Chairperson Fiorante and the Bayonne Planning Board voted to approve Amendment No. 3 to the Bayonne Bay East redevelopment plan during the board’s November meeting, recommending the amendment to the City Council.

The amendment, presented by Michael Slough, updates block numbering to match recent minor subdivisions and “allow[s] an intensification of use” in the Bayonne Bay East area. Slough said the changes would "include going from 25 stories to an allowed 30 stories and would also allow an increase in the total number of residential dwelling units from 1,250 to 1,750, housing units." The amendment also revises the plan’s ground‑floor nonresidential requirements, increasing the allowable aggregate square footage for retail sales and services from 10,000 to up to 40,000 square feet while clarifying that ground‑floor space may also be used for nonretail amenities (for example, package/mail centers or resident business centers).

The amendment updates parking and loading language, clarifies ADA/accessible parking provisions and incorporates flood‑elevation requirements adjusted after Superstorm Sandy and subsequent FEMA guidance. Slough described the change to redevelopment block numbering after a recent minor subdivision that created six taxable lots, saying that aligning redevelopment blocks to tax lots improves administrative tracking and is likely to inform phasing.

Planning staff member Miss Mack said the board had previously amended the plan in February 2020 and that earlier site plan approvals had informed the current increase in units. Mack noted that the site is the portion of the former military base closest to the planned ferry terminal and that the city and developer expect the location to support higher density and amenity‑rich residential development.

During public comment, resident Sharon Nedrowski questioned removing a requirement for a minimum amount of ground‑floor retail and expressed skepticism about relying on the ferry: "There's no signed contract. There's nothing," she said, and asked how many of the new units would be two‑bedroom layouts and what pressure that could place on schools and local roads. Slough and Mack said specifics about unit mix, parking and street improvements would be addressed during site plan review and redevelopment agreement negotiations.

A motion to approve the amendment passed on a recorded voice vote. The chair called the ayes from the dais; no commissioners voted no. The board recorded the matter as approved and recommended it to the City Council for final action.