Arguing for open space along the river, members of the Sierra Club spoke out against the proposed Riverview development at the North Bergen Commissioners meeting last week.
Riverview, which would be built at the base of Bulls Ferry Road, has been under review by the North Bergen Planning Board for more than two years. The proposed development would include three 12-story towers containing 256 condominiums. Some open space advocates and neighbors are opposed to the project, stating that the towers would block their view of the Hudson River. They also believe the land could be better used for a park.
Residents of an existing development Bergen Ridge, have also spoke out against the project on the River Road. The residents, through their homeowner’s association, have hired an attorney to fight the project, claiming Riverview would cause their property values to decrease.
Louise Taylor, the chair of the Hudson-Meadowlands Sierra Club Chapter, said at the meeting that 65 percent of Hudson County voters in 2007 voted yes on an open space ballot question that would have them taxed to purchase land for parks.
Mayor Nicholas Sacco told her during the meeting that the Riverview parcel was valued at around $21 million and was too expensive to buy. Taylor said that it could still be done, citing a parcel purchased by Edgewater several years ago for park space that cost $18 million raised through taxation.
Sierra Club member Jodie Jameson said the parcel is the last opportunity for a waterfront park in that area. She said that residents are “fed up” with traffic along River Road and that the area can’t handle another “528” vehicles on local roads.
“In case you can’t tell, mayor, I wasn’t too happy to hear about [the development],” said Jameson.
Kathy Friedman, another Sierra member, presented an illustration of a park made by David Molar, a North Bergen resident and architect. Jameson gave the commissoners petitions collected in the fall signed by 2,300 residents opposed to the project.
“The losers of that decision will go to court.” – Nicholas Sacco
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Sacco told the group there was still a chance for a small waterfront park and that the township was looking for a way to make it a reality. He also said the township would be refurbishing their soccer field and installing Astroturf.
Sacco said the main people affected by the upcoming Planning Board decision will be the residents of Bergen Ridge and the developer. “The losers of that decision will go to court, be it the developer, or be it the people in Bergen Ridge, who are really affected by this,” said Sacco.
Applied for park grant
North Bergen applied to the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund for $435,000 to refurbish a park on 64th Street and create a small soccer field for children in the “Pee-Wee” soccer league.
“[There are] abandoned tennis and basketball courts that haven’t been utilized for years,” said Town Administrator Christopher Pianese.
Updated old ordinances
Also Tuesday, the commissioners passed an ordinance increasing the fines given for illegal apartments. Some landlords carve out small apartments that are not up to code and rent them out.
The fine for the first violation would be up to $750 per day and/or 10 days in jail. The second violation would cost from $750 to $1,200 and/or 20 days in jail. The third violation fine would be from $1,200 to $2,500 and/or 30 days in jail.
“It’s amazing, people get caught with an illegal dwelling, [so] they close it down and get a minor fine because they say it was an error,” said Sacco. He said hoped that the increased fines would deter repeat offenders.
A second ordinance raised the fines for noise violations from $25 to a range of $100 to $250. Second offenses can bring up to a $500 fine.
“The 1981 ordinance hasn’t been increased since then,” said Town Attorney Herbert Klitzner. “It had no deterrent affect at all.”
Will auction car
The commissioners also approved a resolution to sell a 1996 Green BMW on the online auction website govdeals.com. Pianese said that the car had been confiscated by the police.
Getting good interest
The commissioners authorized Pianese to refinance eight bonds, which have funded numerous projects from 1999 to 2008, and consolidate them into one single bond of $22,472,000.
Pianese said this is the right time to take advantage of the low interest rates available. He said that for the last 10 years the bonds have been temporarily financed, and now they can be permanently set at a lower interest rate.
Two contracts approved
The commissioners extended for one year their contract with Champion Construction and Demolition Inc., of North Bergen, for township building and grounds maintenance repairs at $65 to $105 per hour.
Sand Castle, of Bayonne, will pay the township $12,000 to operate the food concession stand at the municipal pool for the summer months, and keep any earnings beyond that amount.
Cooperative agreement with Morris County
The commissioners passed a resolution to join the Education Services Commission of Morris County’s cooperative pricing agreement, allowing the township to use vendors they otherwise would need to negotiate their own contract with. One vendor the township is considering hiring is FileBank, Inc., an organization that electronically archives documents.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.