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Residents raise parking, impound‑lot and feral‑cat concerns during Bayonne council public comment
Summary
During public comment on April 16, Bayonne residents urged the council to address on‑street parking enforcement, questioned the conversion of a West Second Street site into a police impound lot, and warned about the future of a small feral‑cat colony at a dry‑dock site.
Several residents used the public‑comment period at the April 16 Bayonne City Council meeting to press the council on parking enforcement, an impound lot at West Second Street and the fate of feral cats at a dry‑dock site.
Parking and restrictive zones
Melissa Gadeschi Rodriguez of 148 Avenue F told the council she has no off‑street parking and urged officials to be “more mindful” of parking when approving new housing. Rodriguez asked that the city consider stronger enforcement and penalties for people who occupy residential restrictive parking spaces without authorization, including making residential restricted spaces tow‑away zones. “It is about equity,” she said, arguing residents who obtained restricted spots should be able to rely on them.
A city staff member said the municipality will begin 24‑hour residential parking enforcement with a warning period starting May 12; the staff member said tickets would follow after that monthlong warning period, with enforcement expected to begin in mid‑June (the staff member referenced June 16 on the record). A council member said they would look into the ordinance language and state law that govern towing and enforcement.
Impound lot at West Second Street
Sharon Nedrowski of 120 Sixth Avenue addressed the council about an impound lot at West Second Street. Nedrowski said the council adopted a resolution in August 2019 to convert the site into a pedestrian mall and that more recently the city approved a January 20, 2025 resolution authorizing purchase of fencing for a new police impound yard at the same location, citing an amount of $37,235 in the title of the earlier resolution. Nedrowski said neighbors were not made aware and raised environmental and public‑health concerns including soil and water pollution and vehicle emissions. She also noted safety concerns related to lithium‑ion battery fires given earlier code discussion that evening.
Feral‑cat colony at the dry dock and A&P site
Retired Sergeant Anthony C. Pagano described ongoing efforts to feed and care for a small colony of approximately a dozen cats near the dry dock and the A&P site. Pagano earlier referenced a 2014 incident where 30 cats at another site were removed and said he feared a repeat during upcoming redevelopment. A council member said the city remains committed to the feral‑cat program and offered to discuss the matter further with the municipal services director.
Why it matters
The public comments intersect with council actions on redevelopment, parking policy and fire‑safety regulation. Residents said redevelopment and enforcement changes are already affecting neighborhood parking; other comments flagged potential environmental and animal‑welfare impacts tied to redevelopment and municipal property use.
What the council said it would do next
Council members and staff responded by noting next steps: staff will publish enforcement timing for the 24‑hour restricted parking zone rollout and the municipal services director will be asked to follow up on the feral‑cat colony and the impound‑lot questions. The council also recorded an on‑the‑record apology for an earlier meeting error about the impound‑lot discussion and affirmed it will continue to examine the public concerns.
