Re-developers can choose one of them, but not both

The Bayonne Planning Committee has approved the redevelopment plan of the former Marist High School. The board of directors previously designated this former Catholic high school as a non-condemned area in need of reconstruction in April this year.

City planner Suzanne Mack presented the plan to the board of directors at a meeting in early December. The school’s reconstruction plan left the rebuilders with the choice of industrial or residential routes.

"For many years, this site has been an important place for many people in Bayonne," Mike said. "Unfortunately, due to the earth-shaking changes in the world, the Marist brothers decided to close the site and reuse it, so we are here tonight."

Although the city represented the Board of Education to construct the building as a school, the area abandoned the project due to the high cost of removing asbestos and other pollutants.

"Unfortunately, the cost of the site is too high and there are too many pollution problems," Mike said.

The school consists of four lands located in the northwest of the city, south of the toll road exit, and one tax plot. One plot is where the three-story school is located, the other two plots each have a small building in the northwest of the site, and the other plot contains a football field. The tax zone is the location of the billboard.

The north and west of the site are New Jersey Turnpike, the south is Rutkowski Park, and the east is Kennedy Avenue. Next to Kennedy's school building is a small residential area with about a dozen households. And beside the building on the other side, although further away, is Bayonne Tower. The redevelopment area is zoned for residential and industrial use.

"We basically have to write two plans," Mike said. "We have to write a residential standard plan and an industry standard plan and combine them. This is not difficult to some extent, but it becomes complicated with buffers and frustrations."

According to the reconstruction plan, permitted uses include: multi-family residences; assisted living; community centers; self-built warehouses; warehouses; office space; indoor and rooftop agricultural planting operations; retail uses not exceeding 20,000 square feet; hotel car rental facilities; independent Billboards; retail non-cargo fuel sales; equipment sales; art galleries; educational uses, including special needs; streets, sidewalks, and sidewalks; and any combination other than warehouses and residences.

Allowed accessory uses include: outdoor storage; business offices; pharmacy infirmary; wall-mounted electronic billboards; catering services for employees; fitness centers and gyms; residential facilities; street parking spaces; signs; rooftop solar panels; outdoor plazas ; Outdoor seating, fences, landscaping, lighting, utilities and garbage fences.

"The wall-mounted electronic message board will only be located on the north side of the New Jersey Turnpike, which is an opportunity for developers and the city," Mike said.

However, outdoor storage is strictly defined in the plan. It is forbidden to sublease outdoor storage to tenants unrelated to the tenant or purpose of the building. Stored materials must be shielded with walls, fences, and/or landscapes to prevent street visibility in the street or adjacent areas. The outdoor storage height shall not exceed 25 feet, the stacking of modular containers is prohibited, and vehicles and trailers shall not be stored outdoors for more than 60 consecutive days without leaving. On the whole, the total area dedicated to outdoor storage in the redevelopment area will not exceed 20%.

Prohibited uses include storage and processing of garbage and recyclables, commercial parking lots and toxic gas storage.

The maximum building height varies by use. For multi-family buildings, the maximum height is 180 feet or 14 stories. The maximum height of warehouses and other buildings (such as self-storage facilities) is limited to 75 feet, with a total of six floors. The retail height limit is 35 feet. The height of any retail fuel canopy must not exceed 20 feet.

The maximum batch coverage limit is 65%. The impervious coverage rate of residential buildings is limited to 70%, and that of industrial buildings is 80%. A qualified green roof can be used as a credit for infiltration coverage, which absorbs rainwater without deflecting it.

The redevelopment plan stipulates that all aspects of the property will be frustrated: 50 feet south, 50 feet west, and 10 feet north. Retreat 20 feet from Leo Slyvios Road (if retail), 200 feet (for all other uses except retail) and 50 feet north of the same road.

The plan also calls for buffer zones of 25 feet to the south and west boundaries, 5 feet to the north and east boundaries, 5 feet to Kennedy Avenue, and 0 feet to Leo Slyvios Road.

According to the plan, residential parking spaces will increase at a one-to-one ratio, as the unit area increases. The warehouse ratio is 0.04 per 1,000 square feet, self-storage warehouses are one per 1,000 square feet, senior living is 0.05 per residential unit, education is one per employee, retail is one per 300 square feet, and office is every 250 square feet. One. Electric points will be counted as two parking spaces.

At least 15% of the area should be provided as leisure and open space. If residential use is not recommended, this requirement will be reduced to a minimum of 10%. The sidewalk trees on Kennedy Avenue must be preserved as much as possible.

The redevelopment plan encourages developers to build a gateway sign called Bayonne, because the site is close to the city entrance, passing through Kennedy. The plan requires it to pay tribute to the former high school in some way.

"I suggest creating a monument, sign, or something in some way to reflect the importance of institutional assets that so many of our residents are happy to participate in," Mike said.

As part of the reconstruction activities, the existing NJ Transit bus stop on the sidewalk of Kennedy Avenue was maintained or improved. A public sidewalk will be installed at the southern property boundary between Kennedy Avenue and Sunset Boulevard to provide pedestrian connections between the two streets.

The board of directors voted unanimously to pass the reconstruction plan. The re-developer of the property, Peninsula Court Co., Ltd., is a subsidiary of the Alessi organization and has not yet submitted the final site plan to the board of directors. It is not clear whether they will take the residential or industrial route, but given the area, a residential project may be the more likely outcome.

For updates on this and other stories, please check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. You can contact Daniel Israel at disrael@hudsonreporter.com. 

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