CenterPoint objects to peninsula Special Improvement District; council postpones decision

CenterPoint Properties’ representatives told the Bayonne Municipal Council on May 13 that inclusion of a CenterPoint parcel in an ordinance creating a Special Improvement District (SID) for the peninsula at Bayonne Harbor would be detrimental to the company’s ability to compete for tenants.

David Nenor, a CenterPoint representative, said the company received notice of the proposed SID only at the end of the previous week and asked that its property be removed. “Our building has been vacant for 2 and a half years… Our taxes for our building that get passed directly through to the tenants are a dollar 70 more expensive than the buildings directly across the street,” he said, arguing that an assessment could further harm competitiveness.

Staff response and appeal process: City staff explained that notices were mailed to property owners and that the ordinance includes an appeal process: a property owner may apply to the tax assessor to be excluded from the district and the assessor would make a recommendation to council. Staff said proofs of mailing exist and that the tax assessor’s review would inform whether an ordinance amendment would be required to remove a property from the SID.

Outcome: After hearing CenterPoint’s concerns and discussing the procedural questions, the council voted to postpone final action on the SID until a June meeting to allow staff to compile proofs of notice and clarify the appeal process. The postponement was recorded as a council resolution setting the public hearing for June 17.

Next steps: Staff is expected to provide proof-of-notice documentation and to explain the tax-assessor appeal timeline in advance of the June 17 hearing. The postponement leaves the proposed SID in a hearing and review stage rather than adopted ordinance status.