Many of the residents of the veteran’s housing complex on Cantello Street in Union City came to the Board of Commissioners meeting on March 20 with concerns of being evicted from their homes.
“I am afraid of losing my home,” said Edna Kaltenbronn to the commissioners.
Kaltenbronn, whose husband and son were both veterans, has lived in the housing complex for 20 years. Others, like Dottie Jetter, have been living there for 30 or 40 years.
Rumors of tearing down the housing complex came after the city’s Planning Board voted to classify two parcels of land as redevelopment areas on March 8. The areas are near the complex, but the complex itself is not slated for redevelopment.
Fears worsened after a report released by the planning company of Community Housing and Planning of Fort Lee at the Planning Board meeting called the veteran’s housing complex on Cantello Street “substandard.”
“We are not sub-standard,” said Kaltenbronn who showed pictures of her bathroom and kitchen to show the work that she has put into her home over the years. “We have fixed everything ourselves. We all keep our apartments very nice.”
Union City Mayor Brian Stack refuted rumors of redeveloping the veteran’s housing complex.
“I would never displace any tenants,” said Stack. “Why would I be out there at fire scenes and helping all tenants if I was just going to evict about 40 tenants right here?”
These two areas are near the Yardley Building on Palisade Avenue between Fourth and Seventh streets and the area surrounding the old Swiss Townhouse restaurant on Hudson Avenue near 33rd Street, which has been vacant for more than 15 years and has recently been damaged by fires. The Swiss Townhouse property also included the Veteran’s Housing Complex on Cantello Street and the Italian Community Center across the street. The reports were made after the Board of Commissioners voted to authorize a Redevelopment Study of various sites in Union City for possible future developments.
“The intent was to better our neighborhood,” said Stack. “We have to bring new ratable into the city while maintaining affordable housing which is my intention.”
However, while the veteran’s housing complex was not one of the properties that the commissioners named when authorizing the study, it was in the area of another parcel of land.
“When you authorize a study, not only does the specific site get studied, but the entire neighborhood gets studied,” said Stack.
While some of the residents do not believe that talk of redeveloping that site is over, others are confident that Stack will stick to his word.
“Do I think that this is going to stop here? No,” said Jetter. “I think they are going to try to redevelop. This is progress.”
“[Brian] Stack ensured us that this wouldn’t happen and I believe him,” said Kaltenbronn. “I am glad to help in any way I can.”