only HCV reported<\/a>.<\/p>\nMichelle Byrd said that significant storms are more common now and make the area more dangerous, with several Port Liberte residents coming out against the application.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe traffic experts said there would be no impact \u2026 If there is one single road in and out \u2026 how is the addition of 416 cars not going to cause a problem?!?\u201d Diana Singer exclaimed.<\/p>\n
Singer said Pulte Homes is one of the largest developers in the United States and also pointed out that founder Bill Pulte is now the director of U.S. Federal Housing for the President Donald Trump (R) administration.<\/p>\n
\u201c30 percent of the time someone is double-parked: You either have to wait \u2026 or go out into the other lane into oncoming traffic and go around,\u201d expressed David Rosenberg.<\/p>\n
Ed Wiegner, also of Port Liberte, explained that his neighborhood is already a busy area with a banquet hall, a sports complex, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on their Peninsula.<\/p>\n
Further, Bess Morrison noted that Hurricane Irene forced her to get all new floors, with Barbara Glassman declaring that raw sewage has come into her garage seven times, which she blamed on the overburdened infrastructure in the area.<\/p>\n
Around that time, Board Chair Vidya Gangadin had Pulte project attorney James McCann make a closing statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Pulte project will not aggravate any of the issues \u2026 There is nothing we can do about emergency access except to say this was how this community was originally designed. There will be no blockage of the public right of way,\u201d McCann asserted.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs far as the waterfront walkway goes,\u00a0 the developer\u2026 is not required to contribute to the maintenance of the waterfront walkway. There\u2019s no document anywhere in existence\u2026 that requires this developer to contribute to the waterfront walkway! There\u2019s less units than could be on this site than what could be approved.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that he understood many residents in the area are opposed the project, but said Pulte has considered all of their concerns, also pointing out that they would pay for infrastructure upgrades, which should help with some plumbing issues.<\/p>\n
Board attorney Santo Alampi said the second related case addresses redevelopment plan concerns. He allowed the opposing attorneys to make closing statements as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir own note 13 \u2026 states the property is subject to the waterfront development permit,\u201d said Port Liberte Condo Association I attorney Cynthia Hadjiyannis.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to move on to the Master Plan amendments,\u201d Gangadin said.<\/p>\n
Alampi then asked McCann to explain the need for these amendments.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not asking to increase the density \u2026 We\u2019re asking you to amend the Master Plan to cover the reduced site. If you do not approve the site plan, you do not have to approve this amendment to the Master Plan,\u201d he expressed.<\/p>\n
Planner Sean Moronski further explained that the Master Plan reduces the area\u2019s density.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat parcel of land was supposed to contribute\u2026 That has not changed!\u201d Diana Canellis declared during the subsequent public comment period.<\/p>\n
She also criticized Alampi for saying the courts would decide about the walkway issue.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you willing to have Jersey City be on the hook \u2026 for a flood? If there\u2019s a catastrophe, a lot of us could go into bankruptcy. What are the property values going to be?\u201d Aparna Srinivasan questioned.<\/p>\n
In her closing remarks, Hadjiyannis emphasized how costly boardwalk maintenance is for the HOA, also claiming that the old plan from the 1980s was short-sighted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis board does have the authority to request a better Master Plan,\u201d she also emphasized.<\/p>\n
Port Liberte Homeowners Association Inc. attorney Martin Cabalar said the board could deny the application, noting that an easement is required and they do not have one.<\/p>\n
He continued that Pulte cited a document for claiming an easement, yet still claiming not to be bound by it, because then they would have to help pay for the boardwalk.<\/p>\n
McCann once again claimed they have no obligation to pay for the walkway, adding that the planning board was not in a position to deny them here.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe community really wants nothing to be built there. But my client has the right to build there!\u201d McCann exclaimed.<\/p>\n
He said that an easement is not a requirement for approval. Nonetheless, they had one.<\/p>\n
\u201cStaff will ask the applicant to agree to conditions,\u201d Senior Planner Sophia Pereira said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe applicant does agree to conditions,\u201d McCann replied.<\/p>\n
Alampi maintained that only the court can decide if Pulte Homes is mandated to help pay for the waterfront boardwalk.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand everybody is upset,\u201d he acknowledged.<\/p>\n
Commissioner Andy Kaplan, also the city\u2019s Department of Infrastructure director, asked if they could mandate that Pulte help pay for the walkway as an approval condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can make it a condition that the application fulfill all DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) requirements,\u201d Alampi answered and the board\u00a0agreed to the added condition.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very empathetic with the public, but with the jurisdiction of this board \u2026 I\u2019m going to vote aye,\u201d Vice Chair Elizabeth Wick said.<\/p>\n
Commissioner Bhavin Patel stated he felt it was a good project, while Commissioner Irene Barnaby indicated she didn\u2019t think the developer was doing enough, therefore she would not support the proposals.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Commissioner Eleana Little, also the Ward E councilwoman, said that while she had her concerns, she was going to vote aye based on Alampi\u2019s legal advice, which Kaplan agreed with.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m happy we\u2019re able to include that as part of a condition,\u201d Gangadin said about the walkway issue before voting yes.<\/p>\n
Ultimately, around 11:30 p.m., the planning board approved the site proposal 5-1, with Barnaby voting no.<\/p>\n
They then voted on the Master Plan amendments, which passed by the same 5-1 tally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Jersey City Planning Board approved the controversial Porte Liberte Pulte Homes development and redevelopment, as well as…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":270351,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[104258,104259,96028,9,24,63,104260,96030,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-270350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-caven-point","tag-jersey-city-master-plan","tag-jersey-city-planning-board","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-port-liberte","tag-pulte-homes","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=270350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/270350\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/270351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=270350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=270350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=270350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Pulte-Homes-e1781714308794.png\")
<\/a>Photo via the Jersey City Planning Board.<\/p>\n