtown Recreation Center and Library consists of five floors including a full library space with study rooms and the latest available technology, an indoor basketball court with six hoops and running track, outdoor fitness area, a rooftop turf practice field, and more. It evolved from being purely a recreation and community center to also include a library as well.
The library is fully staffed, with many books and other information ready to be read.
The new library will offer reading materials and other support. It also provides more space for community events and programs such as citizenship classes and other helpful initiatives.
“Our progressive leaders know that libraries are the hub of the community, which is why North Bergen has three!” said Rao. “Thank you to all the people who made this possible including the Mayor, Commissioners, and many others behind the scenes, who worked tirelessly to construct a beautiful facility that will empower our youth to advance confidently in their dreams.”
The basketball court and track above and around it are now open for residents to play and walk.
The North Bergen Downtown Recreation Center and Library is another step forward in Sacco’s vision of revitalizing Downtown North Bergen. It will offer downtown families excellent access to township services without needing to travel a long distance.
The facility comes on the heels of other major advances in the area. This has included the new downtown park on Paterson Plank Road, significant improvements to 10th Street Park, the former Downtown Library Branch, major residential developments, the new Wyndham Hotel, and more.
Many children enjoyed the inflatable rides and other offerings at the opening ceremony.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
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