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Hardship Exemptions
Denied
Commissioners Say No to
Demolition
May 14. After 25 hours of
testimony over multiple hearings, the Jersey City
Historic Preservation Commission voted 6-0 to deny
applications for hardship exemptions that, if granted,
would have allowed demolition of the Harsimus Branch
Embankment. The applications were brought before the
Commission by six LLCs that claim ownership of
the Embankment.
The LLCs maintained that the
property should be considered under the Commercial
criteria in the city ordinance, which would entitle
them to a 12% return on assessed value.
An expert witness for the Commission, Charles Blau,
Esq., IFAC, cited multiple reasons why the
property should be considered under the Non-Commercial
category, which is less generous to applicants.
The Coalition testimony agreed. We cited examples
from the state Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL), from which
our local ordinance derives, that support the definition
of residential property as Non-Commercial within the
land use context.
The Applicants may have undermined their
own case by presenting a development scenario that would
have allowed a return, and by testimony that seemed to
undercut initial contentions that the property was
constrained from development by zoning, its historic
status, and its physical characteristics.
The Coalition board thanks supporters of Embankment
preservation who attended hearings. We were
impressed by the intelligent questions and patience of
the Commissioners throughout these long hearings, and
are gratified by the
decision. |
Hudson
River Walkway
Public Meeting May 18
"Connect
the Parks" Group Asks for Public
Turnout
The NJ Department of Environmental Protection
will be conducting an informational public meeting on
the construction of the final section of the Hudson
River Walkway in Jersey City on Monday, May
18 - 4:00 p.m. Central Rail Terminal,
Liberty State Park - the Blue Comet
Auditorium. The Jersey City
Waterfront Parks Conservancy seeks your
participation.
The project is a 1600-foot connection of
the Walkway from Goldman Sachs to the Sugar House
building adjacent to the historic Morris Canal Little
Basin. It includes an adjacent park with
benches, and kayaking and canoeing launch access.
Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2010
with completion the following
spring.
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Historic Preservation
Month Events
The Jersey City Landmarks Conservancy continues a
month of events as part of the National Trust for
Historic Preservation's Annual Celebration.
Saturday, May 16, 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Victorian Heights Tour. $5.00; $3.00 for
seniors and students with current ID. Meet at the
intersection of Bowers and Central Avenue by Capital One
Bank [municipal parking lot nearby]. Guided by historian
Dennis Doran, this tour will explore the history of the
Central Avenue commercial district and the Victorian
homes of merchants on Summit Avenue.
Saturday, May 16, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
- Old Bergen Church and Speer Cemeteries
Clean-Up. Help clean-up two historic burial
grounds in Jersey City's Journal Square area. Meet at
Old Bergen Reformed Church Cemetery at the main gates,
Bergen Avenue and Harrison Avenue. For more information
about this event, contact Bob Murgittroyd at bobmurgittroyd@verizon.net.
Saturday, May 23, 10:00 a.m.-4:00
p.m. - Historic Jersey City-Harsimus
Cemetery Student Clean-Up. Contact Eileen
Markenstein at markensteine@optonline.net.
Thursday, May 28, 6:00-9:00 p.m. -
9th Annual JCLC Preservation Awards Ceremony at
the Landmark Loew's Jersey Theatre.
Saturday, May 30, 12:00-2:00 p.m. "Walk in
Their Footsteps," A Tour of the Italian
Village. FREE. Guided walking tour with John
Gomez and Joshua Parkhurst. The tour begins
at Madame Claude's Cafe located on the corner of
Brunswick and Fourth Streets.
The Harsimus Cemetery and Village are two areas
directly affected by the outcome of Harsimus Branch
abandonment - come learn more about these historic areas
and others throughout Jersey
City!
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