Jersey City Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting - May 8, 2026

The Jersey City Zoning Board of Adjustment met on May 8, 2026, with eight commissioners present (seven voting). The meeting included three main cases: a one-year extension for a Kennedy Boulevard project, an administrative amendment for a plaza redesign at West Side Avenue, and an appeal contesting the zoning classification of a local coffee shop. Public comments were heard on the latter two cases. The board also approved resolutions memorializing prior decisions and announced that future meetings will be held virtually for three months.

Consent Calendar

• No consent calendar was presented. The meeting began with correspondence requesting carries for cases Z2025-0094 and Z2025-0023 to future dates, which were noted.

Case Z2026-0029: 1768 and 1768.5 Kennedy Boulevard – Extension Request

• Applicant: Man Property Group, represented by attorney Rosemary Stone Dowerty.
• Request: Three one-year extensions (two retroactive) for a preliminary and final major site plan with use, height, and bulk variances approved on February 24, 2022. Delays were due to financing and obtaining required approvals (Hudson County Soil Conservation, NJDOT). The developer now has a mortgage commitment and seeks extensions to close and construct.
• Public Comments: None.
• Staff Recommendation: Approval, as the applicant agreed to all original conditions.
• Vote: 7-0 in favor (Chair Coyle, Vice Chair Arujo, Commissioners Chaplicki, Shadid, D'Angelo, Patel, Burns, Coviello).

Case Z2025-0074: 1072-1075 West Side Avenue – Administrative Amendment for Piazza Redesign

• Applicant: Avenir West Side Square, LLC, represented by attorney Gerard Pazillo.
• Request: Amend prior approval (Z19-008) to refine a pedestrian plaza (piazza) area. Changes include upgraded pavement, enhanced landscaping, decorative lighting, a shade structure, and a speed table. An interim condition will allow partial construction of the piazza until a second building phase is completed across the street.
• Testimony: Engineer Douglas McClellan and landscape architect Christina Musto described the design, emphasizing improved pedestrian circulation, drainage, and emergency access. The number of street trees increased by two; no street parking was lost.
• Public Comments: Michael Manzo (82 Wright Avenue) expressed concerns that the community made concessions for a pedestrian plaza in exchange for taller buildings. He argued that opening the plaza to vehicular access (even limited) undermines the original agreement and that the redesigned planter encroaches on the sidewalk space.
• Commissioner Questions: Clarified that vehicles only enter/exit the garage, which was part of the original approval. The planter does not reduce street parking.
• Staff Recommendation: Approval, as changes comply with the Fayette and Broadway redevelopment plan and zoning ordinance. The applicant agreed to all original conditions.
• Vote: 7-0 in favor.

Case Z2026-0015: 615 Jersey Avenue – Appeal of Zoning Determination (The Hive Coffee Shop)

• Appellant: David Zihad (617 Jersey Avenue), represented by attorney Timothy Little.
• Issue: Whether the current operation of The Hive (a coffee shop) exceeds its approved retail use and requires conditional use approval as a cafe category two restaurant. The business received a CO in 2024 based on historic preservation and zoning board approvals as a retail use with no on-site food preparation. Appellant argues that The Hive now prepares food on-site (e.g., baking cinnamon rolls), triggering the cafe definition.
• Testimony: Planner Samuel Bellamy reviewed the zoning definitions and concluded that The Hive’s use—based on its website, plumbing permits (including a grease trap), and a health department violation—constitutes a cafe category two use, which is a conditional use in the district. He emphasized that the intensity changed from a private office to a public-facing cafe with food preparation.
• Appellant’s Position: The board should direct the zoning officer to require a conditional use application; they seek enforcement of the ordinance, not closure.
• Public Comments:
  • Noah Navarro, Chief of Staff for Councilwoman Mamta Singh, registered support for the business and Director Marion’s original determination.
  • Rebecca Rosakis (339A 8th Street) spoke as a customer, citing the shop’s community value and importance of mixed-use neighborhoods.
  • Mufti Ahmed (208 6th Street), a local property owner and beekeeper, supported the business as a beloved mom-and-pop establishment.
• Commissioner Questions: The board questioned the timeliness of the appeal, as the business has operated for two years. The zoning officer, Tanya Marion, had issued a determination letter affirming the retail use. Staff raised procedural concerns that appealing a zoning determination could effectively extend the 20-day appeal period indefinitely.
• Vote on Appeal Viability: The board voted on whether to sustain the appeal. Result: 6-0-1 (Commissioner Chaplicki abstained). The appeal was denied, upholding the zoning officer’s decision that The Hive remains a conforming retail use.

Board Business and Resolutions

• Announcement: Zoning board meetings will be held virtually for the next three months starting in June 2026.
• Resolutions Memorialized (all passed unanimously 6-0):
  • Z2025-008: Appeal of administrative officer’s determination (appellants Joel Arceo, Gabriel Laura, Crystal Agropolis) – denied, affirming zoning officer’s decision.
  • Z2026-0021: Applicant BEHI, address 297 – approved.
  • Z2025-0055: Applicant Ben Schmortzbach and Mega Patel, address 366 5th Street – C variance approved.

Key Outcomes

• Case Z2026-0029: Approved 7-0, granting three one-year extensions.
• Case Z2025-0074: Approved 7-0, allowing the amended piazza design and interim construction plan.
• Case Z2026-0015: Appeal denied 6-0-1, affirming The Hive’s retail classification.
• Future Meetings: Virtual format for three months starting June 2026.
• Resolutions: All three resolutions were memorialized without opposition.