Harrison Town Meeting Off Special Planning Board Meeting Is On

The Harrison Mayor & Council Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 19, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. has been canceled. 

There is no indication on the town website why the Mayor & Council Meeting was canceled.  The Mayor & Council last met on July 6, 2022.  There was no Agenda published before the cancellation of the meeting so it is not clear whether there was no business to be conducted by the Mayor & Council or whether the Mayor & Council canceled the meeting to hold a Special Meeting  shortly. 

There is a Special Planning Board meeting scheduled for Wednesday, July 20, 2022, for Preliminary & Final Major Site Plan Approval of 485 Apartment Building at the RCA Redevelopment Zone which was recently demolished under DEP supervision because of mercury contamination. 

The  Developer BRG Harrison Lofts Urban Renewal (BRG) is seeking a variance to provide 335 parking spaces onsite.  The BRG has been before the Planning Board on prior occasions and proposes to build 485 new apartments in the RCA Redevelopment Zone.  There would be a shortage of parking spaces if you assume one vehicle per apartment. Most households have two vehicles which would mean an additional 970 cars requiring a parking spot and only 335 parking spaces onsite.  Therefore, there would be 635 vehicles looking for a parking space on the street.  

The meeting will be held in person at the 2nd Floor Council Chambers at the Harrison Town Hall located at 318 Harrison Avenue, Harrison, NJ.starting at 5:45 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and the people can ask questions and/or make a statement at the meeting.  It is not clear why the Planning Board is in person while Mayor & Council meetings are conducted via Zoom. 

The members of the Harrison Planning Board are  Arthur Pettigrew (Chairman), Jack Mulrenan (Vice Chairperson), Mary C. Gaines (Secretary), Councilman Laurence Bennett (Member), Carlos Mariano (Member), John Starr (Member), and John Thomas (Member). 

What are your thoughts on building another apartment building?  What’s your opinion on the building not providing at least one parking space per apartment? Let Us Know Your Thoughts on our Community Discussion Board.  If you have not signed up yet to participate you can Sign Up now.