Thats true this is a daily occurance

That's been like that for Decades..... stop complaining and watch your step. Some folks just want to "Control" the residents and the businesses and call it your OWN. For YEARS people have just lived fine with it the way it is .... you can too!

Just because its been like that for decades doesnt mean its legal, they are encroaching and pedestrians have the right of way on the sidewalk. Tell the elderly to watch their step because they can trip and fall and thats how lawsuits start. Thank you for coming to my
Ted talk

You mean the same elderly people who have lived and shopped their for YEARS and never complained? Not a Ted Talk because I didn't learn anything - more like a soap box.

And how you know they didn’t complained and no one listened?

So asking a business to not takeover PUBLIC space with block pedestrians from said PUBLIC space is “control”? Amazing.

At least we can agree it has been going on for too long. The sidewalk is littered with crates of food, trash, and the vermin that go with them. The sidewalk should be returned to the people who need it - pedestrians. There is a reason city code prevents these uses.

Much of the street is like this, there is one large store that puts his food on the inside side of the sidewalk and his trash on the curb, with about 12" left to walk. It's very unsightly and should be stopped.

Thank you for reporting an issue to the City of Jersey City. People usually take pictures when they are unloading the trucks. I will inspect when there are no box trucks in front and gather evidence ie. the distance of the public right of way.

It's like this all day every day, truck or not.

They are not loading/unloading - you can even see in the picture they have prices listed on the food for sale - they are using the sidewalk as an extension of their store.

Question for zoning- I have seen every small grocery store in JC put food outside like this. Personally never had a problem walking on the sidewalks… it’s like this in JC and NYC and is a way for them to draw people into the store. If it’s wrong here then is zoning going to go after every single small grocer? Seems a bit much

I was there yesterday evening (Monday Aug. 14) at about 7 pm, and both sides of the sidewalk were covered with food for sale, empty pallets, and used boxes, with no trucks in sight. Some attention needs to be paid here. It may be Little India, but this is not Mumbai.

This is everyone’s complaint

not everyone's complaint - only yours.

*most people. And most people who would like to be able to use the public sidewalk.

It looks like crap. Only someone who doesn't give a damn doesn't object.

Agree with JSQMKM and Bindi. The sidewalks on Newark Ave in Little India are very narrow to start with. Business owners need to be considerate of the limited public space to navigate. It can’t be a free for all the way it’s been. One business after another feels entitled to usurp public space.

It seems like business owners on Newark Ave have some way of getting city inspectors to look the other way with these violations. Big Bazar, Patel Paan Bar, Apna Bazar are all constant offenders in plain site and yet somehow resident complaints lead to nothing.

This is a perpetually big mess and it needs to get cleaned up, to appropriate public standards. Merchants may not realize it, but there are many people who avoid Newark Ave. due to its disreputable appearance. There is no good and legal reason to allow these regular infractions of laws that are in place for good and reasonable purpose. Let's get this mess cleaned up!

What's different from this and outdoor dining in NYC? How come your not complaining about the little coffee shop on Sip and JFK - City Cafe and Grill - they have outdoor dining that obstructs the sidewalk. I don't know - I wonder what's the big difference? Hmmmm...

They still have walking room they have permit for it and this isn’t NYC

Permits. Business that apply for permitted outdoor use, like outdoor dining, are completely unrelated to the issue at hand on Newark Ave.

So it's ok for Coffee shops and Construction sites to block sidewalks but food stores will have to be treated differently - just trying to understand.

So, if Newark Ave turned to all Restaurants and had outdoor dining all over the ave... and all restaurants had permits to do so.... would anyone complain for the lack of space to walk? Again - just trying to understand

With permits and allowances for pedestrian yes

Businesses cannot just do what they want. They need to follow the rules that are established.

People are not complaining here that they want the rules changed, only that they want these businesses to follow them.

Can someone post the City Ordnance/Code that outlines what's being violated? I agree - permits are needed by everyone - Coffee shops and Construction Sites. So if they have permits, let's make sure everyone have permits and I believe that if these stores pull a permit from the city - they will get one and they should be legit after..... problem solved.

My question is why you fighting this? What investments do you have in this?

I pay taxes... property taxes .... period ... i'd like to hear and see my investment feedback.

So do I what’s your point? I want to see people do what they’re supposed to and NOT take advantage because they think they can

So your saying these stores are taking advantage of people within the area?

Absolutely, it’s called encroachment

Let me help you - It's Chapter 296 within the Zoning Code - find the ordinance they are violating and let's make sure the stores adheres to it.

§ 296-7.6. - Sidewalk sales; Permit required.

No Person may place, leave, or display, any merchandise or advertising upon the Sidewalk between the building line and the Curb without obtaining a Permit from the Zoning Officer pursuant to the restrictions set forth in this section.

🤦🏻‍♀️

So if they have a permit how does that take care of the encroachment of the sidewalk? It seems permit or not the outcome is the same.

There's really no such kind of permit. They would have to get a zoning variance for a different kind of business, from the Zoning Board of Adjustment. And there's really no such kind of business recognized in Jersey City. Or the state of New Jersey, to my knowledge.

Issue 15101787 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

Please provide an update on this issue. Resident have been calling and asking for an update.

Those are two different business one is on Tonnelle and the other is on Newark

I have filed a new complaint from Monday, with new photos, under Health Conditions. It cannot be lawful to have containers of food for sale placed next to containers of trash.

It’s not sanitary

These Indian stores always make excuses and give false statements and sweet talk inspectors out of a fine/summons. They promise they will do the needed but as soon as inspector leaves they forget all about it. They have been doing this for years and I can certainly guarantee this is not gonna change no matter how much people complain and argue.

And one person like Andy Dhani, who has nothing to do with the said shop will argue with everyone else just cause he can. That is all these people do, defend the bad actors when they are not related in any way.

@Waseem? Why no update? Why no action?

I was on the block Thursday evening, Nov. 9 about 7 pm -- the same old story. Food and trash displayed together along the curbing of the street. According to the inspector, food is only allowed "under the awning." Can we get some enforcement here?
It is the SAME VIOLATION every single day, every single evening. Big Bazaar is a 24/7 offender.

Issue 15627379 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

Issue 15629786 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

Issue 15646317 has been marked as a duplicate of this issue.

So, anything put up outside of a business, that is more than an appropriate sigh, requires a Cafe license. I see that this keeps getting reported and I want to know the answer to this issue too. I also want you all to stop fighting with each other.

I will reach out to Commerce to see if they have a cafe license and if they do not, I will have Code Compliance go out and issue a summons.

I was misinformed about the need for licensing as sidewalk cafe. I spoke with Code Compliance and they stated this is clearly with Zoning. However, Code Compliance inspectors will be going out and educating the business owners.

We aren't "fighting with each other," there is simply one person who doesn't think these businesses have to behave lawfully. He doesn't think it's important We are just trying to get some action from the city because as you can see, these complaints have been going on since the beginning of August, it's now December, there were others filed before them that have been closed, and we're simply trying to get the city to enforce the law.

But I will say, I was on Newark Ave. last night about 8 pm and at least the end of the street near Tonnele was MUCH IMPROVED! Neat and clean, sidewalks swept, no food at the curb. Much less merchandise and boxes, period. About 1/4 of what is usually out. So it was much better and I'd consider that condition acceptable. But I'll continue to watch the area to see if the improvement continues.

+cough cough+ - shocking still no action from the city and nothing done by the business. Newark Ave is the Wild West.

We need to mske a new complaint and we need to write Stacey Lee Flanagan and blow the whistle on these non-enforcing inspectors.
I will go take new pictures as soon as the weather clears up and file a new complaint.

Director Flannigan is director of Health and Human Services (HHS). I am not sure if health inspectors were asked to go out.

Zoning is under HEDC (Housing, Economic, Development, and Commerce).

This does seem like it may cover many different divisions and it may be decided that this is a good candidate for the Mayor's Quality of Life Task Force.

Your best bet is to email or call the RRC asking them to help with an update. They will be able to escalate the issue by showing that residents are asking for an update.

I was by there today (Apna Bazaar, corner Cottage & JFK). There was a box about 40" square, maybe 8" deep, FILLED with hulled peanuts just sitting there on the sidewalk, no cover, about 4" off the ground. There is NO WAY it's legal to leave uncovered food sitting in a cardboard box on the sidewalk. Anything could fly in there.
Somebody needs to SERIOUSLY work with these store owners and give them an education in basic sanitary techniques.

Thank you and while we wait for the task force, can zoning resolve its portion via inspection? Nothing has been done since this ticket was opened last August.

That could be the problem, because it's not really a zoning issue. It's a (perpetual) property maintenance issue.
I will escalate to Quality of Life, there this belonged all along.

How is being in violation of code not the issue? And because it could be complicated that’s an excuse to not even inspect/investigate?

Newark Ave is an absolute mess - dangerous for pedestrians, illegal businesses, boarding houses, etc etc - yet the only inspection I’ve seen to get resolved (or even occur) via this app was replacing the lightbulbs on the India Sq sign at the entrance.

NOT WHAT I SAID. I said it's not a zoning issue. Zoning is for property USE violations. This is a property MAINTENANCE violation. The complaint was filed wrong and went to the wrong department. However, it should have been redirected to property maintenance inspectors and it wasn't.

We will be walking the street next week with Quality of Life and brainstorming solutions.

Code Compliance, which heads the Quality of Life team (inspectors from every division and law enforcement), designated it as a Zoning issue. It originally went to Code Compliance. I would have thought it was Code Compliance also, especially since they have inspectors that used to be in Commerce.

Maybe Zoning can state that it is not them, if it should not have gotten to them.

I only say this to make sure this does not go in circles. If it helps, every time someone posts to here, reps from Zoning, Code Compliance, and the RRC receive the update.

I do truly appreciate your help Althea!!

I'm not sure that i am at all helpful. JSQMKM is very active and knows a lot about how it should work. I just wanted to let them know, from the internal comments, that it took a path to where it landed in Zoning and that I asked the same questions, because i thought the same exact thing!

In that case, they have been doing a wonderful job of ignoring the issue.