PALISADES AVE BLIGHT STUDY & PALISADES CLIFFS

Greg Brickey successfully organized the Palisade Avenue Coalition and beat City Hall. As his letter to the editor summed it up " It seems that the plan for this neighborhood is "Good roads, great view. Now we just have to get rid of the people." (JJ LTE 6/17/99) After a major public outcry from organized residents, the City agreed to use the money to repave Palisades Avenue and replace the sidewalks in Pothole Jersey City. They also designated $250,000 in HUD funds to help homeowners improve the facades of the buildings so as to improve the appearance of their neighborhood so that they wouldn't be blighted in the future.

"In a move to designate the Palisade cliff as the city’s 58th "area in need of redevelopment", Annemarie Uebbing, the director of Housing, Economic Development and Commerce, asked the (City) council to adopt a resolution authorizing the planning department to conduct a blight survey of the Palisade cliff and a 13 block long area below it. Cliff Steinbring, a Palisades Avenue resident asked the City Ethical Standards Board if it was a conflict of interest for his Ward D councilman, Bill Gaughan, to vote as a city council member on redevelopment projects, that affect his constituents, when he is also the chairman and a voting commissioner of the JCRA. "He raises a good point," said Ethics Board member Rev. Alex Santora. "We’re seeing too much cross-pollination when it comes to elected officials, city employees, and autonomous agencies. These board members should represent the public, not other interests. Many people feel that there is too much collusion going on, and I wanted to acknowledge his concern and I think it is a valid one."

(Urban News, Greg Brickey, reporter 2/01)

"We are devastated by the gross over development in this area (Palisades Avenue/ Heights), which diminishes the quality of life and the municipal services we receive. We bear additional tax burdens because the cities are handing out tax abatements like supermarket coupons. We are afraid that homes will be taken away through eminent domain and that the last bit of Palisade cliff is going to be turned into another shelf for giant luxury high rise development, Fort Lee South. From a preservation conservation stand point and from neighborhood community stand point we are going to fight as hard as we can.

Several months ago a group of community leaders in the Heights submitted a steep slope ordinance designed to protect the cliff. The plan they proposed was stronger than an ordinance that was adopted in Weehawken and would limit the height of buildings at the base of the cliff and on top of the cliff. It would also set a specific distance restriction from the base of the cliff for construction. The city sort of said it would take a look at it. After months of delaying, and making excuse after excuse why they can't meet with us, the administration is going to put forth a resolution to do a blight survey, which includes a good size chunk of the cliff. This is the preverbal shoe falling we have been anticipating and dreading. "    LINK   WEBSITE