Planning Board - Special Meeting

1 CITY OF UNION CITY HUDSON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY PLANNING BOARD : TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDED SPECIAL MEETING : _________________: PROCEEDINGS Union City High School Gymnasium 2500 Kennedy Boulevard Union City, New Jersey Wednesday, August 25, 2021 Commencing at 6:01 p.m. M E M B E R S P R E S E N T: BRIAN P. STACK, Mayor YDALIA GENAO, Mayor’s Designee FRANKLIN MEDINA ALICIA MOREJON JOSE GUARENO, Alternate No. 1 HECTOR OSEGUERA, Alternate No. 2 ALEJANDRO VELAZQUEZ, Vice Chairperson DIANE CAPIZZI, Chairperson M E M B E R S A B S E N T: CELIN VALDIVIA, Commissioner CAROLINA FERNANDEZ JEANNE KOEHLER A L S O P R E S E N T: CARLOS VALLEJO, Secretary to the Board  2 A P P E A R A N C E S: SCARINCI HOLLENBECK BY: PATRICK J. McNAMARA, ESQ., Special Counsel HEYER GRUEL AND ASSOCIATES BY: LAUREN M. PURDOM, PP, AICP Consulting Planner  3 I N D E X PAGE CALL TO ORDER 5 SALUTE TO FLAG 6 ROLL CALL 6 HEARINGS Ordinance/Roosevelt Stadium Redevelopment Plan 10 ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS 8 ADJOURNMENT 21  4 I N D E X Ordinance/Roosevelt Stadium Redevelopment Plan WITNESS PAGE Lauren M. Purdom 11  5 1 THE SECRETARY: Are we ready? 2 MAYOR STACK: I’m ready. 3 THE SECRETARY: We have eight. 4 MS. DILLON: Okay. 5 On the record. 6 THE SECRETARY: May I have your attention 7 please? 8 Please take notice that on Tuesday (sic) 9 August 25th, 2021, at six p.m., a Special Meeting 10 is scheduled for the City of Union City Planning 11 Board to be held in the Union City High School, 12 located at 2500 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Union 13 City, New Jersey. 14 Opening statement. 15 This is a meeting called in compliance with 16 Chapter 231, Public Law 1975 of the Open Public 17 Meeting Act. 18 Adequate notice of this meeting has been 19 provided as follows: 20 Notice of this meeting, setting forth the 21 time, date, location, to the agenda, to the 22 extent known, was forwarded to The Jersey 23 Journal, The Record, and The Hudson Reporter, has 24 been posted on the bulletin board in City Hall, 25 and has been made available to the public in the  6 1 Office of the Municipal Clerk. 2 Before we call roll for this evening, will 3 everybody kindly rise so that we can salute of 4 the flag? 5 6 (Whereupon, the Pledge of Allegiance was 7 said by all.) 8 9 THE SECRETARY: Thank you. 10 11 ROLL CALL: 12 13 THE SECRETARY: Roll call for tonight’s 14 meeting. 15 Mayor Brian P. Stack? 16 MAYOR STACK: Here. 17 Miss Diane Capizzi? 18 CHAIRPERSON CAPIZZI: Here. 19 THE SECRETARY: Mr. Alejandro Velazquez? 20 VICE CHAIRPERSON VELAZQUEZ: Here. 21 THE SECRETARY: Commissioner Celin Valdivia 22 is absent. 23 Miss Ydalia Genao? 24 MS. GENAO: Here. 25 THE SECRETARY: Miss Jeanne Koehler is  7 1 absent. 2 Miss Alicia Morejon? 3 MS. MOREJON: Here. 4 THE SECRETARY: Miss Carolina Fernandez is 5 absent. 6 Mr. Franklin Medina? 7 MR. MEDINA: Here. 8 THE SECRETARY: Mr. Jose Guareno? 9 MR. GUARENO: Here. 10 THE SECRETARY: Mr. -- Mr. Hector Oseguera? 11 MR. OSEGUERA: Here. 12 THE SECRETARY: Let the record indicate 13 there are eight present. 14 We have a full quorum for tonight’s 15 meeting. 16 17 * * * 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25  8 1 ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS: 2 3 (1.) Resolution to appoint the Attorney to the 4 Planning Board; retroactive on July 1, 2021 5 through June 30, 2022. 6 7 8 THE SECRETARY: We’re going to item number 9 one, Resolution. 10 Resolution to appoint the Attorney for the 11 Planning Board, retroactive on July 1 st, 2021 12 through June 30th, 2022. 13 Can I have a motion to adopt this 14 Resolution? 15 MS. MOREJON: Motion. 16 THE SECRETARY: Motion by Miss Morejon. 17 VICE CHAIRPERSON VELAZQUEZ: Second. 18 THE SECRETARY: Any second the motion? 19 MAYOR STACK: Second. 20 VICE CHAIRPERSON VELAZQUEZ: Second. 21 THE SECRETARY: Second by Mayor Stack. 22 Roll call on the motion. 23 Mayor Stack? 24 MAYOR STACK: Yes. 25 THE SECRETARY: Miss Capizzi?  9 1 CHAIRPERSON CAPIZZI: Yes. 2 THE SECRETARY: Mr. Velazquez? 3 VICE CHAIRPERSON VELAZQUEZ: Yes. 4 THE SECRETARY: Miss Morejon? 5 MS. MOREJON: Yes. 6 THE SECRETARY: Mr. Medina? 7 MR. MEDINA: Yes. 8 THE SECRETARY: Mr. Guareno? 9 MR. GUARENO: Yes. 10 THE SECRETARY: Mr. Oseguera? 11 MR. OSEGUERA: Yes. 12 THE SECRETARY: Seven in favor. 13 Motion carries. 14 MAYOR STACK: And the attorney that was 15 appointed was Brian Chewcaskie. 16 THE SECRETARY: Yes, Mayor. 17 MAYOR STACK: Just -- no, just for the 18 public and it’s on the record. 19 20 * * * 21 22 23 24 25  10 1 Ordinance/Roosevelt Stadium Redevelopment Plan 2 3 (1.) The amendment to the Roosevelt 4 Redevelopment Plan amends the Mixed-Use Zone B to 5 allow for mixed-use development consisting of 6 ground floor commercial/parking and upper floor 7 residential at a height not to exceed 6 stories. 8 A 10% affordable non-age-restricted set-aside 9 requirement has been added to the Mixed-Use Zone 10 B for developments of 5 units or more. The Plan 11 has also been updated to reflect the current 12 status and conditions of the other development 13 within the Redevelopment Area. Heyer, Gruel & 14 Associates Community Planning Consultants. 15 16 THE SECRETARY: Now we’re going to the 17 hearing. 18 Ordinance/Roosevelt Redevelopment Plan. 19 The amendment to the Roosevelt 20 Redevelopment Plan, the Mixed-Use Zone B, to 21 allow mixed-use development consist of ground 22 floor commercial/parking and upper floor 23 residential. 24 (Whereupon, there was a pause in the 25 proceedings.)  11 1 MR. McNAMARA: Good evening, Mayor, Madam 2 Chair, Members of the Board. 3 I’m Patrick McNamara from the law firm of 4 Scarinci Hollenbeck. 5 I’m here in my role this evening in 6 assisting the City with the ongoing process of 7 updating and revising the Roosevelt Stadium 8 Redevelopment Plan that you have before you this 9 evening. 10 Lauren Purdom is here from Heyer Gruel and 11 Associates, as the Planner; who will give you a 12 brief review of the proposed changes. 13 An ordinance to codify these changes has 14 been introduced, and is the obligation of this 15 Board upon receipt of such an ordinance, to 16 review and provide comment within 45 days of that 17 so that then the City Council can proceed to go 18 forward, and the Board of Commissioners can 19 proceed to adopt the ordinance and codify the 20 amendments in question. 21 Lauren? 22 MS. PURDOM: Thank you. 23 MS. DILLON: Yes. 24 Please raise your right hand. 25 Do you affirm the testimony you’re about to  12 1 give this Board is the whole truth? 2 MS. PURDOM: Yes. 3 MS. DILLON: Could you please state your 4 name and spell it for the record. 5 MS. PURDOM: Lauren Purdom, L-A-U-R-E-N. 6 Purdom, P-U-R-D-O-M. 7 MS. DILLON: Thank you. 8 MS. PURDOM: All right. 9 So, we are -- 10 MR. McNAMARA: Ms. Purdom, just briefly, 11 for the benefit of the record, if you’d give us 12 your background, qualifications, and your license 13 as a planner here in the State? 14 MS. PURDOM: Sure. 15 I am certified as a New Jersey Professional 16 Planner, as well as with the American Institute 17 of Certified Planners. 18 And I’ve prepared various Board review 19 memoranda. 20 I also work on redevelopment studies and 21 redevelop -- I’m sorry, reexamination reports as 22 well as various elements for master plans. 23 MR. McNAMARA: And you’ve been involved 24 with your office in the preparation of the plan 25 amendments that have been presented to the Board  13 1 of Commissioners, and now to the Planning Board? 2 MS. PURDOM: That’s correct. 3 MR. McNAMARA: If you could please proceed 4 to -- for the benefit of the Board, go over those 5 proposed amendments? 6 MS. PURDOM: Sure. 7 So, as some of you may remember, a previous 8 amendment to this plan was prepared by our office 9 in 2020. 10 It provided for a hotel to be developed on 11 the site in question; however, due to the impacts 12 of COVID on the hospitality industry, that has 13 not moved forward. 14 So we are now moving forward with a new 15 amendment. 16 And the purpose of this amendment is to 17 amend the Mixed-Use Zone B to allow for multi- 18 family as well as commercial uses on a majority 19 of a large vacant site located at the corner of 20 JFK Boulevard and 28th Street. 21 So, the purpose of this amendment is to 22 kind of ensure that the design standards are not 23 in conflict with the permitted uses. 24 And we worked extensively with the 25 developer to -- the redeveloper to determine the  14 1 best use for the site. 2 And it was ultimately determined that 3 mixed-use would be the best strategy for the 4 development. 5 You may remember that the 2006 plan 6 originally allowed for high-rise residential in 7 the Mixed-Use B Zone. 8 We are currently proposing to rezone the 9 entirety of Block 156 for mixed-use development, 10 consisting of retail uses or parking on the 11 ground floor; and then apartments above, up to 12 six stories or 72 feet as a maximum. 13 And then it’s anticipated the remaining 14 lots will be zoned for -- the remaining lots are 15 zoned for two-family residential in addition to 16 the mixed-use. 17 And so, the specifics of this plan, we -- 18 we would like to point out that it benefits the 19 City in terms of the Master Plan Reexamination as 20 well as the Land Use Element that were both 21 prepared in 2021. 22 And that was -- the two key components are 23 the creation of affordable units as well as a 24 mechanism to address parking demands for future 25 residents.  15 1 So, it’s a two-prong reasoning. 2 The development at this scale, with five or 3 more units, will automatically be subject to the 4 mandatory set-aside. 5 So that means that the developer will be 6 required to make at least ten percent of the 7 units on-site be affordable to age-restricted -- 8 non-age-restricted households earning very low, 9 low, or moderate income. 10 And the other part of this is that it will 11 allow for the requirement to include on-site 12 parking. 13 So, any developer will be required to self- 14 park for the entirety of the site, on-site. 15 And that will -- that will provide a rate 16 high enough to meet the standard of each unit. 17 It should also be noted that the 18 residential parking standards do adhere to RSIS 19 Standards, the Residential Site Improvement 20 Standards, and the commercial parking standards 21 will apply -- will adhere to the existing CN Zone 22 Parking Standards. And -- 23 MR. McNAMARA: And those parking standards 24 along with the other bulk standards that are in 25 here, would be subject to the review of this  16 1 Board when -- 2 MS. PURDOM: Yes. 3 MR. McNAMARA: -- any application is 4 submitted. 5 That way the Board can make sure that it 6 has its own direct input to make sure the 7 redevelopment is consistent with these 8 guidelines. 9 Correct? 10 MS. PURDOM: Yes, that is correct. 11 MR. McNAMARA: Thank you. 12 MS. PURDOM: Any future plans. 13 MR. McNAMARA: Please continue. 14 MS. PURDOM: Yes. 15 And so, this will also help to limit the 16 number of curb cuts, new curb cuts, and it will 17 also limit the demand for a new on-street 18 parking. 19 And so, both the 2021 Master Plan Reexam as 20 well as the Land Use Element were adopted by this 21 Board in May. 22 And I’d like to point out that that on page 23 22 of the plan amendment in front of you, we 24 outlined the relevant goals and objectives from 25 the recent reexams that are also related to this  17 1 proposed amendment. 2 Our office finds that this proposed 3 amendment reinforces the goals of both the Master 4 Plan Reexam as well as the Land Use Element, in 5 that it addresses those two key components of 6 adequate housing and adequate parking. 7 And as members of the Planning Board, you 8 are entitled to provide comments to the City 9 Board of Commissioners regarding any changes 10 you’d like to see before adoption. 11 Our firm would like to point out there’s 12 two items that are not considered substantial 13 edits, but we would like to have two -- two items 14 edited for clarity. 15 On page eight, Paragraph I, we will update 16 the reference to Union City Redevelopment Agency. 17 And on page 13, Paragraph 12, we would like 18 to add a sentence stating that all sidewalks will 19 be subject to ADA and New Jersey Barrier Free 20 Standards. 21 And that is it. 22 Any questions? 23 MR. McNAMARA: Madam Chair, at this point I 24 make the witness available to the Board and any 25 members of the public present who wish to ask any  18 1 questions or express any opinions regarding the 2 proposed plan amendments now before you. 3 MAYOR STACK: Does anyone have any 4 questions at this time? 5 MR. McNAMARA: Mayor, if anyone -- if you 6 receive questions from anyone afterwards, please 7 let me know by email. I’ll relay it to Lauren. 8 MAYOR STACK: Sure. 9 MS. PURDOM: Um-hum. 10 MR. McNAMARA: We’ll make sure we respond 11 in due course. 12 MAYOR STACK: Sure. 13 Does any member of the public have any 14 questions at this time? 15 Please step forward. 16 State your name and address for the record. 17 Okay. 18 Seeing none. 19 Motion. 20 THE SECRETARY: Motion to approve by Mayor 21 Stack. 22 MS. MOREJON: Second. 23 MAYOR STACK: I think for the -- I think 24 for the -- 25 MS. MOREJON: Second.  19 1 THE SECRETARY: Seconded by Miss Morejon. 2 MAYOR STACK: -- property in question, this 3 is probably the best plan we could adopt at this 4 time, at least to see this property get some type 5 of beneficial use to the community. 6 CHAIRPERSON CAPIZZI: Um-hum. 7 MAYOR STACK: Actually not too far from 8 here; right around the block from here. 9 I think this would be the best use. We’ve 10 seen it empty and vacant for many -- 11 CHAIRPERSON CAPIZZI: Um-hum. 12 MAYOR STACK: -- many years, and I think 13 this is the best plan under the circumstances. 14 MR. McNAMARA: Thank you, Mayor. 15 THE SECRETARY: Motion on the table to 16 approve the Roosevelt Stadium Redevelopment Plan. 17 Seconded by Miss Morejon. 18 Roll call on the motion. 19 Mayor Stack? 20 MAYOR STACK: Yes. 21 THE SECRETARY: Miss Capizzi? 22 CHAIRPERSON CAPIZZI: Yes. 23 THE SECRETARY: Mr. Velazquez? 24 VICE CHAIRPERSON VELAZQUEZ: Yes. 25 THE SECRETARY: Miss Morejon?  20 1 MS. MOREJON: Yes. 2 THE SECRETARY: Mr. Medina? 3 MR. MEDINA: Yes. 4 THE SECRETARY: Mr. Guareno? 5 MR. GUARENO: Yes. 6 THE SECRETARY: Mr. Oseguera? 7 MR. OSEGUERA: Yes. 8 THE SECRETARY: Seven in favor. 9 Motion carries. 10 MR. McNAMARA: Thank you very much, 11 everyone for -- 12 MAYOR STACK: Thank you very much. 13 CHAIRPERSON CAPIZZI: Thank you. 14 MR. McNAMARA: -- giving us your time this 15 evening. 16 MAYOR STACK: Thank you for the 17 presentation. 18 THE SECRETARY: Thank you. 19 MS. PURDOM: Thank you. 20 21 * * * 22 23 24 25  21 1 ADJOURNMENT: 2 3 THE SECRETARY: There being no other 4 application on tonight’s agenda, can I have a 5 motion to close tonight’s meeting? 6 MAYOR STACK: Motion. 7 MS. MOREJON: Motion. 8 THE SECRETARY: Motion by Mayor Stack. 9 Seconded by Ms. Morejon. 10 THE SECRETARY: All in favor? 11 12 (Whereupon, there was a chorus of ayes.) 13 14 THE SECRETARY: The ayes have it. 15 MAYOR STACK: Thank you very much, Carlos. 16 THE SECRETARY: Thank you, and have a good 17 night, everyone. 18 CHAIRPERSON CAPIZZI: He does great. 19 MAYOR STACK: Thank you, Diane. 20 CHAIRPERSON CAPIZZI: You're welcome. 21 THE SECRETARY: Let the record show that -- 22 MAYOR STACK: Thank you -- 23 THE SECRETARY: -- the meeting has ended. 24 MAYOR STACK: -- thank you, everyone. 25 MR. McNAMARA: Thank you, everyone.  22 1 MAYOR STACK: I know it was a short 2 meeting. 3 MS. GENAO: Yeah, and have a good night. 4 CHAIRPERSON CAPIZZI: Have a nice night. 5 MAYOR STACK: Thank you very much, 6 everyone. 7 CHAIRPERSON CAPIZZI: Thank you. 8 9 (Whereupon, the proceedings were concluded 10 at 6:13 p.m.) 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25  23 1 STATE OF NEW JERSEY : 2 : 3 COUNTY OF ESSEX : 4 5 I, DOREEN A. BOLOGNINI, assigned 6 transcriber, do hereby affirm that the foregoing 7 is a true and accurate transcript in the matter 8 of the SPECIAL MEETING of the UNION CITY PLANNING 9 BOARD heard on Wednesday, August 25, 2021 and 10 digitally recorded. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Monitored by and proofread by: Deborah Dillon