Parking, corruption, crime, development, education, and politics were on everyone’s mind last year. These were the top stories in each town.
Guttenberg
Budgeting – The story to watch in Guttenberg in 2003 will be the town’s existing financial woes, which have been a major thorn in the side of Mayor David Delle Donna since he took office two years ago. Delle Donna, who is up for re-election in 2003, has been trying desperately to cut down on spending, but the woes have led to higher tax bills for homeowners in each of the last two fiscal years.
The town also faces its perennial problems, namely overcrowding of the schools and parking.
In the schools, the town’s teachers continue to work without a contract, as they have for two years. The town’s lone school, Anna L. Klein School, is bulging at the seams, with almost 1,000 students packed into the school. There have been plans to build school extensions, but nothing has been firmly put into place.
While the town recently purchased an empty lot and turned it into a municipal parking facility for more than 50 vehicles, it still doesn’t scratch the surface of its ongoing parking woes, believed to be caused by a rash of illegal apartment facilities in the town.
While Delle Donna’s popularity in the town remains at an all-time high, the mayor and council, featuring two new members, face those early obstacles – like financial woes and parking – before voters head to the booths for the primaries in June.
Hoboken
Development – With Hoboken’s real estate revival over the last 15 years, development will continue to be the biggest issue to face the city because of the immense effect that new buildings have had upon many aspects of the quality of life in this urban area.
While development can help maintain stable property taxes and provide residents with a high standard of living, an excess can exacerbate traffic, parking, sewer and pedestrian safety problems.
In 2003, development issues will hit Hoboken on several different fronts. On the city’s southern waterfront, the second of two 13-story office towers will be completed, or nearly completed, by the year’s end. That building will house Marsh & McLennan Companies, a leading financial firm. The company has signed a long-term lease for 425,000 square feet of office space. Also in the first quarter of 2003, it is expected that the city will designate a developer to build a luxury hotel, the only one in the city.
Further north on the waterfront, the developers of the Old Maxwell House Coffee Factory on Dec. 23, 2002 received approval from the city’s Planning Board to build 832 units of condos and apartments in a mixed-use development. The large-scale development is approved to have approximately five acres of fully accessible public open space. While the developers still need state and county approvals, demolition for the existing buildings is tentatively scheduled for August.
On the city’s northwest side, redevelopment will come to life in 2003. Construction on the large-scale artist community at 720 Monroe St. is scheduled to begin. A new Shop Rite is scheduled to open and several other small to medium size, mostly residential structures are in multiple stages of development. Some should get their final approvals and others will open in the coming year.
Overshadowing every issue related to development is the anticipated completion of the city’ new master plan, which is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2003. A master plan is the conceptual framework that sets limits and dimensions for development and related issues such as traffic, parking, and open space. The current plan that is in place has not been significantly updated in 16 years. A consulting firm has been running hearings so that residents can give suggestions.
The Hoboken City Council will ultimately have to vote to approve the changes to the cities zoning codes that the Master Plan Committee will eventually propose.
Elections – This year, six of the nine seats on the Hoboken City Council are up for election. Many politically active residents, some allied with the new mayor and some critical of him, have begun plotting to run for one of the four-year terms.
Jersey City
Budget – The $324 million Jersey City municipal budget will be one of the bigger stories for 2003. The budget was delivered to the City Council, after five months of work, just before the Thanksgiving holiday. The mayor’s office was slow in delivering the budget, waiting to complete the refinancing of the city’s bonded debt. The council itself was annoyed for having the budget delivered to them five months into the fiscal year and then being urged at every meeting by supporters of Mayor Glenn Cunningham to pass it.
Like past issues between the mayor and council, such as the confirmation of agency appointments, the budget could provide a source of strife. Members of the council have already voiced concerns about the spending plan, which the mayor’s office says will not cause a tax increase. Among these concerns is the amount budgeted for Distressed Cities Aid from the state. According to the budget, $10.5 million is expected from the state for Jersey City. In light of the state’s own financial problems, the Councilman E. Junior Maldonado has noted that Gov. Jim McGreevey has frozen all aid for the time being and speculated that the city will not see all the funds that have been anticipated.
During hearings on whether the city should take municipal employees out of the State Health Benefits program, Councilman William Gaughan asked a question: If the city left the SHB, would the state reduce the amount of Distressed Cities money it would give in proportion to how much the city paid for health benefits?
The city may also increase parking and traffic fines. As a solution to the parking problem in Jersey City, Council President L. Harvey Smith has suggested the creation of lots that would rent spaces to residents for a minimal fee. This, Smith believes, would relieve some of the parking congestion and provide a revenue generating alternative to increasing parking and traffic fines.
In addition, there may be more cuts in municipal department budgets, with more layoffs possible. Just before Christmas, the city laid off 13 employees. The municipal budget may also be given to a small group of accountants and financial experts to see where further cuts could be made.
The council has publicly invited Mayor Glenn Cunningham to participate in the public budget hearings. This was done because in late 2002, the mayor took out advertisements in local newspapers calling for Jersey City residents to urge the council to quickly pass the budget. Council members are expecting a high turnout from the public at the budget hearings in late January or early February. According to Smith, the council is still wrapping up budget discussions with various municipal department heads.
North Bergen
Election – The biggest event in 2003 in North Bergen will take place in May, when the five seats on the township’s Board of Commissioners are up for re-election. This includes four-term incumbent Mayor Nicholas Sacco, as the mayor is elected from the commission seats.
It should be interesting to see if the ongoing Federal Bureau of Investigation probe, meant to root out corruption in North Bergen, has any effect on the municipal election results. The probe is still ongoing. Mayor Nicholas Sacco’s political power is apparently still rock solid, considering the fact that his handpicked candidate, Allen Pascual, steamrolled to victory in a special commission election last November. If that victory is any indication to the amount of power Sacco still wields, then May’s election will be a cakewalk.
Two political foes, Edward "Bo" Scannavino and Denis Jaslow, have already expressed interest of forming full electoral tickets to compete against Sacco and the slate of incumbents, all of whom are expected to seek re-election.
However, the events leading up to the municipal election – and the election itself – prove to be the stories to watch in North Bergen in the coming months.
Secaucus
Unpopular issues – Since Secaucus now elects its mayor and Town Council every four years instead of two, they will be able this year to take on some of the thornier issues previously avoided for fear of voter backlash.
Over the next year, the council will likely be asked to develop a master plan for traffic in the heart of town. Town officials may seek to redirect traffic along the streets which have over the years become bogged down with one-way signs. Some streets in the 3rd Ward, for instance, are actually one way for one block, one way in the opposite direction for another block, only to turn around again on the following block. Voters in the past have exerted significant pressure on public officials not to alter traffic in order to keep the flow of traffic from pouring down their blocks.
The Secaucus Town Council may also be asked to set up a redevelopment board that would look over under used property for possible purchase and resale.
The Town Council will also have to consider a variety of changes to public safety such as the possible takeover of ambulance services, increased police and fire services. This would be particularly relevant to the proposed opening of the Secaucus Transfer train station in September of 2003. The massive project is expected to create an additional demand on town services. Officials are hoping that the state will approve a hotel tax that will allow tourist trade to pay a big percentage of increased costs.
Union City
Schools and development – With overcrowding in area schools, the development of new school buildings is an issue of paramount importance in the coming year. In a recent Planning Board meeting, state representatives were on hand to present ideas for where the new schools will be placed. According to Mayor Brian Stack, two are already under construction: one elementary school is located at 14th Street and Central Avenue and is the site of the old St. Joseph’s Grammar School. The other is located at 18th Street and Summit Avenue. This school, when completed, will be christened the "Jose Marti Middle School."
Other sites have been mentioned for school expansion, including what was the former Schlemn Funeral Home on the 2200 block of Kennedy Boulevard.
Redevelopment at the site of the 27th Street Garage is a major story to come. At an Oct. 15 commissioners’ meeting, Stack stated that he "wanted to have a vision on this project by the next meeting." It appears that Stack’s vision for this property will be presented soon, as he has finally gotten a meeting with New Jersey Transit on Jan. 10. NJ Transit owns 60 percent of the property, and the city owns 40 percent. Said Stack, "This is a big step. We are finally seeing some motion on this project."
Weehawken
Two developments – The ongoing development in Weehawken will remain the story to watch in 2003. With the first phase of the much-anticipated Port Imperial South development underway and nearing completion, new residents can be expected to move into the 42 new brownstone homes within the year.
Once that phase is completed and occupied, Roseland Properties, Inc. can continue with the second phase and more advanced portion of the proposed $500 million waterfront development, namely the office complex, the hotel, the shopping center, and another 1,600 units of housing, including some units for affordable housing and others for senior assisted living.
Another housing development, namely the St. Lawrence Estates, located in the township’s "Shades" section, is also just about ready for occupancy, which should mean more tax ratables for the town and added income.
But all eyes of the town will continue to focus on the waterfront development, which will change the face of Weehawken forever.
West New York
New development, and 200 trees – Property development on many fronts appears to be the biggest story for the coming year. West New York Mayor Albio Sires said that development will continue on the waterfront, with new restaurants and professional offices in addition to luxury housing. This continues a flurry of activity in that area, which recently saw the completion of the Clubhouse at the Riverside West condominium complex.
Continuing on the development front, Sires added that the West New York Commissioners are "looking at properties to build three new affordable housing buildings." These will include senior housing and possibly a mix of senior and affordable housing, although the mayor wasn’t sure how that will play out yet.
Sires also mentioned that in the spring, construction is to begin on St. Mary’s park at 64th and Jackson streets. According to the mayor, a bid was accepted and everything is ready to go.
West New York can look forward to 200 more trees in the springtime, which, according to the mayor, "will be planted all over town." This adds to the over 1,000 trees that have been planted since Sires took office as mayor.
Sires stated that there are two sites that have been condemned by the state and are earmarked for school construction: 64th Street and Broadway and 63rd Street and Hudson Avenue. Both of these locations have old factory buildings on them, but they will be torn down.