The Mayor’s recent veto of Ordinance 25-123 was grounded in several misunderstandings about how bird-friendly design works, how architects routinely meet these requirements in dozens of other cities, and the actual costs and design implications involved. We hope this letter helps clarify those issues and reinforces the feasibility and importance of including bird-friendly requirements within Jersey City’s development framework.

Mayor Steven Fulop’s veto of Ordinance 25-123 is an outrageous move that attempts to overturn a 7-0 council vote on November 25th, and a unanimous Planning Board vote in September. It also ignores the huge outpouring of public support this ordinance has received.