Just drafted and sent my letter. Working in urban planning, I focused on the application's relation to the City's new master plan and satisfaction of the legal proofs for its few and minor variances.

Also hello upstairs neighbor 😊

What Hochul is doing, requiring all NY municipalities to provide for affordable housing, is something that has been in the NJ State constitution for decades (See Mt. Laurel case from ~1973). The only part of the policy that goes further in NY is a proposal to supersede local zoning and permit accessory dwelling units in all single-family zoning districts.

Of course, NJ's process is highly convoluted and messy, as the courts took over enforcement jurisdiction in 2015 from the Council on Affordable Housing, deciding that COAH and its methodology was defunct. Now affordable housing obligations are mostly enforced through litigation.

Jersey City was actually late to adopting this "round" (i.e. 2015-2025) of affordable housing mechanisms, only adopting its ordinances last summer. Given that it is by some metrics the most expensive city to rent in in the country, I wouldn't cite them as an exemplar.

Occasionally I walk by it on my way to NYPenn and think of going in just to see the horror. Not yet though.

I was in Bello's 2 weeks ago on a sunday and they sent us out promptly at midnight (even as we were getting chummy with the bartender). Given it was a sunday, it was dead except for my group.

And McGovern's will stay open to 3am normally.

If you can get them to pivot that way it would be wondrous. Then they can go back to the HPC and point to the Walker House, RBG Hall, and Eleven80 as complementary. The two tower examples in this article may be helpful: https://www.dezeen.com/2019/06/07/art-deco-architecture-design-projects/

If my calendar doesn't fill up I'll join y'all. Just publicize the time here.

Damn is this an open invitation to the subreddit to collab with the Arc developers? What clout we have.

I'm just imagining them citing this outreach to the HPC: "Meeting with X number of members of r/Newark."

Lol sounds like a grad student thesis in the making.

I've managed to never step foot inside the PABT. Wherever I've lived in NJ is either more convenient by train and/or doesn't have PABT bus service given the train service.

Love me some old-fashioned anti-bus classism /s.

As a white Newarker, I take the bus frequently, given its convenience and network density in Newark. It's also so much better to get up to Bloomfield and Montclair than the Montclair Boonton Line. The 62 bus to the airport is also cheaper and more convenient than the AirTrain.

Of course I'm aware of the demographic anomaly that I am on a bus. Sometimes it feels like my confident bus riding indicates that I'm not an outsider to those around me.

You're already seeing massive projects grow in East Orange, Orange, Bloomfield, Union, Westfield, Montclair, etc. It feels like once Jersey City prices skyrocketed (by some metrics it's the most expensive city in the country ahead of NYC), the market's eyes swiftly shifted to Newark and its environs.

Remember there are many approvals still active that have been active, even if not on ground-breaking. Even in a mild winter, they likely won't break ground in winter. Then you add in construction phasing, timing of grants and financing approvals, etc.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.silive.com/news/2022/04/with-tree-costs-rising-are-pushes-for-another-million-tree-program-in-nyc-in-jeopardy-experts-explain.html%3foutputType=amp

No, it's just that there is a lot more time and labor involved than getting a tree and digging a hole.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.silive.com/news/2022/04/with-tree-costs-rising-are-pushes-for-another-million-tree-program-in-nyc-in-jeopardy-experts-explain.html%3foutputType=amp

That's not insignificant as far as trees go...but also planting street trees is surprisingly expensive.

In addition to all of the above, there is Burke's Tavern about 4 blocks south of Penn in the Ironbound, and many restaurants along Ferry Street have bars (Forno's, Delicias de la Minas, Mompou, Adega Grill, Iberia, etc.)

https://www.gofundme.com/f/pn7yx-help-keep-the-doors-open?qid=4c018b251c5bf41011c0cd750115acb9

I haven't looked at the halo floor plans, but any height comparison would be based on building height, not stories. There can be a small margin of error for proposed and as built height, so unless Halo is barely surpassing Newark National (which is the tallest building), it isn't complicated.

Broad Street absolutely needs a road diet. Tomorrow they could get paint out and make it a 4 lane road with bus lanes and a bikeway.

Better yet, extend the light rail down to Lincoln Park.

Would be a great solution for Ferry Street. Would also allow for bike lanes in the parking aisle, maybe even a protected bikeway.

But I can't imagine it ever happening with the chronic lack / perceived lack of parking along that corridor.

Looks procedural: "Under the consent decree, which followed an agreement by the companies and federal agencies, public comment on the settlement will be open for 45 days. At that point, the DOJ and EPA will review comments, prepare a response and — if the resolution is still determined to be appropriate — seek approval of the consent decree from the federal court, said Stephen McBay, an EPA spokesman."

I second taking the 62 or Go28 bus if feasible. Much cheaper than the AirTrain, and they're frequent (every 15 minutes weekday for 62 line, 20 minute trip from Newark Penn to terminal, which is likely faster than NJT train to AirTrain).

I work there ❤

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Permeability_(spatial_and_transport_planning)

^That's why.

A few disconnected, 5 block bike lanes with no physical protection do not promote cycling. Then people park in the unused lanes, essentially rendering what little bike lane there is moot...and people use your argument.

That was last night (11/14). This was this morning at 10:15 AM. Or is there another show tonight?