Hackensack plan to convert parking lot into park meeting resistanceFriday, October 12, 2012
BY CAESAR DARIAS
CORRESPONDENT
Hackensack Chronicle
City leaders and business owners are seeking a compromise solution regarding a plan to convert a downtown parking lot into a public park.
The current parking lot — located Atlantic and Warren streets — contains 52 metered parking spaces and is adjacent to where the city is renovating a new 9,000 square-foot cultural arts center, located at Atlantic and State streets.
According to City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono, current plans for the park include a gazebo performance space that can accommodate about 200 people.
"The city would reduce that to about nine spaces and the property owners are not happy," said Joseph R. Contaldi, 57, an attorney who owns part of the Landmark Building at 27 Warren St. "There are a number of commercial businesses that border that parking lot and their clients and customers use that lot."
Contaldi, in an interview after the meeting, who is the "point-person" for concerned businesses, said there have been "meetings, discussions and letters of dissent" written.
"In that building alone there are in excess of 20 attorneys, two accountants, a realtor and a publishing company," said Contaldi. "And that's our building alone."
Contaldi's building also houses his own law office and 14 condominium units.
"We're not losing the spots because we are replacing them," said Lo Iacono.
Lo Iacono also said that a parking consultant found that the parking lot is underutilized. "There's 52 spots," he said. "Of the 52, 14 are leased on a monthly basis by tenants in that building. Of the balance of 38, there is utilization of less than 50 percent of the time. Over 50 percent of the spots were vacant the majority of they day."
Moreover, according to Lo Iacono, "We're going to be creating some on-street parking … and creating another 40 spots on the ground level of a garage on the same street."
Speaking at the Committee of the Whole meeting preceding the council meeting, Councilwoman Karen K. Sasso supported the Atlantic Street Park as a complement to the arts center. "I think that anybody who's against it is just obstructing the future of Main Street," said Sasso. "I'd love to be able to review it and see if we can come to some sort of compromise."
"We don't want to be obstructionists," said Contaldi. "The property owners in the area are hoping to reach a compromise with the city and avoid litigation."
Contaldi said the compromise would allow businesses to "retain approximately half the parking spaces. The city will have a park next to the culture center."
The City's of Hackensack Rehabilitation Plan, an ambitious multi-year project that seeks to revitalize the downtown area with new businesses, housing, civic and cultural institutions, devotes four pages and several additional references to parking issues.
Lo Iacono asserted that the creation of Atlantic Street Park conforms to the needs of the Rehabilitation Plan.
The plan's document, prepared by DMR Architects of Hasbrouck Heights, contains a conceptual design drawing of the arts center and the proposed park. According to Lo Iacono, park construction plans are essentially on hold.
"There is no timetable right now," he said. "We're hoping to get this issue settled without pain."
Email: hackensack@northjersey.com