3/9/18 Caucus & 3/11/18 Council Meeting

PERTH AMBOY – City Engineer Ernest Feist came forward to answer questions about the proposed plans for St. Demetrios property on Wisteria Avenue. “The Council adopted the redevelopment plan for first reading in March of this year. The Planning Board sent suggestions to the Council. The Planning Board and the Redevelopment Agency plans don’t have to match. This area is currently under R-60 Zone which is a Residential Single-Family Houses.”

Councilman Fernando Irizarry wanted to know, “Is this area redevelopment or subject to redevelopment?”

Feist explained that the State Stature (for this property to be subject to redevelopment) was satisfied.

Councilman Fernando Gonzalez said, “In the Master Plan, there is no major violation regarding this project.”

Feist reminded the Council that the Master Plan has not been updated since 2003. “It did not consider this area for redevelopment. It is inconsistent with the surrounding area.”

Gonzalez then talked about the changes in the Focus 2020. “I don’t know if Wisteria Avenue was considered. We are now considering the budget for this year. We are doing things piecemeal. The Redevelopment Agency is acting on their own vision. At the time Fehrenbach was here, he rejected the money we needed for the Master Plan.”

During the Public Portion, Resident Stanley Sierakowski came up to challenge the report on the St. Demetrios Property given by City Engineer Feist. Sierakowski stated, “Feist did not mention certain criteria for redevelopment.” Sierakowski then read a part of an ordinance pertaining to criteria to redevelop land. “None of what I’m reading applies to the St. Demetrios Property. His report (City Engineer Feist) is inconsistent with redevelopment requirements. This is spot-rezoning. 12 houses can be built worth $400,000 each. This information was omitted to deceive you. This should be tabled. Go to the consumer affairs and the Attorney General’s Office.”

Feist then came up at request to the Council to address Sierakowski’s comments, “Only one criteria has to be met for redevelopment. The Planning Board and the Council agreed that the property met the criteria for redevelopment. It was proper utilization of the area and it was building of overcrowding or obsolete layout. The Master Plan is an outdated document.”

Councilman Fernando Gonzalez questioned, “Was that property ever taxed?”

Feist responded, “That area did not pay Municipal Property Tax. If St. Demetrios’s plans are implemented, then the property will become taxable.”

Resident Stanely Sierakowski continued his remarks about St. Demetrios at the 4/11/18 Council Meeting. He stated that St. Demetrios property has enough land to build 12 to 14 units. He then read excerpts from the Fair Housing Federal Government Rulings. He said that a spokesperson from the Greek Church at a previous Meeting said they wanted to bring Greeks back to the City. “It’s illegal to do this – to benefit one group. There are 30 blocks surrounding this property and the City Engineer deliberately omitted some facts. The 1993 Master Plan said that this historic area should not be touched. There’s only one church there. They bypassed PARA and said that they aren’t going to go through the Zoning Board. Let’s just go to the Planning Board, then the Council.”