Monday, April 1, 2013
The Mayor and Council opted to forego a public hearing on the proposed ordinance, effectively killing it in the process
Park Avenue residents in River Edge are breathing easier now that the borough governing body has once again abandoned a proposed duplex ordinance. The Mayor and Council had scheduled a public hearing on the conditional use zoning change for Monday night, but opted to forego the public hearing and kill the ordinance in the process. A public hearing was required prior to a vote and by not holding the hearing, the borough was effectively voting against moving forward. "I want to thank the governing body for finally listening to us," Park Avenue resident Jim Miller said. "I just hope this ordinance does not get reintroduced as it seems we have to come out every two years to fight this battle. I'm tired of that, please leave us alone." The …
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The following letter was read during the March 25 Mayor and Council meeting in River Edge by Park Avenue residents
- OPINION
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Tuesday, March 26
Last Thursday we came to the Planning Board and listened carefully. And while the decision made came as a disappointment to our community, it also served to coalesce our understanding of a political process which seems astray. The purpose of the Planning Board meeting was whether this ordinance conforms to the borough’s masterplan and the questions asked by both the Board members and the public, demonstrated many issues. One neighbor held up the Land Use Map as bound into the masterplan and pointed out how the area is meant to be single family residential and read aloud from the masterplan: “The residential land use plan proposed no new areas for single-family or multi-family development. All existing residential neighborhoods are to be …
Monday, March 25, 2013
The borough Planning Board decided 7-2 to support an ordinance to allow duplexes on Park Avenue
The River Edge Mayor and Council will soon have to muster a super majority vote to advance a controversial conditional zoning ordinance to allow duplexes on Park Avenue. Late last week, the borough's Planning Board, by a 7-2 vote, agreed that the proposed ordinance is consistent with the Master Plan. The ordinance would allow a developer to utilize a 22-lot span along the eastern side of Park Avenue to construct the duplexes. Park Avenue is located near the River Edge train station and a few blocks away from the New Milford border. "There has been a petition made to the council that a super majority vote take place to approve the ordinance when it returns to the governing body," Mayor Sandy Moscaritolo said. The three-way split on the …
Thursday, February 21, 2013
An ordinance to allow duplexes on Park Avenue was abandoned just before the end of 2012 but has now resurfaced.
With council chambers packed to capacity by Park Avenue residents, the River Edge Mayor and Council introduced a proposed zoning change ordinance to allow duplexes along the eastern side of the street. The ordinance, approved 4-2 with Councilmen Ed Mignone and Alphonse Bartelloni casting the nay votes, will now head to the Planning Board for reivew in March. "There are a lot of larger issues down there," Mignone said. "We have seven of 12 affected property owners speak out against this. Mr. Caleca had every right to come here and request a zoning change. He presented a good plan. If we can't convince you this is the right to do, we shouldn't tell you we're doing this for your own good." Developer Joseph Caleca was initially approved to …
Monday, February 4, 2013
Park Avenue resident Jim Miller argues against a possible zoning change to allow duplexes in a Letter to the Editor
- OPINION
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Monday, February 4
The Park Avenue Residents do not want our residential neighborhood changed by this far reaching arm of government. We feel the process is flawed by having a vote during a School break for which I and other neighbors have to change vacation plans to be available on Feb 19, 2013 8pm meeting. The three days notice in December before the final vote and no transparency of this entire issue all along. Causes us, the residents and Voters to believe the change is already cast! The Builder knew that the economy was declining. $ 650,000, Five bedroom houses on Park would be a mistake. No matter what the tax structure was or will be in the future. The feel of our “oldest neighborhood” is smaller three bedroom houses. And is residential R1 zoned for …
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
A proposed zoning change ordinance for Park Avenue to allow duplexes was abandoned Monday night but may be reintroduced in 2013
Throughout autumn, members of the River Edge Council and Planning Board debated the benefits of allowing a zoning change ordinance to proceed which would allow duplexes on Park Avenue. On Monday night, as the proposed change was to be voted on, residents from the little side street gave impassioned pleas for postponement. By unanimous approval, they got their wish as the governing body abandoned the proposal but with a warning that it would be resurrected in 2013. "If you are going to propose a rezoning, which I think is being done in piecemeal and not to the benefit of all of Park Avenue, why not allow this to benefit all," Jose Saladin said. "Why limit the scope to the eastern side and not have it benefit the western side as well. At the…
Friday, October 26, 2012
Local developer Joe Colecko had requested a conditional use zone change to build duplexes on Park Avenue and an ordinance to allow that will be introduced and voted on next month
Before the end of the year, developer Joe Colecko may just get his wish to construct a pair of duplexes on Park Avenue as the River Edge Mayor and Council will introduce a condition use zone change for the street. Colecko and attorney Thomas Barrett appeared before the governing body at the end of September to request the change. Borough attorney Sam Cereste had been working on a draft ordinance since beginning this month and it will be introduced at the Nov. meeting. The conditional use change would be implemented across 22 properties on Park Avenue but a duplex development could only be constructed on a lot measuring 7500-square-foot or larger. Colecko's design plan calls for a pair of two-and-a-half story duplexes with each side of …
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Local housing developer Joe Polaco's initial plans for single family homes have been scrapped due to the borough reassessment. He is now looking to build a pair of duplexes on Park Avenue
Several months ago, Joe Polaco had intended to build a pair of 2500-square-foot houses along Park Avenue but following the borough's reassessment, those plans changed and this week has requested a conditional zoning change for that property to allow duplexes on site. "We're asking the council to entertain an ordinance making duplex homes a conditional use in the zone," Polaco's attorney Thomas Barrett said. "The railroad is the rear boundary of the property and most of the neighboring lots are two family homes." Polaco has proposed utiliting the 7500-square-foot property, comprised of two lots, to feature a pair of two-and-a-half story duplexes with each side of the duplex including a one car garages. "Due to the revaluation and assessment…
Park Avenue Resident
8:18 am on Thursday, April 11, 2013
First, I have only proved MY point.. not GoHawks. Go ask any realtor, how many 3br homes in River Edge have been sold to a 'single person'. No kids in the family. They will tell you emphatically 'NONE'. In my 12-13 years of real estate experience I have seen NO childless families buy in this town. Our home prices are higher because of the school system. No childless couple is buying a home to be … more ›