Carlos Rodrigues, Urban Design Expert

PERTH AMBOY – Representatives from Rutgers Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy were present at the 12/9/13 Caucus Meeting. They were there to present a story on the findings on possible solutions for the betterment of Perth Amboy.

During the last couple of months, students were here, studying the demographics of Perth Amboy. These students and representatives gave the presentation about the findings. This was after studying Perth Amboy for several months.

During the months that they were here, they came to the conclusion that the City is 6.9 percent more crowded than most Middlesex County municipalities.

“Between 1980 thru 2010 the population doubled in the City. The Vocational School Curriculum needs to be updated to include more technology and advanced courses. Millions of dollars are spent out of town because of lack of needed stores. The UEZ does take advantage of programs offered to them. The City needs to attract more businesses and update fees for services. You are dumping toxins into Raritan Bay. There is a need for Green Infrastructure to capture Water Runoff. This Runoff can be purifiedatacheapercostthan using a treatment plant. This can be done through public land owned, redevelopment areas and flat roofs. There is a potential of millions of gallons of storm water a year that the City can capture. The City has a layout conducive to bike paths, pedestrian walkways and transit riders. Neighborhoods need to be connected. There is a deficit of recreational facilities. 23 percent of City residents don’t own a vehicle.”

During the presentation the representatives from the Bloustein School also talked about possibly closing off a portion of New Brunswick Avenue from Fayette Street to the 5 Corners. This will make the area into a pedestrian walkway with seating. “The City needs to apply for more grants and make it more interesting to attract more industries.”

Carlos Rodrigues was one of the last representatives to speak at the Council Meeting in regards to the study. Rodrigues, PP, AICP of the Urban Design Committee. An expert on urban studies, Rodrigues received a Masters of City and Regional Planning from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.

He drew applause from former Council President Ken Balut when Rodrigues made the following statement, “Some neighborhoods are too overcrowded, and these particular areas are not suitable for this kind of density. There are a lot of illegal housing conversions. Maybe Code Enforcement should be involved.”

When he was on the Council, Balut made his feelings known about the overcrowded conditions in Perth Amboy, especially in the downtown area. One of the areas that Balut was most vocal about included a building on Hobart Street that is planned for redevelopment which includes commercial and residential units.

After Rodrigues made his statements, Balut went up to him to let him know that he agreed with him about the illegal housing problems in the City.

Former Council President Ken Balut

The next presentation was given by Former Mayor of Montclair, and NJDOT Representative Jerry Fried. He made a presentation on the “Complete Streets Policy.”

The basic objectives of Complete Streets can be found on the Department of Transportation Policy’s website found under Complete Streets Policy of New Jersey:

The benefits of Complete Streets are many and varied:

• Complete Streets improve safety for pedestrians, bicyclists, children, older citizens, non-drivers and the mobility challenged as well as those that cannot afford a car or choose to live car free.

• Provide connections to bicycling and walking trip generators such as employment, education, residential, recreation, retail centers and public facilities.

• Promote healthy lifestyles.

• Create more livable communities.

• Reduce traffic congestion and reliance on carbon fuels thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

• Complete Streets make fiscal sense by incorporating sidewalks, bike lanes, safe crossings and transit amenities into the initial design of a project, thus sparing the expense of retrofits later.

Photo from the 7/17/13 Amboy Guardian. Councilman Kenneth Gonzalez said, “There may be a legal dispute to address the vinyl siding melting. A release may have to be signed.”

Fried said, “The cost to implement a plan depends on a City’s infrastructure to support the plan.”

When Fried was Mayor of Montclair, the cost to Montclair to implement the policy was $1.1 million which paid off very well economically. (For more info go to the City of Montclair’s website – search for Complete Streets)

“Some of the items needed will be of no cost to the City. There is a policy of guidelines for administrators to follow which includes future amendments for road improvements, etc. Developers are way ahead of the curb on this.”

He said, “24 percent of pedestrians not having a vehicle is a very high percentage. Perth Amboy has the advantage of being a very walkable town. The young people are more focused on walkable cities and are more focused on biking than older generations. You need to make the City more attractive to the young to keep money in the City instead of having it spent elsewhere. New Jersey has the most policy adoptions.”

The statement by Rodrigues in reference to the overcrowding and illegal housing conversions opened up a can of worms in

the Council Chambers.

At past City Council Meetings, Councilwoman Lisa Nanton had requested evaluations of City Employees, specifically in the Code Enforcement Department.

Photo from the 7/17/13 Amboy Guardian

This request came up again at the Meeting when Councilman Kenneth Gonzalez put Code Enforcement Director Ed Scala on the Hot Seat. Councilman Gonzalez made reference to a Harbortown Resident who has come before the Council several times to complain about conditions in the complex that he thought were violations. Some of these violations included: buildings where the vinyl siding that looked as if they melted; balconies being supported by 2 x 4’s; partial removal of drain pipes; and cracked foundations to some of the buildings. To name a few.

Council President Joel Pabon and Councilwoman Lisa Nanton had taken a tour of Harbortown in the summer of 2013. This was in response to these residents’ concerns and complaints.

At the Meeting, Council President Joel Pabon said, “We need to see Code Enforcement Employee evaluations. We need to get our Code People out there (like Mr. Rodrigues said from Rutgers) to address Code Enforcement problems.”

Harbortown photo in the 7/17/13 Amboy Guardian.
At the 12/11/13 Council Meeting, Councilman Bill Petrick was concerned about the temperature that caused the vinyl to melt. “This could be a safety hazard and the windows were not supported with adequate materials.”

Councilman Kenneth Gonzalez said, “The developers need to address these violations.”

Code Enforcement Director Ed Scala said, “Harbortown was built to the State Code Standards that were in place at the time.”

Councilman Kenneth Gonzalez shot back, “Mr. Scala – You are the Department Head and everything has to fall on you!”

B.A. Greg Fehrenbach told the Council that they cannot get involved in personnel problems. The Department Heads report to the Mayor and the B.A. “You (the Council) don’t’ have legal authority to evaluate the employees because they are Civil Service.”

Gonzalez asked, “If the Council needs an evaluation process of employees, would they need an ordinance or resolution to do so?”

There was no response.