I had a chance meeting yesterday with the pastor of the Dominican Assembly of God church. They rent space from Trinity Baptist on Passaic Street, and they own a house at 380 Summit Ave, east side 1/2 block south of Passaic Street.
He complained that the City has been subjecting him to 2 years of delays and red tape, and still hasn't scheduled his application to the Zoning Board. His congregation of 60 families purchased the house about 3 years ago for he claims the staggering sum of $730,000. They intent to leave it structurally the way it is, just to take down some wallls on the inside and make it into a church. They intend to provide ZERO onsite parking spots.
He says they can't sell the house and move elsewhere because they'll never get $730,000 for it, probably won't get $500,000 for it. He can't stomach the loss. And they've spent mucho dollars already in repairs, and something like $20,000 a year in taxes.
I'd love to see one of our readers research and find out how much he paid for it, and what he pays a year in taxes. I assume he's honest about the numbers, because he's a pastor, but you never know.
He mentioned all the gang and drug problems in Hackensack and said that he wants his church to be a refuge, and to motivate the people to "something better". He said that the people of the older neighborhoods so much look up to Summit Ave that he chose it for his church. He mentioned Fair Street and Lodi Street as both having gang problems.
I thanked him for doing the good work of God, and suggested that he would much better serve his mission by locating the church where the people live who most need to be helped.
