City Council: March 20, 2025
These records are for informational purposes only. While these are not official minutes, care has been taken to ensure accuracy as best as possible. For official records, visit Lambertvillenj.org.
Public comments:
Jeff Tittel, resident, expressed concern about contaminated soil, and worried that developers, if allowed to continue as they have, will go wild in town.
Councilman Lide said Lambertville is trying to find another site for affordable housing, and cited 295 North Main Street by CVS as a possible location.
Rodger Ferguson, resident and remediation professional, was livid. He felt that the [contaminated soil] situation at Cavallo Park was the result if incompetence, and he wondered why the city would hire a PA firm with no LSRP on staff.
Councilman Lide said there will be a LSRP. The Mayor said the city will stay on top of it, and that the city is working on it to close out the grant.
Ferguson said the city has grounds to file a complaint, and the Mayor said the council has talked about it.
Dave Burd, resident, asked if the city has a business administrator. The Mayor explained that Lambertville is considering sharing a business administrator with Frenchtown. Councilwoman Kominsky expressed concern about sharing one. The Mayor said it would be good to have one for where the city needs help.
The council adopted a resolution for Collective Belief LLC to open dispensary in town. Councilwoman Kominsky spoke about traffic at the site. Councilman Lide said there was concern about traffic on Wilson street.
The council adopted a resolution to work with Habitat for Humanity to build affordable housing in town. Councilman Lide said the city has a lawsuit on its hands and he wants Fair Share to know the city is serious about its commitment. The city has a proposed deed for an income restricted apartment.
Councilman Stegman said working with Habitat for Humanity was a great move forward. His only concern was that the architecture should reflect that the proposed housing would be located next to a historical site, and that the final look should match what’s already on the site. He felt it is great that Habitat is interested, and that the city has the land.
Councilwoman Lambert commended Stegman for having foresight in developing this agenda. The Mayor was pleased and the resolution was adopted unanimously. Habitat for Humanity will draft an MOU.
They paid the bills.
Ordinance passed to install two handicapped parking spaces for residents.
They passed a souring wages ordinance (for positions that are out of use).
They passed an ordinance approving affordable housing at 6 Lilly Street, where the city owns an apartment. Councilman Lide said it will be retroactive.
They did not pass an ordinance to create Closson Farm Road. It was removed from the agenda. They held off, because the city needs a permit.
They passed an ordinance for a handicapped space at 47 Delaware Ave.
Passed an ordinance allotting $140k to finance Cavallo Park remediation.
Pubic comments:
Resident Jeff Tittel asked if the city has a LSRP, and if the town will recoup money spent on remediation. The Mayor said the council has discussed it.
John, a resident connected via Zoom, said he was part of the Cavallo park restoration. Someone told him, “You’d probably have to eat the dirt itself,” for it [contaminated soil] to effect you.
The council unanimously adopted the funding for the park cleanup, naming Brownfields Science and Technology as the contracted cleanup firm.
Unanimous approval for new members to the Utilities Authority: Holly Havens, David Burd, Bob Dahl. Jen Gifford will join the Parks and Recreation board.
Public comments:
Carolyn Gadbois, resident and Chamber of Commerce President, expressed the desire to engage locals for Shadfest. She thanked the council for locals night, and said she supports growth and change as long as it’s done intentionally.
Resident Jeff Tittel said our town is at risk if K. Hovnanian Homes gets its way [for their proposed development]. If soil contamination is spreading, he said, the town could declare an area of concern and consider a class action lawsuit.
Resident John Towns asked why recent new construction didn’t contribute to the city’s 20% affordable housing requirement, and if the Finkle’s development will contain affordable housing. He added that we don’t need more green acres.
The Mayor said the rule is that developments of 5 or more units are required to add affordable housing. Development with less than 5 units pays a fee into the city’s affordable housing trust fund. The Finkle’s proposal hasn’t come in yet.
The development of over 5 town homes on Wilson Street was done as two separate developments, thus they avoided the affordable housing requirement.
Councilwoman Kominsky said she hears people, and she feels that council owes it to everyone to be a steward of the town. She feels that our community experience is more important than someone’s boutique hotel experience. They’re revamping the historic ordinance, because people are doing things they haven’t seen before. She suggested that maybe the council should change things to meet the community.
Councilman Stegman said they should look at the number of houses permitted, because builders built to what’s permitted. He said Lambertville is not the same city it was twenty years ago, and suggested looking at those numbers to make developers more responsible.
Councilwoman Lambert said developers do projects in two phases so they don’t have to make an affordable commitment. She worries development is going to change our quaint, small city and she is committed to retain the small town feel that has made Lambertville such a wonderful place to live.
Councilman Lide said developers paid money into the affordable trust fund, which has tripled in recent years.
Coucilman Stegman said developments on Wilson, Ferry, and Delevan should have kicked in to the affordable housing requirement.
The Mayor added that the city has a master plan, and processes in place. He said the city has made good changes in the past ten years. He wants the council to take the resilience action plan into account to wonder what the city will look like in five or ten years. The city must scale with safety, and with climate change in mind. He said they can start looking forward earlier than the 2029 due date.
Public comments:
Beth Bryant, resident, asked what round the Habitat for Humanity will be. Councilwoman Kominsky said it is proposed for round 3.
Resident David Burd asked what the next process is with the judge. Councilman Lide said the developer gets heard by the judge. If motion is granted it determines their ability to move forward. In short, there will be more papers, hearings, and another month. The city is also filing papers.
It was mentioned by council that they might extend the hours of the central business district starting in early April.
Hey, you rule! Please make a donation today.