Church and neighborhood groups ask council to halt 77-unit Bergen Avenue project over parking and demolition worries

Residents and religious leaders from a tight-knit Jersey City community asked the municipal council to pause or oppose a proposed 77-unit residential development at 829 Bergen Avenue after the project changed developers and, they said, abandoned previously negotiated parking commitments.

Speakers from St. George and St. Shenouda Coptic Orthodox Church said the prior developer had agreed during a two-year outreach process to include approximately 20 parking spaces as part of a compromise with the church and neighborhood, but the new owner’s revised plans reportedly omit parking and add retail space. “This revised proposal eliminates all parking and instead introduces a retail space potentially profitable for the developer, but at a great cost to our neighborhood,” said engineer Robert Lichens Olshetwe, who spoke on behalf of the church.

Church leaders emphasized safety concerns: the neighborhood hosts multiple active houses of worship, several schools and a children’s summer program; speakers said demolition notices were issued without a public-safety plan addressing nearby kids and the heavy congregation schedule. “We currently have an active summer camp with children...this is a major safety concern,” Mina said during public comment.

Speakers urged the council and planning department to require the developer to reinstate the previously negotiated parking or to delay action until the community has a formal plan for traffic, parking and construction safety. Council staff said the planning board has primary jurisdiction over such design and parking details and that council members would follow up with planning staff to determine the project’s current status and whether demolition has begun; the mayor’s representative confirmed demolition had not started as of the hearing.

Residents requested a new traffic study that includes Sunday and peak religious-service periods and asked the council to ensure construction does not begin without a public-safety plan that accounts for school and church schedules. The council asked planning staff to report back with the status of the file and noted the community’s request to re-open the earlier agreement for parking.