Monster House

From the Jersey Journal:

Home plan is altered, but not enough for neighbors

To a father/son development team, the two-family house going up at 91 Gifford Ave. in Jersey City represents a good investment and a home where they might someday live.

But to Charlene Burke, president of West Bergen/Lincoln Park Neighborhood Coalition, the house is a “travesty” that will stick out like a sore thumb. She objects to the large size and the style of the house.

How can this happen?” Burke wrote city officials in January. “One of the most beautiful and historic blocks in Jersey City. a new residence is under construction that does not share any characteristics with the housing to either side.”

Burke added, “Creation of this monster house amid these historic structures impacts this block negatively both visually and economically. Doesn’t anyone in any department responsible for construction in this city care about any neighborhood?”
…
But Burke and others still aren’t satisfied, and said community residents are exploring options, including finding a buyer for the property.

The city is ignoring its own ordinances requiring “in-fill” housing to follow the pattern of other houses on the block, she said.

“You have neighbors who invested in properties and have been stewards of the block for 50 years,” Burke said. “Then a newcomer comes along and the city blesses them . and that’s where the problem lies.”