public meeting powerhouse arts district, TDR

Invitation to Attend Public Meeting Regarding the Powerhouse Arts District and Transfer of Development Rights Members of the board of PADNA were invited recently to attend a session hosted by the Jersey City Division of City Planning regarding Smart Growth development tools to manage growth in Jersey City.  The Division of Planning has received a grant from the NJ Office of Smart Growth to conduct a comprehensive planning study to compose a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Ordinance for Jersey City.  Through this process, the City can explore ways to secure funding to preserve and enhance community resources by capitalizing on the demand for development.  This will be the first urban application of this zoning in New Jersey. A public meeting on this topic will be held at City Hall on Thursday, August 26th from 6pm to 9pm.  We urge PAD residents to attend this meeting to learn more about this concept and its application, make suggestions and provide community feedback.  In the meantime, here is a quick primer based on the meeting we attended: What is TDR? Transfer of Developments Rights, or "TDR", is a voluntary land-use management tool that allows municipalities and regions to achieve both land conservation and economic growth through the transfer of development potential from one area ("preservation area") to another ("growth area").  Put another way, unused development rights (additional floors, unused square footage permitted by zoning) can be sold by one property (sender) to another (receiver) under city sponsorship. I still don't get it.  Can you give an example? The concept of TDR is that potential development rights are "sent" to another property in the city, and the "receiving" owner of that other property gets "credit" allowing him/her the right to build more densely than zoning would otherwise allow in an area that needs "growth."  For this privilege, the "receiving" owner compensates the owner of the "sending" property a certain monetary fee.  The "sending" property is then obligated to preserve their building and invest a certain amount in maintaining it. Would use of TDR make any changes to the overall PAD Redevelopment Plan? No.  The ability to use this tool would be adopted as an Ordinance for the whole of Jersey City.  It would have no impact on current or future zoning.   What properties in the PAD could be eligible for this program? Not all properties in the PAD would work with TDR.  Essentially any project that is already approved is off the table.  That means that the Toll Brothers properties, Harbor Lights, Morgan Pointe, etc. would not be properties where TDR would be applied. Where this could be of value is in preserving historically valuable properties which have not yet been, or are only partially rehabilitated.  TDR is a tool to compensate those owners for preserving their properties. Would TDR be mandatory for properties in the PAD? No. The program is entirely optional for building owners to participate in. Where would these development rights be "sent" to? This is one of the topics for discussion at the meeting on August 26th at City Hall. The City has some ideas, and the ones we discussed in our meeting are all local downtown areas.  In particular, Gregory Park is an area of focus. Gregory Park consists of the high rises and surface parking lots between Columbus Drive and Montgomery Streets.  The current zoning on those lots dates from the 70s and actually restricts them from building any more to fill in with additional housing or retail.   The Planning Department sees TDR as an opportunity to modernize the area.  NOTE: Per the City, affordable housing requirements in Gregory Park would be unaffected by any TDR activities. Want to learn more? If you are interested in getting more information ahead of the meeting on the 26th, there is another public meeting to discuss TDR as it relates to the Jersey Avenue Redevelopment area (this is roughly the border area between Jersey City and Hoboken just past the Holland Tunnel).  That meeting will be held TONIGHT August 19, 2010 from 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm  at the Golden Door Charter School [180 9th Street].