Another Cocoa Puffs fueled City "Planning" fail

Johnny doesn't just suggest the people at Jersey City "Planning" eat Cocoa Puffs all morning then run around making a complete hash of Jersey City without reasons. We have pointed out some of Bob Cotter's prominent failures at City "Planning" in the past, here friends is yet another that'll cost you and Johnny money in the long run.

There is an old abandoned warehouse at the corner of Second St. and Warren. Public Storage, a company we're all familiar with if you've ever taken a train or driven down a highway and seen their statement-colored units, bought the warehouse on Warren and are in the process of converting it. Bob Cotter's City "Planning" gave them the go ahead with the variances necessary, then city council gave the final OK. Trouble is City "Planning" didn't read the PADNA redev plan apparently and they've had a hand in writing it. See our City "planners", all hopped up on chocolaty cereal no doubt, missed the part where according to the PADNA website:

The J.C. Planning Department has been sued by two other Jersey City self storage space businesses (Keepers and Liberty) stating that is illegal for Public Storage to be a storage space operator in our neighborhood – it is to house an arts-related gallery and work/live lofts as written into PAD Redevelopment Plan.

It continues: Keepers and Liberty Self-Storage feel that the variances Planning and Zoning approved are illegal and then later approved by city council – And they won; city planning department lost.

So the folks at 150 Bay St. (ie Keepers and Liberty) won the case in court because City "Planning" wasn't paying attention. Know what this does? It opens up a lawsuit against the city by Public Storage who have sunk an awful lot of time and cash into the rehab already. City Council said go and they went.

Who do you think is going to pay for the coming litigation over this? Steve Fulop? Bob Cotter? Oh no, it'll be you and Johnny getting soaked extra because Jersey City's "Planning" Department is such an abject failure.

Round One in Mayor Steve Fulop's lawsuit against the Port Authority goes to...

...Mayor Fulop and Jersey City. You'll recall Fulop sued the Port Authority (which will get anyone in good graces with Johnny) on the grounds they owe our fair city over $400 million in unpaid taxes. The PA tried to get the cases dismissed by spending thousands and thousands of your tax dollars and bridge fees on attorneys fees and lost...this round.

Going after a giant monolith with a Smaug-like pile of lawyering cash is never easy and always takes a long time. Now that the lawsuit it would seem has merit no doubt the Port Authority will now want a 10% increase to cover, uh, incidentals like more lawyers.