General Category > Hackensack Discussion

Hackensack Real Estate News Thread

(1/17) > >>

ericmartindale:
STOP & SHOP EXPANSION APPROVED --- On Wed, Oct 19, the Planning Board approved a $12 million dollar expansion and renovation of Stop & Shop. A 15,433 square foot expansion will be built on the west side of the building, facing Lodi. As part of the modernization, wood and slate flooring will be lain down throughout the store, 50 skylights added, and the produce, health, beauty care, and floral department expanded. This is all in an effort to win over customers from Shop Rite. It will be an upscale supermarket, “like a Whole Foods”, they said.

I challenged them to complete the widening of West Pleasantview Avenue from Summit Ave to the supermarket access road, known unofficially as Pathmark Drive. When Grand Union was built, Grand Union paid to add a westbound lane on West Pleasantview approaching Summit, but that extension stop short of the supermarket access road, causing a severe bottleneck. More than 50% of the westbound traffic on West Pleasantview makes a right turn at Summit or goes straight. When the LEFT TURN lane backs up to the bottleneck point, you reach a point between the apartment buildings where all traffic westbound is in only one lane. This means traffic which intends to go straight or right completely ceases to flow, causing an immediate logjam of cars. This logjam will not budge an inch until the LEFT TURN traffic moves so that the “end” of the logjam passes east of the bottleneck point. Then there is two lanes, and traffic going right or straight can flow again. The timing of the traffic light is also an issue that increases this problem. The applicant’s traffic expert refused, on the record, to acknowledge that this problem would be increased by the store expansion. However they did say that the store currently has very few customers, the parking lot is largely empty, and they want to change all that by modernizing the store. The board debated this problem. Board members Chiusullo and Hurwitz won the debate, saying that people can simply use other exits when the traffic gets problematic. The board denied my request for the board to hire a traffic expert to study this issue, and bill it  to the applicant (which can be done). The application was approved. Mayor Townes said that if it becomes a problem, the tenants in the stores will pressure their landlords. Townes says taxpayer money won’t be used to solve the problem. He envisions that all the stores in the area, including Pathmark and Stop & Shop, will someday pool money together to solve this problem. Whether or not this scenario is realistic or pie-in-the-sky is up for debate. Chiusullo said that widening the 50-70 foot stretch of roadway by one lane could cost upwards of $250,000, and he didn’t think that Stop & Shop should foot the bill.

OTHER APPROVALS --- The Dunkin Donuts on Hackensack Avenue will be torn down and replaced with a new drive-thru Dunkin Donuts. The long-abandoned house at 363 Essex Street (near Prospect Ave) will be torn down. The stores on the corner will expand into that space, and add a few parking spots. The city recently passed an ordinance banning street parking on the south side of that block.

94 STATE STREET UPDATE --- The hearing for the condos at 94 State Street will continue on Nov 8. As a result of the board's comments in October, they reduced lot coverage from 80% to 58%, increased the number of below grade parking spaces, and added one story to the building. It's still 90 units, but 8 stories instead of 7. This is a handsome and architecturally distinguished building, mostly brick, and unsurpassed by any multi-unit complex in the city, including Prospect Avenue.

COL AMERICA REALTY --- The hearing for the proposed new headquarters for Col America Realty (242 River Street) will begin on Nov 9.

ericmartindale:
CITYVIEW CONDOS APPROVED --- On Wed, 11/9/2005, the Hackensack Planning Board approved 90 units at 95 State Street. The project, to be known as Cityview, consists of 3 levels of parking (one is below grade, one at grade, and one above grade), upon which there are to be 6 levels of condos.  The peak of the building is at 97 feet. 5 people spoke during public comment, all in favor. The units will probably start in the $400,000’s, all are 2-bedroom luxury units with large floor plans. The lobby has room for a doorman, but it is up to the condo association if they want to hire one.

I spoke in favor of the application, and compared it to the approval of the Whitehall on Prospect Avenue, which was the first large building on Prospect Ave. The is an equally historic event, and State Street may become the next Prospect Avenue. This will bring prosperity to Main Street as investors seek to open upscale stores and restaurants to serve all the new “buyers” who will be living in the neighborhood. “Where there is a buyer, there will always be a seller.”

The building will replace a large vacant lot, 2 run-down houses built prior to 1875, a drive-thru Bank of NY facility, and an Aamco transmission business.  The property runs the east side of State Street from Warren to Bergen. One of the old houses has an unsightly storefront where Robin Reilly runs a thrift shop. Her operation unofficially doubles as the Faith Foundation, a homeless advocacy operation. Reilly was not present at the hearings, and it is unknown where she will move her operation. Anywhere she goes she will need multiple variances, both for a thrift store to provide homeless services. Executive with the adjacent Carpenter’s labor union (on Bergen Street) testified against people hanging out and causing trouble on the vacant lot.

NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING DISCUSSIONS --- Hackensack and every other city and town in NJ is subject to Round 3 of affordable housing regulations, per the Coalition on Affordable Housing (COAH). The Planning Board discussed how the city would handle the requirements. City Planner Michael Pessolamo said that all housing units built after 1/1/04 generate a 10% affordable housing requirement, and there is no way for any city or town in NJ to circumvent this requirement.  Mayor Townes, however, said the city has lately been discussing the impact with various consultants, and this has not been determined.  The two options on how developers may contribute are (a) “Build as you go” - require each developer to allocate 10% of the new units as affordable housing in each building as it is built, or (b) “Developer’s Contribution” - require each developer to contribute to a pot of money that can be used to renovate existing deteriorated housing in the city. The latter is much more applicable to Hackensack, and might conceivably include some holdings of Nigito Realty and other deteriorated rental buildings that could be renovated into owner-occupied affordable housing. Cityview said they will contribute, one way or another, towards the city’s affordable housing obligation. They prefer not to have the affordable units onsite.

COL AMERICA --- Planning Board hearing is postponed again, the applicant wants to build a handsome two-story office building, with landscaping and lots of parking to the rear, at the NE corner of River Street and Salem Street. A building is under demolition at this time, formerly a mini-blind and window-treatment store.

FUJI PHOTO REDEVELOPMENT ??? --- The sprawling Fuji photo factory on South River Street will be closed down, and all 167 workers laid off. This property is at least 5 acres and could be redeveloped for retail or condo use. Some discussions for a condo redevelopment have already happened between city officials and Fuji Photo.

Editor:
Latest news:  City to tell owners of abandoned buildings: Fix it or lose it

ericmartindale:
Here's what's new and noteworthy in terms of local real estate:

144 FAIRMOUNT AVE --- “Not a snowball’s chance in hell.”  That’s the talk around city hall regarding an application very recently filed to demolish a house on an oversized lot at 144 Fairmount Avenue and construct a 3-family dwelling.  The zone is R50 (formerly known as R1A). The zone allows single-family houses on 50 x 100 lots or larger. The applicant is Colonelli, a prominent local builder, and their attorney is Michael Napolitan. Although Napolitan is notorious for appearing before the boards and asking for the moon, one would think that Colonelli would be a little more politically astute. The Zoning Board of Adjustment, which is seriously backlogged with cell tower applications and other cases, has to go through the motions of hearing the case.

SUNNYSIDE TERRACE, 184 BERDAN PLACE --- Another pending case that doesn’t have a prayer is Sunnyside Terrace. Developers have a proposal to make townhouses on an absurdly gerrymandered lot between Berdan Place and James Street in the Carver Park district. The zoning there is R2, two-family houses only. Most of the proposed units have no street frontage and are proposed to be constructed behind and between the existing houses. The neighbors are up in arms, and they have been attending every hearing, dozens strong with their own attorney to object. The case has been partly heard, and then postponed for at least 8 months due to the case backlog and other issues. The applicant is making the dubious case that the neighborhood itself is totally obsolete and needs to be rebuilt with multi-unit dwellings. This has even further antagonized the community.

436 SUMMIT AVE / SE CORNER OF HAMILTON PLACE--- There’s an application to expand a house so that it will have a 3’10” side yard; this will allow a garage and second floor addition to be built with a driveway accessing Summit Ave. This plan will be altered at the request of the Zoning Board. The applicant, a professional dancer on Broadway, has submitted new plans for the garage which will not impact on the required side yard setback. Her new driveway will be accessed from Hamilton Place. The case is to be completed on February 15th.

588 SUMMIT AVE /  BETWEEN EUCLID AVE & ROSS AVE --- The board approved an application for a new homeowner to build an art gallery over his existing rear garage, which is 40 feet setback from the lot line. The art gallery will have a kitchen and bathroom, so technically it's a dwelling unit, and the board had a huge issue with that. He had to concede to deed restrictions that prevent it from ever being occupied as a housing unit. Also approved are his plans to complete a fence along Summit and Euclid Avenue. The fancy brick columns have been up for a year, now he can put the fence between them. This homeowner loves the beauty of Summit Ave, and that’s why he bought the house. He and his wife take great pleasure in investing several hundred thousand dollars to completely upgrade the estate, which was formerly the long-time residence of a professional artist, Mary Ortlip Krieger, who died several years back. She would be pleased, no doubt, to know another artist owns her house now. The zone there is R100, which is the city’s newly created estate zone (20,000 square foot lots at least 100 feet in width).

375 FIRST STREET --- The Zoning Board of Adjustment denied variances requested by the Martin Luther King Jr. Seniors Center to demolish a single-family house and construct a large multi-use complex housing a social hall on the first floor, six low-income apartments for seniors on the second floor, and 12 parking spaces for the entire project. The zone is R2. The non-profit organization is likely to file a Mt. Laurel lawsuit against the city. This would be the first such lawsuit ever filed.

BEECH & FIRST STREET PARKING TOWER--- An application is before the Zoning Board to build a parking tower at the SE corner of First and Beech Street, which will occupy almost the entire lot and will encase the existing Giovanni’s restaurant. The Board of Education has sent an attorney, Richard Salkin (former city attorney for 16 years), to object. They don’t want a parking tower next to the high school. The city has determined that a use variance is required. There’s talk of appealing any possible approval to the city council.  In 1989, the city passed an ordinance allowing use variances to be appealed to the city council, but it has only been done once.

VACATE WATER STREET --- The Planning Board approved a resolution to vacate Water Street from River Street to the river because it is included in the siteplan of an approved townhouse complex.  Removal of soil contamination is ongoing on this property, and the PSE&G property to the north. PSE&G is the cause of the contamination, they used to have a coal-fired facility there. Remediation has to be completed before any groundbreaking. It might be a year until groundbreaking. Nappa, which owns land hundreds of feet to the south, is preparing litigation to try and block the project. It’s just a petty feud between Nappa and Trobiano, but it’s going to cost taxpayers big bucks.. Once remediation is complete, PSE&G will likely subdivide their property east of River Street and sell their empty land for retail redevelopment.

JOHN STREET & RAILROAD AVE --- In January, the Planning Board approved demolition of an unsightly hundred year-old warehouse to construct a 3-story office building with a bank and a drive through. It’s very near Essex Street. That’s at the NE corner of the intersection, across John Street from Courthouse Auto Body.  Previously, a 5-story self-storage tower was approved for the site, but never built.

310-312 ELM AVE --- Stephen Pace seeks approval from the Planning Board to subdivide a lot and build a house almost right on the bank of Coles Brook. There is an existing lawn area there now. This is in the flood zone, and will probably require a Stream Encroachment Permit from the NJDEP. The zoning was changed in June, 2005 to R75, which is 10,000 square foot lots at least 75 feet in width. This was done specifically for stream corridor preservation issues in the vicinity of Fairmount and Elm Avenues. The proposed lot along Coles Brook would be 58 feet wide. Board Chairman Fernando Garip knows the situation regarding the last lot on Fairmount Avenue (the Oliveri application). After an 18 year struggle, the NJDEP did not approve a house due to stream encroachment issues. Only two houses were built instead of three on the extension of Fairmount Ave. It will be interesting to see how this applicant on Elm Ave will make a case that his lot, only a block away and much CLOSER to the brook, would not have the same issue.

BP GAS STATION – SOUTH RIVER STREET --- After a contentious hearing that ended a year ago, BP has not broken ground on the triangular Puntasecca contractor’s yard just south of Costco.  Time is running out, and they might have to go back to the Planning Board for a re-application. The city had originally sought the land for inclusion in the plan to relocate the County Police and other county facilities to the vicinity. The Puntasecca’s and their friends fought hard to get an approval for the BP, and took their complaints to the County Board of Chosen Freeholders on multiple occasions, forcing the County to back off from the acquisition plan. Now it looks like we’ll be stuck with the contractor yard there.

Editor:
Related story:  Industrial real-estate market expected to tighten further

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page