Powerhouse Arts District Neighborhood Association Responses from At-Large Candidate Ronnie Greco GENERAL How do you see the PAD best contributing to Jersey City? I see the Powerhouse Arts District as a cultural center within Jersey City, providing various venues of art, entertainment, possibly café dining, and a community which will enable artists to flourish and live. DEVELOPMENT Were you aware that Mayor Healy's administration radically amended the PAD redevelopment plan April, 2008 to accommodate the development goals of national homebuilder Toll Brothers despite overwhelming citizen outcry? Yes, I was aware of this action, on the part of the city council. The council continues to exercise complete disregard for any wishes of the public. Are you aware the extent of these amendments as listed below? (see original questionnaire for list) No, I was now aware of the specifics of the amended plan. However, they do not surprise me. If you were elected to office what would you do about these amendments? In all honesty, and I would be expected to be held to my answer, these amendments must, through legal means, be repealed and I truly believe that the PAD should sit down with council, planning and zoning and be the driving force behind the redevelopment of the area. Currently there are four developments that have had final site plan approval since 2005. They have not broken ground despite there's being a major building boom at that time. It is widely supposed that the developers of these sites were waiting to see what Toll brothers" got" in order to then demand the same for themselves (elimination of affordable housing, greater density and height, demolition of warehouses). How will you address these developers? These developers must be held accountable to all of the original stipulations as set forth in their agreements. No breaks should be given to any developer, whatsoever. We need pay to play legislation in Jersey City. What steps will you take to ensure the Powerhouse is maintained and does not sink into further disrepair than it already has? Will you actively lobby for its development during your administration? If so, what steps will you take to secure the funding and consensus so that it is developed? Immediately, a committee must be set up with the ward councilperson, an at large councilperson, a rep from planning, zoning and representatives from the PAD community. Yes, I will lobby for its development and I have stated, the PAD must be stakeholders in the process, and guide the direction of the redevelopment. I will work in conjunction with the artists, the overall community, and we would all collectively speak to developers and various grant writers to see what funding would be available to help offset the cost of development. Many grants and sources of funds exist for art districts, etc ... All that is needed is some investigative work to find out where the money is. QUALITY OF LIFE The Powerhouse Arts District currently has no street cleaning services from the city. In addition, there are many unoccupied warehouses and lots with private owners that are currently covered with trash (around the Butler Brothers Building, Manischewitz and Caputo Lots, lots on First Street) and graffiti. Currently we have individual members of our neighborhood organization calling owners to request they clean up; as a group, we organize neighborhood cleanups at least twice a year. Neither of these methods has proved satisfactory in keeping our neighborhood clean. What will you do to rectify these issues? The Jersey City Incinerator Authority would be mobilized immediately to the area to clean it up. Street sweeping schedules would be implemented, just as they are in other areas of the city. It is unacceptable that the city would overlook this issue and allow the streets to deteriorate to the point that residents would have to take matters into their own hands. We pay significant taxes; this is a service that should be provided After any heavy rain, the neighborhood is filled with the odors that emanate from the combined storm/sanitary sewer. Although the city constantly claims that there is adequate capacity in the system, it is not clear that this so. An additional problem with the sewers is the existence of hexavalent chromium which was used as fill under the sewer lines along Warren and Bay Streets. What would you do as mayor to address the concerns that the sewer system might not be adequate to support all of the new development, and the further concern that new development in the area will potentially expose, disturb, and spread a dangerous contaminant? Obviously, the current underground structure is not sufficient to support the water flowing underground after a rain/snow storm. The 100 plus year old sewer system needs upgrading and replacement, bottom line! We have similar issues in my neighborhood, and the city appeases the residents with their line of bologna! OPEN SPACE The Powerhouse Arts District has virtually no public parkland/open space. Do you support open space initiatives? How would you propose to bring more open space in to this district? I absolutely support open space initiatives, without reservation. I propose sitting down with the community at town hall meetings, and from there assist a committee of residents to obtain the land through legal means. It may come from purchasing existing property, demolition, or a novel idea, such as seeking land donations from developers! Do you support the use of the triangle adjacent to the Powerhouse as a public park? Yes, I would support this initiative, only if the community overwhelmingly wanted this. I would not put my opinions or those wants of a developer before the wants and needs of the community. The 6th Street Embankment provides an opportunity to retain elements of Jersey City's industrial past, protect existing historic structures, as well as provide much needed green space and additional transportation alternatives in downtown Jersey City. Do you support the retention of the 6th Street Embankment from demolition? Do you support the Embankment's use as a public park? I support, fully, the retention of the Embankment, and do not wish to see any of it developed for residential or commercial use. I believe the embankment should be developed into a park and nature area. It should not be exploited for the enrichment of developers and politicians. TRAFFIC AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION The traffic problem on Marin Boulevard is getting worse and worse. It is very difficult to make a turn onto Marin from the PAD, and crossing the street on foot is almost impossible. New construction slated in our neighborhood will add hundreds if not thousands of new residents with cars, yet the city is saying the traffic level on these streets is not even close to capacity. What will you do to make these streets less crowded and safer? Engineering and traffic studies must be conducted. Findings must be presented to the public, and the public must give the engineering dept suggestions as to what they would like to see. Also, engineering should be providing the public with several options as to what may be legally done in terms of street redesign, traffic flow redirection, closing streets to vehicular traffic during certain hours, etc ... Various plans have been proposed to better link downtown to Liberty State Park. Many residents have grave concerns about additional vehicular traffic attempting to bypass the Turnpike by using our residential streets as through streets to the Holland Tunnel. Do you support a pedestrian bridge between downtown to Liberty State Park? Do you support a vehicular bridge between downtown and Liberty State Park? I do support a pedestrian bridge between downtown and Liberty State Park. I would also like to explore the possibility of a dedicated walkway/bike path/route. I am not sure how feasible that would be, but I believe it is worth looking into. As far as a vehicular bridge between downtown and Liberty State Park, I cannot give a definitive answer. I would like the opportunity to discuss this in more depth, to understand exactly what it is that the public would like. What impact would this have on Liberty State Park and its ecosystem? Where exactly would the bridge be located? The commute via Path train has reached an alarming capacity. During business hour commuting, it is routine to wait while train after train passes, unable to absorb even one more body. Various stations are in need of upgrades. Do you agree that the PATH will be unable to support the additional proposed high rise building that will be added downtown? How do you propose to absorb the additional residents that will be moving in to downtown and commuting via PATH train? I do agree that the PATH train system will be unable to accommodate the additional residents that will reside in the proposed buildings. Presently, my answer would be to enter talks with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey to discuss the need for additional train service. We need to look at how the state and federal government is proposing to utilize stimulus money from Washington. What happened to the proposed new tunnel between NJ and NY? I have not heard any talk of that recently. We need to look at our current ferry service. Is it sufficient? Do we need expanded service, larger boats, etc... I would also engage community input to see what they would feel would best benefit their community. What is your position on the JERSEY CITY MOBILITY 2050 project? Do you think it will address its stated goal: "to create an action-oriented plan for a citywide transportation network that will be pedestrian friendly and reduce future traffic congestion?" My position, initially, was one of excitement, and I attended several meetings. As the meetings came and went, I began to feel that this may be, yet, just another side show to the circus that inhabits 280 Grove Street. I feel that so many members of the public have invested so much time in this project, answering surveys and attending meetings. I sincerely hope that some of the dialogue that has taken place and information gathered from surveys done will be utilized for the public good, and the good of the environment. I will close by stating that I am a public school teacher in Jersey City. I am proud to have been born here, in the Margaret Hague Maternity Hospital. My ancestry in this city dates to 1845. I am a citizen with a passion for improving the quality of life for the people who elect their public servants, to city hall. I have no ties to businessmen or developers. For too long, Jersey City has been used to enrich the select few. We do not deserve to be the laughing stock of the media, due to the illicit behavior and arrogance of our elected officials. Elected officials are supposed to serve the public, not their own personal interests. I am honest, sincere, and look forward to working with all citizens in our quest to return Jersey City to a place of prominence, in the 21st century.