Two Downtown architects are claiming that the law is not being followed on a project designed by the husband of Jersey City’s director of the Housing, Economic Development and Commerce Department, Annisia Cialone.The architects, Ceci deLeon and her husband Tom Ogorzalek, Van Vorst neighbors of the mostly completed project at 87 Bright St., say the builder ignored the land use rules everyone is required to follow.DeLeon and Ogorzalek, who have hired an attorney to press their claim, find fault with how Jersey City has handled the situation, especially now that they say the temporary certificate of occupancy has expired, while the building continues to be occupied.“I want to see the law upheld,” said deLeon during an interview about the alleged “inconsistencies” and “discrepancies” she says have not been addressed and are now being investigated by the New Jersey Community Affairs Division of Codes and Standards after the couple filed a complaint.A spokesperson for the division confirmed the open investigation on Tuesday but declined to provide additional details.Because of the possible conflict between Cialone’s husband and Jersey City, code inspection responsibilities were transferred to Hoboken, a move that officials have said is relatively common.“All of those documents are publicly available and easily accessible online to everyone,” said Kim Wallace-Scalcione, press secretary for the city, over email Friday in response to the allegations. “As is standard procedure, the process goes through Hoboken to avoid any potential conflict of interest. As you are hopefully well aware, there is zero connection to be made as an architect’s role in these projects is completely unrelated to such allegations.”The architect on the project, James Cornell, is Cialone’s husband.He said over email Friday that a “disgruntled neighbor” called the DCA and that the allegations have been ruled “unfounded.” A representative for Cialone deferred to Wallace-Scalcione.One issue is the building’s fire escape, which was allegedly added illegally on the neighboring school property. It now impedes on nearby residents’ “shared means of passage” for the sake of egress, and first responders’ ability to “get past that stair with their equipment on,” according to deLeon and Ogorzalek, who own a condo in the building at 85 Bright St.  Records from Hoboken’s Construction Code Office, obtained through the Open Public Records Act, suggest attention was given to whether the rear path of egress was clear.Other neighbors’ concerns pertain to to the construction of the basement and rear back wall allegedly in a floodplain. They also say the property owner ignored other conditions of their approval.The building replaced an old warehouse and is now back in the public eye after the Jersey City Planning Board approved the site plan some five years ago.Last month, the Planning Board addressed a request for “minor” amendments to the building plans for 87 Bright St. during its public meeting.  For years, the couple and other members of the Van Vorst Neighborhood Association have been wrestling with the property owner and officials about the alleged code violations.  Chris Langston, chair of the planning board, told Stephen Joseph, the attorney representing the property owner Michael Case, that they first needed to provide other documents before the board could review the application for the site plan amendments, one of which pertains to the fire escape.  The list of requested documents includes the board’s resolution of approval and an easement agreement, both of which will outline what was allowed to be constructed on the property.That easement agreement is with the Jersey City Board of Education and relates to the property to the south currently occupied by Frank R. Conwell Middle School. DeLeon and Ogorzalek’s attorney, Anne Studholme, told the board that the fire escape presented a “terrible safety issue,” but one she admitted could be resolved.    The site plan amendments are scheduled to be taken up by the board again on Nov. 12. Joseph declined comment after the last meeting because of the potential for litigation, and again over phone Friday through his office.    DeLeon and Ogorzalek have involved their neighborhood association. Its board of trustees intends to submit a letter to the planning board to formally detail their gripes.The couple recently brought up the issues at one of the association’s recent meetings. They detailed the “complete disregard” for the land use rules and processes.  The property owner is now “going back (to the board), having built stuff, and they’re asking for forgiveness” in the form of these amendments, said Ogorzalek.The post Neighbors Say Building Designed by Jersey City Official’s Husband Fails to Meet Code appeared first on Jersey City Times.