Nightclub owner Edison Garcia is asking City Council approval for his 5th Annual Independence of Central America event on Sept. 6,7 and 8, while the council granted permission in June for a similar event on Sept. 13, 14 and 15.
Garcia held his events without conflict until another nightclub owner, Rodney Maree, beat him to the punch and secured the second weekend in September for his first fiesta last year. (See post here.) In a compromise, both events were permitted in city parking lots flanking Watchung Avenue, despite concerns about parking and crowd management.
Garcia received approval for a fiesta in July celebrating America's Independence Day, but once again found Maree had spoken for the favored weekend in September 2013 for the Central American Independence celebration.
Last year, the double event occupied both Lot 1 behind Chez Maree and the former Strand Theater as well as Lots 8 and 8A behind stores between Somerset Street and Watchung Avenue. This year, Maree's event will again be in Lot 1 on Sept. 13, 14 and 15 and Garcia's will precede it, if approved, on Sept. 6, 7 and 8 in Lots 8 and 8A. Both feature Latino food specialties, beer, music and entertainment.
Among the pros and cons, the events will garner new fees of $2,500 per day, but may displace shopper parking. They bring thousands of residents and visitors to downtown Plainfield, but also create noise that Councilman William Reid said was upsetting to neighbors of the sites last year. (Sounds of a festival downtown this past weekend could be heard seven blocks south to my back yard.)
Garcia's request will be considered at tonight's meeting, 7:30 p.m. in Municipal Court. If moved to the agenda, it will be up for a vote at the regular meeting, 8 p.m. Aug.19 in Municipal Court.
Also on Monday's agenda, George E. Withers of G-Wiz Auto Entertainment is asking permission to close East Front Street between Park and Watchung on Sept. 22 for the 5th Annual Latin Rides Car, Truck and Bike Show.
--Bernice
Monday, August 12, 2013
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Packet Missing, No Council Details
Wah! After an exciting stolen vehicle episode this morning, I went to the Plainfield Public Library to ferret out details on council matters. But there was no packet. Sleuthing will have to wait.
On the other hand, maybe I did my quota of sleuthing in general earlier. I had gone out to attack the weeds, but noticed odd bits of debris near the garages and a strange van parked there. I guessed maybe I was looking at the aftermath of a burglary or car theft, and once some Plainfield Police Division officers arrived, they concurred. The vehicle was a massive SUV. The debris included personal paperwork, a photo and grooming items, as well as an envelope with a name and address linking it to a stolen vehicle report from Thursday.
Why the malefactors picked our back lot to dump off the vehicle, I don't know, but it is a very deep lot and out of public view. The owner was notified, the vehicle was towed, and I picked up my schedule where I left off. Alas, no packet as of 10:30 a.m., but I did find two books I wanted to read after hearing the authors interviewed on WNYC.
I will try to get more information Monday before the meeting, which is 7:30 p.m. in Municipal Court. Otherwise, read all about it on Tuesday.
--Bernice
On the other hand, maybe I did my quota of sleuthing in general earlier. I had gone out to attack the weeds, but noticed odd bits of debris near the garages and a strange van parked there. I guessed maybe I was looking at the aftermath of a burglary or car theft, and once some Plainfield Police Division officers arrived, they concurred. The vehicle was a massive SUV. The debris included personal paperwork, a photo and grooming items, as well as an envelope with a name and address linking it to a stolen vehicle report from Thursday.
Why the malefactors picked our back lot to dump off the vehicle, I don't know, but it is a very deep lot and out of public view. The owner was notified, the vehicle was towed, and I picked up my schedule where I left off. Alas, no packet as of 10:30 a.m., but I did find two books I wanted to read after hearing the authors interviewed on WNYC.
I will try to get more information Monday before the meeting, which is 7:30 p.m. in Municipal Court. Otherwise, read all about it on Tuesday.
--Bernice
Friday, August 9, 2013
Mayor Seeks Appointments
Monday's City Council packet contains several requests for appointments, five to the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority, one for the Housing Authority and two for the Zoning Board of Adjustment.
All are somewhat mysterious and will no doubt send bloggers to the Plainfield Public Library tomorrow for research.
Regarding the PMUA, the mayor wants the council to approve Malcolm Dunn, Cecil Sanders, Barbara James, Carol Brokaw and Alex Toliver. First of all, the PMUA reorganizes in February and terms begin and end then. Dunn's current term goes to February 2014 and Sanders has a term expiring in February 2015. Brokaw and Toliver are holdovers, both of whose terms expired in February 2012 (there is an error here - the authority began with staggered terms and one of these should be to 2013). The new name is Barbara James, who may be the putative successor to 2011 holdover Commissioner Harold Mitchell, a mayoral target for some time.
Because the terms and successions are not spelled out, Plaintalker and other interested parties will have to look at the background documents, if there are any.
James came to City Hall from Jerry Green's office in 2006. City records say she was hired on Jan. 30, 2006 as a "senior administrative analyst" but also say she was hired on the same date as "confidential assistant to the mayor," a title she apparently held until 2012. She has been the mayor's designee to the Planning Board since 2006 and was a member of the Democratic City Committee for most of those years. In 2013 she was not among Regular Democratic Organization candidates for the committee and ran off the line with the slogan "United Democrats of Plainfield."
The Housing Authority nominee is Rickey Williams, an appointee for a term ending in July 2006 and a holdover ever since. The seat he holds is reserved for a mayoral nominee and the mayor has put his name up for reappointment several times. In July, she offered his name for a five-year term ending July 1, 2018, which City Clerk Abubakar Jalloh said was incorrect. The same term is on the mayor's August request, but it should be until July 1, 2016. Meanwhile, the terms of Housing Authority Commissioners Hattie Williams and Pamela Dunn-Hale expired July 1, but their names have not been offered for reappointment.
The Zoning Board nominations, for Robert K. Graham and Eric Graham, are curious in that there are no seats up this year, according to a roster on the city web site. Here again, if there is a vacancy, the term and succession must be spelled out correctly.
Having lost the June primary, the mayor will not have a third term and so is in "lame duck" mode until Dec. 31. She can nominate people for existing vacancies and see whether the governing body will give advice and consent, but she cannot give out random five-year terms in her remaining days in office.
--Bernice
All are somewhat mysterious and will no doubt send bloggers to the Plainfield Public Library tomorrow for research.
Regarding the PMUA, the mayor wants the council to approve Malcolm Dunn, Cecil Sanders, Barbara James, Carol Brokaw and Alex Toliver. First of all, the PMUA reorganizes in February and terms begin and end then. Dunn's current term goes to February 2014 and Sanders has a term expiring in February 2015. Brokaw and Toliver are holdovers, both of whose terms expired in February 2012 (there is an error here - the authority began with staggered terms and one of these should be to 2013). The new name is Barbara James, who may be the putative successor to 2011 holdover Commissioner Harold Mitchell, a mayoral target for some time.
Because the terms and successions are not spelled out, Plaintalker and other interested parties will have to look at the background documents, if there are any.
James came to City Hall from Jerry Green's office in 2006. City records say she was hired on Jan. 30, 2006 as a "senior administrative analyst" but also say she was hired on the same date as "confidential assistant to the mayor," a title she apparently held until 2012. She has been the mayor's designee to the Planning Board since 2006 and was a member of the Democratic City Committee for most of those years. In 2013 she was not among Regular Democratic Organization candidates for the committee and ran off the line with the slogan "United Democrats of Plainfield."
The Housing Authority nominee is Rickey Williams, an appointee for a term ending in July 2006 and a holdover ever since. The seat he holds is reserved for a mayoral nominee and the mayor has put his name up for reappointment several times. In July, she offered his name for a five-year term ending July 1, 2018, which City Clerk Abubakar Jalloh said was incorrect. The same term is on the mayor's August request, but it should be until July 1, 2016. Meanwhile, the terms of Housing Authority Commissioners Hattie Williams and Pamela Dunn-Hale expired July 1, but their names have not been offered for reappointment.
The Zoning Board nominations, for Robert K. Graham and Eric Graham, are curious in that there are no seats up this year, according to a roster on the city web site. Here again, if there is a vacancy, the term and succession must be spelled out correctly.
Having lost the June primary, the mayor will not have a third term and so is in "lame duck" mode until Dec. 31. She can nominate people for existing vacancies and see whether the governing body will give advice and consent, but she cannot give out random five-year terms in her remaining days in office.
--Bernice
Muhlenberg Closing Marked Saturday
Palm Sunday, 2008- Rev. Carolyn Eklund and parishioners
The closing of Muhlenberg Regional Medical Center will be commemorated at 3 p.m. Saturday at Park Avenue and Randolph Road, according to Dan Damon.
Attempts to bring back an acute care hospital over the past five years have not succeeded. Click here to see what JFK Health Systems currently provides at the Muhlenberg Campus.
Primary Election Is TUESDAY
Put a note on the refrigerator, add it to your phone alerts, mark it on your computer calendar - the special primary election for United States Senator is Tuesday, Aug. 13. Or you can vote by mail while it's on your mind.
Four Democrats and two Republicans are vying for the unexpired term of the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg. The Democrats are U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12), Newark Mayor Cory Booker; U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6) and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, (D-34). Republican candidates are Steve Lonegan and Alieta Eck.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The primary winners will be on the ballot for the Oct. 16 election, which is on a Wednesday.
--Bernice
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Eid Al-Fitr Greetings
To all our friends and neighbors
who are marking the end of Ramadan,
Eid Saeed!
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
Cleveland Arts District Query Moved To September
An early inquiry into uses permitted in the new Transit Oriented Development Downtown (TODD) Zone was put off Wednesday until next month for lack of notice to surrounding property owners.
William Santoriello, who has been involved in historic preservation and restoration since 2001, was seeking an interpretation of whether a showroom and office for his business, along with an art studio, would be a permitted use at 417 Cleveland Avenue. The matter was on the agenda, but Zoning Board of Adjustment Attorney Peter Vignuolo said Wednesday night he ruled it could not be heard without notice.
Cleveland Avenue, anchored at East Seventh Street by the historic Grace Episcopal Church, extends three blocks north to the main train station. Currently it includes the well-known E&A Restaurant Supply, a state Division of Developmental Disabilities office, several auto-related businesses, a pre-school and a city parking lot.
Click on image to enlarge
Among 11 elements of the TODD Zone, the two blocks in beige on the map are designated as the Cleveland Avenue Arts District. Permitted uses include a nightclub, art gallery, art studio, museum, restaurants, office, retail sales, tavern, bank, child care center, mixed-use structure, health and fitness club and personal service establishment.Creation of the TODD zone is part of the city's bid for Transit Village designation, which would help the city obtain state grants and development funds to improve the area around the TODD area. In May, the City Council passed an ordinance designating the Transit Oriented Development Netherwood (TODN) zone around the Netherwood train station. See the map and ordinance here.
To learn more about the Transit Village initiative, click here. As far as Plaintalker knows, the city's application is still pending.
The Zoning Board of Adjustment meets on the first Wednesday of the month. The next meeting is 7 p.m. on Sept. 4 in City Hall Library, 515 Watchung Ave.
--Bernice
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