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Record of Proceedings

Jersey City Planning Board: Black Heritage Inventory, Mixed-Use Projects, and Subdivision (October 14, 2026)

Planning Board — Wednesday, October 14, 2026
BodyJersey City, New Jersey
SessionPlanning Board
DateWednesday, October 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:44:07

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

0:00

Um schedule meeting today's Tuesday, October 13th.

0:07

Can we all stand for the Pledge of the Allegiance?

Speaker 2

0:11

Aye.

0:14

United States

Speaker 1

0:15

of America and the Republic for which we stand.

0:18

One nation under the individual

Speaker 2

0:21

delivery.

Unassigned speaker

0:28

Can

Speaker 1

0:28

we have the sunshine announcement?

0:32

Ben.

Speaker 3

0:33

Yeah, me again.

0:35

Good evening, everyone.

0:36

Today is Tuesday, October 13th, 2026.

0:40

This is a Jersey City Planning Board meeting with a scheduled 5 30 p.m.

0:44

start time in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act.

0:48

Notice of this meeting has been posted with the city clerk on the city bulletin and on the city website on October 9th, 2026.

0:57

This meeting was also posted on the Jersey City Division of City Planning webpage, and all distribution materials made available to the board were published and made available to the public.

Speaker 1

1:08

Thank you.

1:08

Can we have the roll call, please?

Speaker 3

1:11

Vice Chair Wick.

1:12

Here.

1:13

Commissioner Kaplan.

Speaker 4

1:14

Here.

Speaker 3

1:15

Commissioner Stamato.

Speaker 5

1:16

Here.

Speaker 3

1:17

Commissioner Conway.

1:18

Yeah.

1:18

Commissioner Patel.

1:20

And Madam Chair Gongadon.

1:21

Here.

1:22

We have six commissioners.

1:23

We have a quorum.

Speaker 6

1:24

Thank you.

1:24

Very much just mark this on trying to help B1.

Speaker 3

1:27

B1.

1:27

Okay.

Speaker 1

1:28

Thanks.

1:29

Can we swear into staff, please?

Unassigned speaker

1:33

I

Speaker 7

1:33

see Matt.

1:34

Maggie, Ben, do you guys want any testimony to get tonight's gonna be the truth, the whole truth, and the truth?

1:38

Yes.

1:38

Thank

Unassigned speaker

1:38

you.

Speaker 1

1:40

Ben any correspondence?

Speaker 3

1:42

Yes, we have one adjournment.

1:44

Uh case P 2024-0106, item 10 on the agenda at uh 120, Theodore Conrad Drive has requested to adjourn to a date uncertain and they will re-notice.

Speaker 1

2:00

Thank you.

2:07

Okay.

2:08

At this time I would like to call K Speed 2026-0147 review and discussion of the master plan or re-examination of the historic preservation.

2:17

Only meant to revise and add properties identified in the historic inventory inventory of Black Heritage Building and sites to the historic resource inventory.

2:28

Formal action may be taken.

2:31

Good evening, Commissioners.

Speaker 8

2:32

For those of you who I have not met, my name is Maggie O'Neill.

2:35

I am the principal historic preservation specialist for the city.

2:45

The purpose of this re-exam report is to adopt the historic resource inventory.

2:50

I'm sorry, the historic inventory of black heritage buildings and sites into the historic preservation element of the master

Unassigned speaker

2:56

plan.

Speaker 8

2:57

The city adopted a new historic preservation element in 2023.

3:01

One of the recommendations in that master plan report was to conduct a survey of African American history within Jersey City and then to identify sites related to African American history and adopt them into the master plan.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Zoning██████████████████████████26%
Procedural████████████12%
Miscellaneous███████7%
Real Estate Management██████6%
Affordable Housing█████5%
Transportation Planning█████5%
Public Works█████5%
Historic Preservation████4%
Water And Wastewater Management███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Jersey City Planning Board: Black Heritage Inventory, Mixed-Use Projects, and Subdivision (October 14, 2026)

The Jersey City Planning Board met on October 14, 2026, to consider a range of development applications, a master plan re-examination for Black heritage sites, and several subdivisions. The board took public testimony and voted on several major site plans, variances, and subdivision plats.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Amy Vickers (361 Fifth Street): Voiced concerns about stormwater drainage and flooding related to the subdivision at 364 Fifth Street, noting the neighborhood is in a flood zone (AE) and requesting adequate provisions for drainage.
  • Mary Webb Miller (177 Halliday St / 255 Pacific Ave): Strongly opposed the 96-unit development at 176 Halliday Street, arguing it would overshadow the historic residential neighborhood, exacerbate parking shortages, and diminish the quality of life. She criticized the volume of development in the city.

Discussion Items

  • K SP2026-0147: Historic Preservation Re-examination (Black Heritage Sites): Maggie O'Neill (Principal Historic Preservation Specialist) presented the adoption of the Historic Inventory of Black Heritage Buildings and Sites into the Master Plan's Historic Preservation Element. The report, prepared by Hunter Research, identified 43 sites (extant and demolished). The report is intended as a starting point. The Historic Preservation Commission recommended it for adoption.
  • P2025-0270: 35 Wegman Parkway (Carried): The application to expand a two-family home into four units was carried to a date uncertain after staff identified an un-noticed parking variance requirement (4.8 spaces) for the four-bedroom units.
  • K SP2025-0169: 500 Summit Avenue (Carried): This preliminary major site plan was continued to a date certain of October 27, 2026, after the applicant waived the board's time to act.

Key Outcomes

  • Historic Preservation Element (Black Heritage Sites): The board unanimously voted (6-0) to recommend City Council adoption of the revision to the Historic Preservation Element.
  • 34 Laidlaw Avenue (Minor Site Plan): Approved unanimously (6-0) for a 4-story, 4-unit building. The board required replacing vinyl siding with fiber cement.
  • 89 Ocean Avenue (Preliminary & Final Major Site Plan with Variances): Approved unanimously (6-0) for a 5-story, 40-unit mixed-use building with 1 affordable unit and 8 parking spaces. The board required a trash chute, fiber cement siding, fencing along the side path, and compliance with transportation conditions.
  • 107 Morgan Street (Site Plan Amendment): Approved unanimously (6-0) for a 35-story tower, reducing units from 633 to 613 and increasing height from 340 to 342 feet (still under the 350 ft limit).
  • 364 Fifth Street (Minor Subdivision): Approved unanimously (6-0) to subdivide a 25x50 ft lot into two 12.5x50 ft lots to facilitate previously approved single-family homes. The board attorney recused due to a conflict of interest, and the board proceeded with the applicant's consent.
  • 176 Halliday Street / 213 Pacific Avenue (Preliminary & Final Major Site Plan with Variance): Approved unanimously (6-0) for a 5-story, 96-unit mixed-use building (10 affordable units, 25 parking spaces) in the Morris Canal Redevelopment Plan. The board required the applicant to explore fencing along the light rail, a loading zone, and crosswalks.

Meeting Transcript

Um schedule meeting today's Tuesday, October 13th. Can we all stand for the Pledge of the Allegiance? Aye. United States of America and the Republic for which we stand. One nation under the individual delivery. Can we have the sunshine announcement? Ben. Yeah, me again. Good evening, everyone. Today is Tuesday, October 13th, 2026. This is a Jersey City Planning Board meeting with a scheduled 5 30 p.m. start time in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act. Notice of this meeting has been posted with the city clerk on the city bulletin and on the city website on October 9th, 2026. This meeting was also posted on the Jersey City Division of City Planning webpage, and all distribution materials made available to the board were published and made available to the public. Thank you. Can we have the roll call, please? Vice Chair Wick. Here. Commissioner Kaplan. Here. Commissioner Stamato. Here. Commissioner Conway. Yeah. Commissioner Patel. And Madam Chair Gongadon. Here. We have six commissioners. We have a quorum. Thank you. Very much just mark this on trying to help B1. B1. Okay. Thanks. Can we swear into staff, please? I see Matt. Maggie, Ben, do you guys want any testimony to get tonight's gonna be the truth, the whole truth, and the truth? Yes. Thank you. Ben any correspondence? Yes, we have one adjournment. Uh case P 2024-0106, item 10 on the agenda at uh 120, Theodore Conrad Drive has requested to adjourn to a date uncertain and they will re-notice. Thank you. Okay. At this time I would like to call K Speed 2026-0147 review and discussion of the master plan or re-examination of the historic preservation.

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