(October 2000)

Let the voters of Jersey City decide. This is what leaders of a referendum petition drive say concerning a Jersey City ordinance granting tax abatements to the developers of the controversial Millennium Towers 41-story high-rise. On October 3, Bob DuVal, of the Sgt. Anthony Neigborhood Association and Vito Brunetti, of the Riverview Neighborhood Association submitted over 3,300 signatures to Robert Byrne, Jersey City’s municipal clerk. 2,470 signatures, which represents 15% of the Jersey City votes cast in the last state assembly election, are required to put this issue on the ballot in a binding referendum.

In September, the Jersey City Municipal Council passed an ordinance granting a 20-year tax abatement to the developers of Millennium Towers. Instead of paying real estate taxes based on the assessed value of their property, the owners would make a payment in lieu of taxes to the City of Jersey City and would be relieved of any obligation to pay taxes to the school district or to the county government for this 20-year period. The petitioners claim that this abatement will mean the owners of this property will pay 45% of full real estate taxes, saving them tens of millions of dollars over then next two decades.

If the minimum number of required signatures are validated by the City Clerk, the City Council would then have an opportunity to rescind the ordinance granting the tax abatement to the Millennium Tower project. If the Council refuses to rescind, the City Clerk is then required within a 90-day period to place the issue on the ballot in the next election or a special election.

Last August, the Riverview Neighborhood Association and the Coalition for a Betterwaterfront filed suit against the City of Jersey City, its Planning Board and Redevelopment Agency, for granting approvals for the Millennium Tower project. At the same time the City of Hoboken filed a similar suit against Jersey City. The suits charge that the City of Jersey City failed to provide testimony or studies that justified the amendments to the Jersey Avenue Redevelopment Plan that escalated building heights from 110 to 440 feet. The City of Hoboken also cited concerns about traffic that will be generated by this 551-unit project to be located less than 100 feet from the Hoboken border.

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