Jersey City gets planning award
Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, members of the Municipal Council, and the Department of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce/Division of Planning announced Friday that Jersey City has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious Outstanding Plan Award by the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association, a professional organization of city and regional planners.
The Circulation Element of the Jersey City Master Plan is an action-oriented multi modal transportation plan that addresses the present and future mobility needs of people and goods to, from, and within Jersey City. It considers current needs while anticipating future development and redevelopment to 2050.
The Circulation Element is comprised of text, maps and graphics. Highlights include a vision statement, a series of implementation strategies, and an action plan that identifies potential lead agencies and funding sources.
“This is an honor that warrants a great amount of pride,” said Mayor Healy.
Developer of WNY building seeks approval again
The developer of Park View Terrace LLC, who applied for zoning changes for a nearly 30-story building and withdrew the request on Aug. 28, will soon be asking the Zoning Board of Adjustments in West New York to seek approval for the development of a 22-story building with 243 units.
Variances are being sought by the developers. These include variances for height, density, parking, driveway opening, front yard, rear yard, floor area ratio, parking space size, and drive aisle width.
The location of the proposed site is at 57th Street and Park Avenue.
Some residents are concerned because they say approval might cause a precedent which could lead to future developments similar to this one. In the past, residents complained that the building would be too tall and change the area from medium density to high density. Also, the building is currently tax exempt.
The first meeting to hear the application was to take place at the courthouse of the West New York municipal building located at 428-60th St. Monday night at 6:30 p.m.
See this weekend’s paper for updates.
QOLC Thanksgiving Awards
On Thursday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m., the Hoboken Quality of Life Coalition will present its fifth annual Hoboken Thanksgiving Awards to five citizens who have used their time and talent pro bono for the betterment of the city of Hoboken.
The ceremony will be held at Hoboken Historical Museum, Hudson at 13th Street. A reception will follow the event.
Recipients of the awards are as follows: Community Awareness Award to Lawrence Henriques, former president of the Historical Museum and chairman of the board of the Jubilee Center; Civic Award to Toni Tomarazzo leading member of Hoboken Tax Reform Coalition and Hoboken Heritage; The Renee Steinhagen Public Advocacy Award to Ron Hine, first and only Executive Director of Fund for a Better Waterfront; Community Service Award In Memoriam to John DePalma, former Historical Museum president, member of the Hoboken Historic Preservation Commission and president of the 6th Ward Block Association; Citizen Activist Award to Dan Tumpson, the longtime observer and outspoken critic of government procedure and legislation.
A donation of $5 is requested at the door, or $2 for seniors or students. There will be refreshments and a cash bar.
For more information, call (201) 963-3511 or visit www.QLCHoboken.org.
Theatre mixer
The Hudson County Theatre Alliance is hosting the “Fall into the Arts” reception at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, at the Stevens Institute of Technology. The event is at the Wesley J. Howe Center in the Bissinger Room, fourth floor.
“Fall into the Arts” is designed as a mixer and business card exchange for members of the arts and theater communities to come together, encouraging collaborations and development of performing arts programs in Hudson County. The 10 member theaters of the HCTA will be represented, along with various other arts and support organizations in Hudson County. Participants are encouraged to bring business cards to exchange along with materials to share about organizations and programs.
For more information, please contact president@hudsonall.org or call (201) 216-5111.
Community leadership forum
The Citizens’ Campaign is hosting a free “Call to Service” forum on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at Our Lady of Grace School Hall, Fifth Street and Willow Avenue, at 7 p.m. to increase awareness of leadership and service opportunities in the city of Hoboken.
This effort is part of a statewide “Jersey Call to Service,” a public service initiative of the Citizens’ Campaign to inspire citizens to participate in the leadership of their communities and reverse the tide of government waste and corruption.
The forum will primarily focus on the Hoboken appointments process, including inside tips for seeking and gaining appointment and information about the current service opportunities available.
Next week, residents will be releasing the findings of a “Citizens’ Rights & Responsibilities” survey conducted by Citizens’ Campaign members and Hoboken residents. The survey is designed to provide an overall sense of the city’s civic strengths and weaknesses. Its main purpose is to give the community a road map for how to increase citizen participation and empowerment by discovering what laws and policies of a healthy civic community are currently absent or need to be improved.
The forum is free and open to the public. If you are interested in attending, please respond to John Branciforte at johnbranciforte@aol.com, or Lauren at (732) 548-9798 x2.
For more information on the Jersey Call to Service, visit www.JoinTheCampaign.com.
Veterans’ homefront issues forum
The city, Projected Images, ShrinkWrap Productions, the Board of Education, and American Legion Post 107 are sponsoring a Veterans Day Town Meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 11 beginning at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) at Hoboken High School, 800 Clinton St. Admission is free.
The meeting includes a showing of “Leave No Soldier,” an award-winning documentary about veterans helping one another deal with troubling war memories. The film is by Donna Bassin.
The meeting will also include a staged reading from a new play, “Flashback,” based on the 2006 book by Penny Coleman, which explores issues of post-traumatic stress injuries from the point of view of widows of Vietnam veterans who committed suicide. It will be presented by actress Anne O’Sullivan.
There will also be a panel discussion with the audience, focusing on ideas and programs for helping veterans and their families handle war-related problems.
Boathouse fundraiser
The Hoboken Cove Community Boathouse is sponsoring their first annual boathouse fundraiser on Sunday, Nov. 22 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Lua. The all-volunteer organization depends on community support for the free programs they offer.
For more information, contact Sandy Sobanski by phone at (201) 388-7668 or e-mail at
dragonsandy1@yahoo.com.