The North Bergen Board of Commissioners approved a change in its zoning laws last week that could lead to two residential projects being built in the uptown section of the township near the Fairview border. According to the resolution passed at last week’s commissioners’ meeting, the township has created a new commercial-residential district that will conditionally permit development for multi-family dwellings in the area encompassing Kennedy Boulevard, parts of Second and Third Avenues, 89th through 92nd Streets and Bergenwood Avenue. The buildings should be lower than 60 feet in height and within a 20,000 square foot lot area. The commissioners also approved the amending of another commercial zoning district, which includes properties along Bergenline Avenue, by calling for multi-family dwellings on that site as well. The township acted on the recommendation of consultants Burgos Associates of Westwood, which conducted an evaluation of the areas to determine that the northern part of the township is more residential than commercial and that many of the multi-family dwellings in the area are apartment buildings, instead of two-family homes. The two changes in the existing zoning laws were possibly made to fit the specifications of proposed developments at the site of the old Sier-Bath gear factory, located on Kennedy Boulevard and 92nd Street, as well as the Mundo Latino Restaurant, on Bergenline near 86th Street. The current owners of the restaurant submitted plans to the township in January to demolish an old fruit and vegetable stand just south of the restaurant and build an eight-story, 40-unit apartment complex. The Planning Board rejected the initial plan because it failed to meet zoning requirements. However, since the zoning requirements have now changed, the owners could reapply for a building application. There already is a plan in place to demolish the old Sier-Bath factory and build an apartment building somewhere between five and seven stories in height. In the past, the factory caused a series of heartaches and physical problems for local residents, who complained about fumes and odors coming from the factory, initially thought of as leaking toxins. The state Department of Environmental Protection was brought in to conduct studies on the site to check for contaminants. As it stands now, the building remains vacant. But local residents are not about to accept the new development plans with open arms. Rocco Arciola has lived in the area for the past 26 years and is not pleased with what has transpired. Arciola was one of the most active residents in helping to close down the factory because of the health concerns it caused. Now, Arciola is poised to fight the township on the proposed development. “I think all of the residents in the area are opposed to any eight-story structure going up in the neighborhood,” Arciola said. “We’re all opposed to any apartments. What in the world will 200 more cars do for parking in the area? I know what’s going to happen. There’s going to be no parking.” Arciola added, “And this apartment is going to be sitting right outside my window. I don’t want to look at that, to look out the window and see this big building. It will surely change the character of the neighborhood. If the plans were for one to even four family houses, I can live with that. But anything more than six stories and up, forget about it.” Much like he did when he took on Sier-Bath with its environmental issues beginning in 1976, Arciola is ready to rally the troops and said that he has the support of approximately 200 residents. “I intend to contact as many as people as possible and tell them to attend the next commissioners meeting (May 24, which will determine whether building on the site will be permitted),” Arciola said. “It’s hard for people to attend, because the meetings are in the morning. If we would have known that they were set to change the zoning, then we would have had a whole group there protesting.” Arciola said that he has presented several petitions over the years regarding issues in the neighborhood. “But honestly, they’ve all fallen on deaf ears,” Arciola said. “I think showing up in person will be better than a signature. And I don’t think they’ll be able to ignore us. At one time, we might have gone quietly into the night. But we’re not about to right now.”
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