The South Ward Environmental Alliance would like to thank everyone who attended our Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center introductory webinar on Oct. 30th. If you missed it, you can watch the video replay here. And you can also download our presentation here (PDF).

This is the first in an ongoing series of emails in which we will be sharing upcoming training and fundraising opportunities, as well as other information you may find useful.

We encourage you to review the opportunities listed below and pursue those which might be of interest. If you have any questions about the TCTAC, you can reach out to us at ejtctac@weact.org. And you can always request technical assistance here.

Dec. 5th – 2:00 - 3:00PM EDT

The Clean Energy Group will be hosting an introduction to community solar on Tuesday, December 5th at 2:00 PM EDT. This webinar will feature speakers from the Clean Energy States Alliance, National Community Solar Partnership, and National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Speakers will cover potential models for community solar, as well as what resources are available to community groups and municipalities through National Community Solar Partnership and National Labs. The webinar will include 30 minutes of presentation followed by 30 minutes of Q&A. A recording and slides from the webinar will be shared following the event.

Sign up here to get the Zoom link.

Jan. 22nd – 5:00 - 6:00PM EDT

The New York University School of Law’s Institute for Policy Integrity will host a webinar on Monday, January 22nd at 5:00 PM to provide an overview of Justice40 and the Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST) developed for it.

Sign up here to get the Zoom link.

Feb. 28th – 6:00 - 7:00PM EDT

The South Ward Environmental Alliance (SWEA) will host a virtual training session on Wednesday, February 28th at 6:00 PM EDT for those interested in learning about environmental justice and community organizing.

Sign up here to get the Zoom link.

The Municipal Council of Newark voted in favor of passing a new zoning ordinance that is not aligned to benefit the residents of Newark. The Municipal Council passed the Ordinance with a 5-3 vote, Councilman Council, Dupree, Crump, Councilwoman McIver and Rountree voted yes, Councilman Gonzalez,Quintana and Ramos voted no and Councilman Silva abstained.

"Thank you to the community members who showed up and urged the Municipal Council to vote no on the Zoning Ordinance. The changes to the Zoning Ordinance are not about

environmentalists versus developers. It's about residents' voices being heard and their ability to be part of the process that will impact their daily quality of life, stated Kim Gaddy, Executive Director, South Ward Environmental Alliance. The passing of this ordinance did not support the constituents who voted for the Council members but favored the developers, where is the democracy! Nothing about us, Without us, Is for Us. Power to the People, this fight will continue, concluded Gaddy.

From the outset of the process in April of this year, the Planning Department has downplayed the extent and nature of the proposed changes. They initially proposed minimal public review of one zoom session and one citywide meeting, claiming that zoning changes were only “technical” in nature to align with residents' requests from the Newark360 Master Plan process, which did not address specifics of zoning law. 

South Ward Environmental Alliance conducted a rapid response analysis of the 400-page proposed replacement zoning ordinance and found thousands of unannounced changes to existing environmental justice protections and minimum housing standards. It turns out that the promise of affordable housing was a Trojan Horse for a widespread deregulation of development across Newark, leaving even more of the process to the discretion of private interests, and restricting democratic decision-making for the future of our community.

When confronted with our findings, the Planning Department offered single meetings in each ward, often organized on less than five days notice. These limited public sessions began with a 90-minute presentation full of confusing details and no mention of major changes, with only a few minutes at the end for questions and comments. City staff gave the hard sell, telling residents who know better that the reason Newark has not received investment it deserves is not environmental racism, but our already flexible zoning laws. We were told that if we opposed proposed zoning rollbacks, then we “must love our blight.”

When over 300 residents and groups submitted comments on the ordinance in June, we received no response, and no publication of the public comments. Instead, the Planning Department picked a small set of changes to make without sharing any reasons. To this day, they have not not provided satisfactory responses or reasons for dismissing the majority of public comments, except for vague assurances about creating affordable housing. 

In our attempts to put the facts on the table and have more straight talk on what the replacement zoning ordinance means for every Newark neighborhood, SWEA and 5-Ward Resident Task Force distributed explanatory materials to residents, wrote a series of articles, and published an open letter demanding four revisions listed below. While this letter has now been endorsed by over 280 residents and groups and hand-delivered to each Council Member, we have received no follow-up. 

Despite our attempts over the last nine months, we have not succeeded in pressuring the Planning Department to have a more open and straight discussion of these changes in detail. This lack of transparency has led to suspicions that the changes may have been influenced by undisclosed entities and private interests, rather than the public welfare. This was not a respectful process to residents or the goal of planning and developing our city for Newarkers. 

The 5-Ward Resident Task Force on Zoning, convened by the South Ward Environmental Alliance, continues to urge a second round of revisions to address the following four key areas of concern before further consideration of the ordinance:

1. Restore Housing Standards & Environmental Injustice Protections!

Elimination and reduction of conditions and standards for development have a negative cumulative impact on public health and quality of life. Reductions in minimum design standards for windows, permeable surfaces, and setbacks would reduce open space, add to Urban Heat Island effect, exacerbate flooding, and worsen climate resiliency.

2. No New Liquor Stores, Bars, Vape Shops & Hotels in Neighborhoods! Don’t Surprise Thousands of Newark Residents By Converting Their Residential Blocks to Commercial Zones!

Expanding neighborhood areas that permit businesses like liquor stores that have often caused conflicts with neighbors will increase conflict and reduce community safety. Similarly, removing all required conditions for Bars, Lounges, Boarding Houses, Body Art Studios, Food Pantries, Animal Boarding, and 14 other currently conditional uses threatens quality of life and resident security. Finally, remapping hundreds of blocks from Residential to Commercial without individual notices will disrupt residents and fuel speculation.

3. Stop Overcrowding Our Community, Don’t Redefine Residential Zones!

Although current zoning law is already permissive and has authorized 36,000 homes since it was adopted under Mayor Baraka’s leadership, the replacement zoning multiplies the number of apartments permitted on every lot in the city in the name of increasing housing supply. Extreme increases in permitted density can destabilize housing markets and fuel predatory speculation.

4. Reinstate Public Notices & Hearings For Proposed Developments!

In the name of streamlining the development process, the proposed replacement ordinance goes too far removing resident voices from the process. Moving decisions from the Zoning Board to the Planning Board ties the City’s hands, decreasing leverage of Council members and residents to negotiate positive developments and protect against predatory ones. The proposed ordinance unbalances the system away from community interests by exempting many uses from public notices and hearings.

"Newark residents deserve leaders who support economic, social and environmental justice for the people of Newark, concluded Kim Gaddy"

Additional links:

Open Letter Demanding Newark Zoning Revisions

Overview of New Newark Zoning Law

SWEA's Kim Gaddy Talks Replacement Zoning On All Politics Is Local Show



More explanatory materials: www.linktr.ee/newarkzoning

Regina Townes, Ports Organizer.  I was raised in the South Ward and enjoyed my early years on Chadwick Avenue. As an adult, I returned to the South Ward and purchased my first home and enjoyed 21 years as a proud South Ward homeowner.

As a longshorewoman, my everyday work environment at the Port of Newark exposed me to cumulative impacts of pollution while working on the ships, rail yards and next to trucks that were idling. In addition,  equipment used for hauling containers were all diesel operated. Over the years of working my health was impacted. I would see black particles when cleaning or blowing my nose and I developed a deep harsh cough that brought pain to my chest.

I was forced to move to another area on the pier that had less of an impact on my health.

During my 31 years working at the Newark  port, I witnessed several of my co-workers suffer from strokes,asthma & heart attacks, aneurysm and cancer.  These life threatening experiences became an awakening that changed my life forever. I felt compelled to share my story and engaged in environmental conferences with Clean Water Action, Coalition for Healthy Ports and the Moving Forward Network. It became important to me to learn about the dangers of diesel emissions in port operations and fight for Zero Emissions at the Port and the surrounding communities like the South Ward.

In conversations with my best friend Kim Gaddy, as she was inviting members to serve on the Board of Directors for the South Ward Environmental Alliance, I knew it was the right time to engage and be a voice for workers at the Newark Port.  I was elected as the Chair of the Board and now I have the awesome opportunity to serve as the Ports Organizer. 

Her inspiration and dedication for Environmental Justice has become a part of my life, and I'm looking forward to promoting and improving relationships with individuals, existing partners and organizations that represent the South Ward. My goal is to ensure  Zero Emissions is prioritized at the Port of New York and New Jersey.

I would like to thank the SWEA team for embracing and welcoming me in the fight for Environmental and Health Justice for all South Ward residents.

The SWEA Youth Council recently took a break from their environmental justice advocacy work to enjoy a day of fun and bonding at Six Flags Fright Fest. Fajr Kegler, the Youth Organizer for SWEA, planned the event to provide the council members with an opportunity to relax and get to know each other better. 

Despite the spooky atmosphere and haunted houses, everyone had a great time riding the attractions and facing their fears together. In fact, the long drive to the location gave the group plenty of time to chat and strengthen their bonds beyond the usual meetings. 

Fostering these connections is an important part of the Youth Council's overall mission. While their advocacy work for the environment is paramount, it is equally important to prioritize self-care and relationship-building to prevent burnout. If you join, there’s more than just work!

The Six Flags Fright Fest outing was a success and the Youth Council looks forward to many more opportunities to work together and have fun as a group.

On Saturday of October 28, the South Ward Environmental Alliance's Youth Organizer, Fajr Kegler,  represented SWEA at a community gathering hosted by the Clinton Hill Community Action (CHCA). This special occasion marked the much-anticipated annual pumpkin harvest and farmers market at the Hawthorne Avenue Farm. 



The event was a celebration of community, offering local residents an opportunity to connect, take advantage of locally grown produce, and enjoy an array of seasonal activities, with pumpkin picking taking center stage. CHCA even held a costume contest for the children. 

A hayride transported both children and parents to a nearby pumpkin patch on Bergen Street, allowing them to handpick the perfect pumpkin for their seasonal decorations and jack-o'-lanterns. Surrounding the farm was a number of vendors from local small businesses as well as community organizations eager to share valuable information about their resources. It was an ideal platform for these vendors to engage with the local community, promote their offerings, and foster meaningful connections. For the children, there were multiple engaging activities to help get them in the holiday spirit like pumpkin painting. 

As the event came to an end, it was clear that the community members had truly appreciated all of the festivities. SWEA, in particular, achieved its goal of reaching out to the South Ward residents, sharing information, and building valuable connections. 

On Friday, October 13, 2023 the SWEA’s Youth Advisory Council held their first monthly meeting to discuss the mission and vision of the Youth and Junior Youth Councils of the organization. Hosted by Youth Organizer, Fajr Kegler, the group discussed a number of upcoming events and plans to recruit new members. First, they mentioned the plans for the bonding trip to Six Flags Great Adventure for Fright Fest. All members were ecstatic to finally get to go on an adventure just for fun! Next, they talked about the addition of the Junior Youth Advisory Council. This council will consist of members between the ages of 10 and 14 and seek to educate students about environmental justice, expose them to civic engagement opportunities, and provide them with leadership training. 

After everyone expressed their excitement about opening their doors to younger members, the topic of recruitment came up. Fajr provided updates on what the recruitment process has been like so far and opened the floor for new suggestions on how that process could be improved. 

Finally, the meeting ended on the topic of events for the community hosted by the Youth Council, and what the next event will look like. Overall it was a very productive meeting and next month’s meeting is expected to have even more exciting new updates for the council. 

Greater Life Teen Resource Fair  

On Friday, October 6, 2023, the members of the SWEA Senior Advisory Board participated in an environmental justice tour visiting different sites and locations of Port Newark where shipping and warehouses are located. Many of these sites are emitting hazardous pollutants that are affecting and impacting the health of our community in the South Ward. Kim Gaddy, Executive Director and Founder of SWEA, was the tour guide that sponsored this event and highlighted that our port is the second largest port in the United States. The members of this board had the upfront opportunity to witness the tremendous diesel truck traffic that exist on a daily basis and storage sites that house materials that are threatening the health of our resident population.

Following the tour, the members returned to a luncheon meeting to discuss the EJ tour, its impacts and how advocating for healthy communities are so important. The advisory board also discussed and planned for future events to educate and inform other senior residents about the health disparities impacting the South Ward residents in Dayton Street, Weequahic and Clinton Hill neighborhood.

Nicole Miller of NewarkDIG receives the Cary Edwards Leadership Award.

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