NORTH BERGEN, GUTTENBERG, AND BEYOND – The proposed Appleview development in North Bergen will once again be under review from the North Bergen Planning Board following the decision of Judge Christine Farrington in the Hudson County Superior Court.
The North Bergen Planning Board had approved the project, a 59-unit residential complex at 7009 and 7101 River Rd. in North Bergen, over residents’ protests on March 30, with numerous conditions. The project is near the Galaxy Towers in Guttenberg and 20 feet from a major natural gas pipeline. Residents are concerned that construction would remove too much of the Palisades Cliffs, and that a nearby Transco Williams Gas pipeline could potentially explode.
The Court’s decision, as sent to the Reporter, maintains that the North Bergen Planning Board “…had insufficient evidence to support a finding that the development’s benefits outweigh the detriments.”
In regards to the gas pipeline, the decision claims that the North Bergen Planning Board did not sufficiently determine whether the safety considerations required by town law have been met.
“Without direct testimony from qualified Transco personnel, the Court is unable to find that the safety considerations required by the municipal land use law has been met,” the decision says.
In July, the Hudson County Planning Board also approved the project.
“The township remains confident that the Appleview project will be built,” said North Bergen Town Spokesman Phil Swibinski in an e-mail to the Reporter. Swibinski added that the town feels that Appleview is “completely safe” and will be beneficial to the area. –Stephen LaMarca