Two proposed competing developments were given a tentative go-ahead by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission at a meeting three weeks ago.
A project by developer Gene Heller calls for 441,000 square feet of retail space in four buildings off Paterson Plank Road near Harmon Meadow Mall. Of this, 150,000 square feet are dedicated to a discount club, believed to be Sam’s Discount Club chain. A Wal-Mart discount store is slated for a building of 170,000 square feet, with 160,000 square feet in other buildings slated for general retail.
Another development company, Hartz Mountain Industries, has proposed a project for property off Harmon Meadow Boulevard that would include two large retail stores. One may be a K-Mart, and the other will be a home improvement center.
Hartz’s plans filed before the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) include about 145,000 for a discount department store and about 137,000 for the home improvement store.
In August Gene Heller, former president of Hartz Mountain, filed suit against his former company, claiming Hartz failed to provide an access road through the company-owned Harmon Meadow Mall that was necessary for his $40 million project to move ahead.
Attorney Bennett Stern of Livingston, who represents Heller, said the suit was filed because Hartz had failed to provide access roads as required by the NJMC-approved construction of Harmon Meadow Mall project in 1983. Heller needs the 80-foot right of way through Hartz property to allow traffic to access Paterson Plank Road.
In its most recent approval of both projects, the NJMC gave both projects the go-ahead as long as the companies can work out an agreement that will detail how traffic improvements will be done, and as long as both will bear the cost of the roadway extension project.
If Hartz agrees, this would effectively give Heller what he asked for in his lawsuit. The complaint filed in civil court over the summer demanded that Hartz open up the roads to the privately-owned tract of land on which Heller will build and pay a share in the cost of the construction. The suit also named the NJMC for failing to make Hartz comply with the previous ruling.
Heller plans to build on a 35-acre tract of land owned by resident Eugene E. Mori, who had submitted a petition to the commission earlier this year asking for a rezoning of a 2.5-acre lot on the border of North Bergen on Paterson Plank Road. It is not yet known whether Heller intends to buy or lease the land from Mori.
The NJMC has also asked the companies to extend existing roadway medians on Plaza Drive, make drainage improvements to Cromakill Creek that borders the properties, and provide through and turn lanes on Westside Avenue and Paterson Plank Road at Plaza Drive.
While details on the Hartz project are not yet available, Heller’s project is expected to create up to 1,000 construction jobs as well as 300 to 400 permanent positions once the project is complete.
Assisted-living facility gets extension
Although Dr. George Peck of Passaic, the original applicant to build an assisted living facility on Flanagan Way, is no longer involved with the project, the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission has given him a year’s extension on variance. This means that whoever takes over the project has another year before they have to start construction.
Peck had applied for the variances in early 2000 and was approved to start construction.
Peck proposed building a five-story assisted living complex on the site of the former truck terminal on Flanagan Way. The Assisted Living Center at Secaucus, Inc. was supposed to contain 100 units of housing for the elderly. As envisioned, the structure would have been a 14,000 square feet five-story building constructed on a one-acre site near Fourth Street and Flanagan Way. The facility would have 41 parking spaces.
The concept of assisted living, sometimes called residential care or catered living, comes out of Europe and involves housing with personalized support and health care designed to respond to the individual needs of those who need help with activities of daily living, but do not need the skilled medical care provided in a nursing home. This service was created to help maintain a person’s independence and dignity, and encourages resident’s family, neighbors and friends to be involved.
Earlier this year, town officials discovered that Peck was no longer involved with the project and that other people would be taking over. A NJMC spokesperson said she knew nothing of a change in ownership and that the request for the extension was granted in Peck’s name.
Mayor Dennis Elwell said a new firm was currently negotiating to take over the project, but that no matter what happens, it will be constructed as first proposed.
"I met with some state officials," he said. "They called me in to see how I feel about the project."
Elwell said the firm, Victoria Meuse, has a history of operating other such facilities in New Jersey.
"If there are changes, they would have to go back for variances," Elwell said.
North Hudson trail will offer view of 62-acre marsh
In other news, the NJMC announced that it had received funds from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to help build a park and trail in North Bergen. Three firms bid on the project with a range of costs from $121,600 to $123,110. Under state law, the NJMC must award the contract not to the lowest bidder, but to the contractor rated highest by the state for performance. The NJMC voted to give the contract to B.J. Davies of Florham Park for $121,000. The NJMC will contributed $65,000 to the project with the balance to come from a Green Acres Grant.
In 1999, the state set aside $500,000 from a 1995 Green Acres Bond to fund the project. The grant would pay to build the trail, environmental classroom and other amenities and would be open to students for local education program.
The North Hudson Trail project, a segment of the Meadows Path, will wind through the back yards of Liz Claiborne, K-Mart and other stores along the New Jersey Turnpike Spur in North Bergen, which is expected to build a 15-acre municipal park near the southern end of the trail in conjunction with this project.
The NJMC is responsible for the design and construction of the whole Meadows Path. While the HMDC will design and oversee the project, it hired B.J. Davies for the actual construction.
Hartz Mountain Industries donated an observation platform to the project, which will offer hikers a view of the nearby 62-acre marsh where numerous species of wildlife reside.
In addition to the outdoor classroom and observation deck, other plans include building bridges over wetlands, native planting, an information kiosk, storage and comfort facilities and a parking and school bus drop off area. q