To the Editor:
I am still amazed that the City of Bayonne is still focusing on getting more residential developments into this city instead of trying to lure businesses and getting good-paying jobs for the citizens. So far all I mainly hear is more residential developments being built instead of new and old businesses settling in this town. I was at the city council meeting three weeks ago and I spoke out against what seems to be an obsession with housing and this is where they gave a sweetheart tax abatement to the developer while sticking it to the local taxpayer. One has to wonder if all these luxury apartments at this development and others being proposed will be actually filled and how many will lay vacant, how many more tax abatements will be given while screwing the taxpayer. I can understand tax abatements to lure businesses to the city but for housing developments it is ludicrous. I understand the need for some new residential units to be built but the amount being considered some might think is excessive.
The city council also approved a development study for the 23rd to 24th street areas of Broadway at the meeting. Why did it take them this long to decide to do it? The city had almost four years to do something and all of a sudden they decide to move on a small portion of Broadway, well how about the rest of the strip? People constantly tell me Broadway is finished. There are only stores that sell junk and nothing worth shopping in. How can Broadway be saved if there are plans for more retail stores outside the city like what is being proposed on the MOT. Who will be shopping there? Do we really need more retail on 440?
Also at the city council meeting there was a group of downtown residents complaining about the inadequate response from the City of Bayonne to the noise from the construction on the Bayonne Bridge at night for the past few months. They complained, got hardly a response or no response from our elected and city officials for this issue these few months, and the Port Authority was no help at all. The city officials got an ear full from these residents about the situation and the lack of response. They pay high property taxes and this is what they get for it.
JOHN BUDNIK