Planning board declines to recommend automobile import/export conditional use after resident opposition

The planning board reviewed a city‑council‑introduced amendment to Chapter 35 (section 5.17) to add automobile import/export facilities as a permitted conditional use in heavy industrial zones. Director Skillender described a set of conditions proposed by staff and council (warehouse use only; storage of passenger cars and delivery vans only; cap of 25 truck trips per day operating 7 a.m.–7 p.m.; maximum of 200 cars on site; 8‑foot screening wall/fence; screening from public view; accessory buildings limited to rear/side yards).

Neighbors, property owners and counsel for industrial stakeholders told the board the use had produced traffic and public‑safety problems in Bayonne’s past and urged geographic limits or tabled discussion for further stakeholder outreach. An attorney representing an adjacent industrial property described previous experiences with export/import operations that produced lineups of car carriers, damaged roadways, and vehicles parked on streets overnight.

Planning staff and consultants said the conditional‑use criteria were drafted with mitigation in mind and suggested the planning board could recommend a geographic restriction (for example, limiting the use to Constable Hook) to reduce impacts in mixed residential areas. After deliberation and in light of the public record, the planning board voted not to recommend the amendment to city council and directed that further stakeholder engagement and possible geographic restrictions be considered before the council acts.

The board’s non‑recommendation does not prohibit the council from moving forward; it records the planning board’s judgment after a master‑plan consistency review and public hearing.