Better Blocks NJ

We will be talking more about funded IZOs and voluntary programs in the coming weeks.

Many of these cities had IZO policies predating the inflationary environment following COVID-19.

It seems to be a flawed policy, if it cannot respond to changes in material costs and interest rates. Places that did not have unfunded IZOs continued to build and seen rents subsequently fall.

Also, to unlock Aspire funds, you need to issue a PILOT first so Newark was particularly good at doing this to get more state aid for some of its developments.

Jersey City only has two such projects but, then again, we have not issued many PILOTs in Jersey City over the past 9 years.

We would chalk it up to a combination of factors: 1) affordable housing requirements mean project finances need to be stabilized; 2) really costly regulatory environment in the New York-Newark-Jersey City MSA; and 3) projects are financed based on comps and some places haven't built in a while.

We should probably take a a detour and do a quick primer on PILOT agreements before moving on to funded IZOs.

Jersey City builds a lot without PILOT agreements! The city only issued 7 in the past 9 years and most (save Pompidou) to support affordable housing.

What we don't do is build much affordable housing downtown anymore due to the 15% unfunded IZO. Those projects require a PILOT.

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Does Unfunded Inclusionary Zoning Produce Affordable Housing at Scale? Part IV in our Housing Policy Series

The post discusses the challenges of…

https://betterblocksnj.org/2026/03/03/does-unfunded-inclusionary-zoning-produce-affordable-housing-at-scale-part-iv-in-our-housing-policy-series/

Other jurisdictions have passed bird-safe glass ordinances that are much more narrowly tailored than what Jersey City is contemplating.

Thank you for writing a on this topic.

We would ask that other subject-matter experts in the housing development and affordable housing space reach out to the Jersey City Council to inform them of their experience around costs in a jurisdiction with a bird-safe materials ordinance.

We got the city council to recognize the bird-glass ordinance has costs.

They amended to 1) lower height to 85 ft; 2) exempt projects that don’t require a site plan; and 3) exempt 100% affordable housing.

More affordable housing builders should reach out to educate council on ordinance costs.

It's going to be a busy night at the Jersey City Council.

Support Affordable Housing at 150 Bay Street: Act Now! Support affordable housing in Jersey City! Urge council members to back the 150-156 Bay Street project for 1,000 homes near transit.

Reiterating our call to action to support more housing (including 150 income-restricted affordable units) near transit in downtown Jersey City.

It is essential the city council know the public wants more housing near transit downtown. Please help.

betterblocksnj.org/2026/02/13/c...

Jersey City Council Contact Information Jersey City Council Contact Information Can copy and paste this into an email to email the entire council and all aides: DRidley@jcnj.org, jbrooks@jcnj.org, TZuppa@jcnj.org, JEphros@jcnj.org, ELittle...

Please feel free to send your concerns about this ordinance to the Jersey City Council, especially as slower growth in Jersey City means more displacement and, eventually, greater environmental impacts elsewhere.

docs.google.com/document/d/1...

JC Birds misleads on costs, impacts of bird-safe materials Better Blocks advocates for a better bird-safe ordinance to reduce bird strikes in Jersey City without burdening new construction with higher costs

Which leads us to our latest article, summarizing the problem, pointing out the contradictions in the pro-ordinance advocates' side, and calling on you to express your concerns to the City Council.

This ordinance has real costs that must be recognized.

6/6

betterblocksnj.org/2026/02/23/j...

Op-Ed: Bird-safe development in Jersey City will not negatively impact construction - Hudson County View Op-Ed: Jersey City Birds Freeney wishes to break the narrative that bird-safe development in the city will negatively impact construction.

Our attempts at reaching a reasonable compromise were rebuffed by Lorraine Freeney from JC Birds who then repeated many of the misconceptions around housing markets and materials costs that her groups has been telling to Planning and the Council.

5/6

hudsoncountyview.com/op-ed-bird-s...

Compromise for Bird-Safe Design in Jersey City: Affordable Solutions Jersey City's new bird-safe materials ordinance must balance affordable housing and wildlife protection with suggested amendments.

Our next call was to amend the current ordinance after we met with @eleanalittle.bsky.social, @tomzuppajc.bsky.social, and others after it was unexpectedly (to all parties) put back before the council without further modification from Planning.

4/6

betterblocksnj.org/2026/02/17/c...

Jersey City Housing Crisis: Raising Costs and Limiting Supply There is a double-standard that causes municipal government to rush legislation that will increase housing costs but slow-walk new housing.

We then contrasted how housing projects are treated (subject to delays, re-workings, and endless discussion with various community groups) with how the council unanimously passed the bird ordinance with limited debate and no due diligence on costs.

3/6

betterblocksnj.org/2025/12/23/a...

Eric Conner's Op-Ed on Veto of Bird-Safe Glass Ordinance Read Eric Conner's op-ed on the veto of the bird-safe glass ordinance in Jersey City, highlighting its importance for local wildlife.

Our first article on the saga called on the City Council to rework the ordinance after then-Mayor @stevenfulop.bsky.social vetoed it.

(spoiler: they didn't and the Solomon administration rushed to reintroduce it unchanged without consulting Planning).

2/6

betterblocksnj.org/2025/12/10/t...

You can read all our previous commentary on the great Jersey City bird-glass debate in this thread:

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Toronto’s ordinance was much more narrowly scoped than Jersey City’s because they recognized the costs.

Here, the council is looking to apply citywide, all building types, and up to 30.5 meters.

The tallest high rises are hurt the least but low and mid-rises get saddled with the highest burden.

0.38% isn’t even the low-end estimate — it’s likely much higher even for larger high-rises.

New Permit Parking Zone Coming to Communipaw Council President Denise Ridley has introduced Ordinance 26-013, establishing a new permit parking zone for streets adjacent to the Liberty State Park Light Rail Station.

New Permit Parking Zone Coming to Communipaw

Council President Denise Ridley has introduced Ordinance 26-013, establishing a new permit parking zone for streets adjacent to the Liberty State Park Light Rail Station.

11K views · 162 reactions | Back in October, I explained the situation with the potential development project on 24th Avenue in Bayside. It is an unpopular project, and I share community opposition. ... Back in October, I explained the situation with the potential development project on 24th Avenue in Bayside. It is an unpopular project, and I share community opposition. Those concerns have not...

Amazing. NYC NIMBY populist councilmember is voting FOR an upzoning in her district—because if she didn't, the mayor and borough president would approve something even bigger and with poorer tenants.

This is thanks to the charter revision amendments Eric Adams sponsored last November.

This complicates commutes not only for people whose final destination is Exchange Pl, but also for light rail users who live south of downtown Jersey City, and PATH riders trying to get to Journal Square. We'd appreciate an explanation from PATH for this decision!

@PATHTrain is shut down between WTC and Exchange Pl with the Exchange Pl station completely closed, and we've received reports that PATH is NOT allowing PATH riders to board the ferry from Brookfield Pl to Exchange Pl as a substitute. Only the one from Brookfield to Hoboken (1/2)

We agree with you there as this ordinance only applies to new construction is citywide. Its main purpose appears to be limiting development.

We tried to 1) lower the height and 2) push for a more targeted approach near large parks and the waterfront where amenity effects might offset costs.

One note on the costs that @3underscores.bsky.social pointed out: developers are required to make a 1.5% contribution to the affordable housing trust fund in Jersey City.

For some project, the bird glass ordinance would be as expensive or more than direct monetary contributions to the trust fund!

NWK-JSQ suspended. I don't understand not just running a JSQ-WTC shuttle. Why is PATH historically so opposed to the practice, e.g., during all the recent track work between NWK-JSQ?

Thank you for reading!

We want to be clear that bird-safe glass is very effective at reducing day-time collisions but does not block artificial nighttime light.

We think there is an appropriately scoped version of this ordinance that makes sense, particularly on the waterfront and near parks greater than an acre in size.