Meeting record

Zoning Board of Adjustment, January 8, 2026

Body: Zoning Board of Adjustment
Date: January 8, 2026 (regular meeting)
Video: city recording, 1h 27m
Called to order: 0:02:29
Adjourned: 1:26:59
Agenda: data.jerseycitynj.gov
Memorialized resolutions: jerseycitynj-energovpub.tylerhost.net
Votes: 2 confirmed

The Zoning Board of Adjustment publishes no written minutes, so the votes and attendance on this page are as heard on the video and are marked unconfirmed until a memorialized resolution confirms them (see the vote rule).

Attendance

Ahmed Shedeed: present
Bhavesh Patel: present as heard, unconfirmed
Carl Czaplicki: present
Catherine Coyle: present
Geoffrey Allen: present
Jody DiAngelo: absent awaiting confirmation
John Burns: present
Rocco Coviello: present
Sonia Araujo: present

Items

11 Z2025-0082 case

Appeal of Administrative Officer’s Determination, 6 Stegman Pl

0:05:09 to 0:05:23 · Carried

Announced under correspondence (agenda item 5, 'Any correspondence?' at 0:05:06) by a speaker who is not named: 'It has been carried to February 5th due to inadequate notice' (0:05:19) and 'They will have to re-notice' (0:05:23). Carried to February 5, 2026, without preservation of notice as heard. No motion or vote was heard. Agenda item 7 (Adjournments) was not taken separately; the chair said at 0:08:38 that adjournments had already been discussed.

12 Z2025-0094 case

Amendment to Z20-043 to eliminate permanent elevated outdoor seating along Jersey Avenue, 201 Newark Avenue

0:05:27 to 0:05:27 · Carried

Announced under correspondence by a speaker who is not named: 'the request to be carried to February 5th with preservation of notice' (0:05:27). Carried to February 5, 2026, with preservation of notice. No motion or vote was heard.

6 other

Annual Zoning Board Report

0:05:27 to 0:08:38 · Heard

The chair asked for the annual report at 0:05:27; a staff member who is not named presented the Jersey City Annual Zoning Board of Adjustment report for 2025 (0:05:57). As read: the board heard 45 applications in 2025, 42 approved and 3 denied, an approval rate of 93% (0:06:12 to 0:06:26), against 38 heard and 36 approved the year before (0:06:33); the board approved 198 residential units, 20 of them affordable, against 241 units the year before (0:06:50 to 0:07:01); 26 'd' variances were approved: 12 D1, 1 D2, 0 conditional use, 5 D5 and 8 D6 (0:07:15 to 0:07:31). Staff recommended continued data analysis for future phases of the Jersey City Master Plan recommendations (0:08:38). No vote was taken.

8 Z2025-0089 case

Old Business: One-year Subdivision Extension, 77 Vroom St (extension of existing approvals to Z23-033 for a Minor Subdivision)

0:08:38 to 0:11:20 · Approved

7-0 7 ayes, 0 nays, roll call at 0:10:53

Aye: Ahmed Shedeed, Carl Czaplicki, Catherine Coyle, Geoffrey Allen, John Burns, Rocco Coviello, Sonia Araujo
Absent: Jody DiAngelo
Not voting: Bhavesh Patel

Roll call, reader not named, from 'Vice Chair Araujo? Yes.' (word timing 0:10:59) to 'And Chair Coyle? Yes.' (0:11:12), all in the 0:10:53 segment; each of the seven voting members answered 'Yes' (p 0.63 for Burns, 0.83 to 1.00 for the others). Announced: 'Motion carries 7-0.' Commissioner Patel was present but not called: at 0:04:16 the chair designated Commissioner Coviello as the voting alternate for the meeting and Commissioner Patel to sit without voting. DiAngelo was not named at the opening roll call. Motion made at 0:10:44 and seconded at 0:10:53 by speakers who are not named. Commissioner Patel sat as the non-voting alternate for the meeting (0:04:16) and was not called; recorded not-voting. The resolution's vote table (RESO Z2025-0089) gives the same 7-0 with the same seven members and does not list Patel; it prints two decision years (2026 on p. 1, 2025 on p. 4). Published as heard on Adam Hanford's review of 2026-10-20.

Called by the chair at 0:08:38 as the first case. The applicant's representative (agenda: attorney Michael Higgins, Esq.; not named on the video) described a one-year extension request (0:09:11). Staff asked the applicant to confirm agreement to the conditions of the original approval, the applicant agreed, and staff recommended approval (0:10:17 to 0:10:23). The chair noted no one from the neighborhood association was present to comment (0:10:25).

10 Z2025-0035 case

Preliminary and Final Major Site Plan with ‘c’ and ‘d’ variances, 30 Clinton Ave

0:11:21 to 1:24:36 · Approved

6-1 6 ayes, 1 nay, roll call at 1:22:19

Aye: Ahmed Shedeed, Carl Czaplicki, Geoffrey Allen, John Burns, Rocco Coviello^‡, Sonia Araujo
Nay: Catherine Coyle
Absent: Jody DiAngelo
Not voting: Bhavesh Patel
‡ answer from the count announced at 1:24:32 ("All right. Motion carries. Six to one."); not heard clearly on the audio
The resolution's vote table does not list Jody DiAngelo; absent as heard on the video.

The chair asked 'Mr. Pangilinan?' (1:22:14) and the secretary read the roll from 'Vice Chair Araujo?' (1:22:19). Heard: Araujo 'yes' (1:22:21), Shedeed 'So my vote's yes' (1:22:27), Allen 'so I'm a yes' (1:23:14), Czaplicki 'I vote yes' (1:23:45), Burns 'So you have my approval on this project' (1:23:54; recorded aye), Chair Coyle 'So I'm voting no' (1:24:05). Coviello was called (1:23:59) and no answer is heard before 'And Chair Coyle' in the full pass or in the re-transcription of 5020-5080 s; Coviello's aye is filled from the announced count 'Motion carries. Six to one.' (1:24:32): five ayes and one nay heard, one member not heard, one aye left (EDITORIAL.md section 4, the announced count). Patel present, not called (non-voting alternate for the meeting, 0:04:16). DiAngelo absent. Motion made at 1:22:00 and seconded at 1:22:13 by speakers who are not named. RESO Z2025-0035 (EnerGov, hearing January 8, 2026, memorialized February 5, 2026) prints 6-1 with Coviello in favour and Coyle against; its table does not list DiAngelo (absent as heard) or Patel. Commissioner Patel sat as the non-voting alternate (0:04:16) and is not listed in the resolution's vote table (RESO Z2025-0035), which otherwise agrees, 6-1. Published on Adam Hanford's review of 2026-10-20.

0:13:20 Attorney: The applicant's attorney, Benjamin Wine, described community meetings: a first proposal of five storeys, 29 units and 18 parking spaces, a second of four storeys, 22 units and 16 spaces, and parking raised from 12 to 15 spaces after a December 30 meeting.
0:17:16 Unidentified: A commissioner asked to confirm that 22 units were sought where 9 are permitted; the attorney confirmed.
1:13:38 Unidentified: A commissioner asked how close the building would come to the side windows of 75 Crescent and the effect on those units; the applicant's architect answered.
1:16:34 Unidentified: A commissioner asked when the traffic study was done and whether it covered funerals at the funeral home and Sunday services at two churches on the block; the traffic engineer answered.
1:19:08 Tanya Marione (Review Planner): Ms. Marione gave the history of approvals on the site since 2014 and said staff recommended approval with five conditions listed in the staff memo.

Carried from the December 11 meeting with preservation of notice (agenda; the agenda prints 'DECEMBER 11th 2026'). Block 18603, lot 34, R-1 zone, corner of Clinton and Crescent Avenues (0:12:08). As presented: four storeys, 22 units, 2 affordable on site plus a payment in lieu to the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, 15 parking spaces, 16 bicycle spaces; D5 density variance (22 units where 9 are permitted), D6 height variance (42.5 feet where 35 feet is permitted), front yard and rear yard setback variances and a 15-foot elevator bulkhead where 10 feet is permitted (0:15:34 to 0:16:46). The agenda gives 12 parking spaces; a speaker who is not named noted 13 on the portal and the agenda's 12 (0:41:25); the attorney said the ground floor plan at 15 spaces would be marked as an exhibit (0:41:28). The stilted-building variance on the agenda was said to be no longer needed (1:08:42). Witnesses: architect Aavart Patel (spelled 'A-A-V-A-R-T' at 0:18:06), traffic engineer Connor Hughes (0:32:28), planner Carolyn Worstell (spelled 'W-O-R-S-T-E-L-L' at 0:42:39); photographs marked A2 (0:52:13). The transcript segment at 0:14:15 is garbled (a repeated name) and does not record the attorney's words. The chair said no one from the community was present to comment and closed the public portion at 1:12:47; no vote was taken on closing it. The applicant's attorney took no exception to the staff conditions (1:21:39).

13.1 Z2025-0087 case