Union City may get more affordable housing units, announced town officials at the Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday.
The commissioners passed a resolution noting their support of a developer’s application for a county grant to help fund a new housing project at 1401 Bergenline Ave.
SERV Properties and Management, Inc. plans to convert the existing building into 12 rental units and is asking for $350,000. The resolution also stated that the project is subject to the town’s approval of any ordinances necessary to complete the conversion.
The commissioners also passed a resolution to accept bids for work on the old library that is slated to become the new cultural center by July next year.
“We are continuing with approving specifications on the library structure, which will now become the community cultural center at 420 15th Street,” said Mayor Brian Stack. “That’s preserving the library building.”
When completed, the revamped building will contain an art gallery, museum, and function space. So far, the city has allocated approximately $2 million for the work.
The commissioners also announced that they would apply to the New Jersey Department of Transportation for funds for street improvements. They mentioned some upcoming projects.
“That is for street improvements and also sidewalk improvements on various streets throughout the city,” said Stack. Grants from the NJDOT, he said, are already funding work on 38th Street and Bergen Turnpike to Kennedy Boulevard, 16th Street and New York Avenue to Bergenline Avenue, Seventh Street and Summit Avenue to Central Avenue, and Eighth Street and Central Avenue to West Street.
Union City resident Kathie Pontus asked when other streets would be done.
“Another thing that we should do an even better job of preserving is the waterfront.” – Brian Stack
________
She also asked him for his opinion on a potential three-store development project in North Bergen that has residents concerned about the preservation of the Palisades and the safety of the community.
“I believe that we should preserve the cliffs on the Palisades to the best of our ability,” said Stack. “I have seen some projects that have taken place up in Edgewater where the rock has been chopped away, and now you have, for lack of a better term, chicken wire holding it, supposedly holding it; that is not something I would support.”
He added that during the construction of the new Firemen’s Memorial Park at Ninth and Palisade Avenue, the town is making sure the cliffs are being preserved.
“Another thing that we should do an even better job of preserving is the waterfront,” he said. “There should be no part of the waterfront that denies access to the residents.”
Swine flu
Commissioner Christopher Irizarry, who is also the CEO and president of the North Hudson Community Action Corporation, said that the local health organization is currently very busy addressing community concerns about the H1N1 influenza, or swine flu.
“It may be back in September [but] worse,” he said. “The current vaccine they have for the flu is 40 percent effective at best, 40 to 60 percent, and that’s the regular flu that we’re all used to. This is a similar type of flu, but you’re looking at 40 to 60 percent effectiveness and the regular flu kills about 44,000 people a year on average. This has only killed one or two here and there, so we don’t know what is going to happen.”
Amanda Staab can be reached at astaab@hudsonreporter.com.