Author Topic: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue  (Read 294503 times)

Offline just watching

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #210 on: August 15, 2011, 12:15:26 AM »
Just a point of information.

There was a handful of local residents who testified against the original Prospect Heights application.  Generally it was residents in the neighboring towers who were upset about overdevelopment and especially about the loss of the huge Beech tree that was left on the front lawn long after the mansion was demolished.

There was also testimony against the building not being square, and against the tile surface looking like an institution instead of looking like an apartment building.  The board was implored to require the building to have a brick facade instead of the hideous tiles.

If I remember correctly, the vote was 4-3 in favor of Prospect Heights, but this meant that the application was denied because there was not a 2/3 or 3/4 majority YES vote for a "D" variance.

When the decision was appealed, the judge based his ruling not simply on the merits/detriments of the application and the action of the Zoning Board with its split decision, but on case law in New Jersey on projects that meet the definition of "inherently good".  That is the final hurdle, and the applicant knows it.  They literally feel that they can build anything anywhere they want, as long as it qualifies as inherently good in front of the courts.  That's why they have the nerve to feel that they can poke out to Summit Ave.

Offline Prospect Avenue Coalition

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #211 on: August 19, 2011, 08:26:14 AM »
23190 @just watching, the applicant may have the inherently beneficial card in the back pocket but this time there is no handful of of local residents testifying. We are hoping for a 0-7 vote in favor of Bergen Passaic Long Term Acute Care Hospital. And if we are successful in appeal court then perhaps the applicant can take the LTACH and build it in an area in Hackensack specifically zoned for this type of use. Thank you for your continued support.

SAVE THE DATE - THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
HACKENSACK ZONING BOARD SPECIAL MEETING AT 7 PM
CITY HALL 3RD FLOOR AUDITORIUM AT 65 CENTRAL AVENUE
BERGEN PASSAIC LONG TERM ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL APPLICATION

Attached is our new flyer.

Offline Oratam_Weaping

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #212 on: August 20, 2011, 01:38:08 PM »
Perhaps I am a bit confused. Who would want this on Summit Avenue? Bad for traffic, residents, professional services already there. I would like to see this on North side of Essex Street, at the available lot of the Southbound side of Railroad Ave., between  Railroad Avenue, and Neuman Street. I will be there to oppose it being on Summit in the very least.  Wait a minute... will this facility pay property taxes?
« Last Edit: August 22, 2011, 09:38:34 PM by Oratam_Weaping »

Offline Oratam_Weaping

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #213 on: August 22, 2011, 09:39:42 PM »
Wait a minute... will this facility pay property taxes?  Because if they are not paying property tax they should move the project to Hackensack Minnesota.

Offline Prospect Avenue Coalition

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #214 on: August 24, 2011, 09:29:19 PM »
23450 Attached is our revamped flyer.

SAVE THE DATE - THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
HACKENSACK ZONING BOARD SPECIAL MEETING AT 7 PM
CITY HALL 3RD FLOOR AUDITORIUM AT 65 CENTRAL AVENUE
BERGEN PASSAIC LONG TERM ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL APPLICATION

Offline Oratam_Weaping

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #215 on: August 25, 2011, 10:39:17 AM »
THIS IS A NON-TAXPAYING ENTITY - A SURE-FIRE - KILLER FOR EVERYONE PAYING RENT OR OWNING ANY PROPERTY IN HACKENSACK.

KILL THE APPLCATION  NO MORE HOSPITALS!

Offline just watching

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #216 on: August 25, 2011, 05:36:07 PM »

Officially, the Zoning Board is not legally supposed to consider whether a facility is tax-paying or not. Unofficially, that's another story.

There's lots of reasons to deny the application, and I have little doubt that it will be denied.  The only question is what happens when the applicant sues the city. There really needs to be massive public testimony.

I saw the opposition's flyer, and I completely disagree with their tactics. The final meeting is not the time to sit there are read a book. 

Every single person in objection needs to do one little thing.  Get on line to speak, stand up to the microphone, state their name and address, and state that they are opposed to the application. That's it, easy, done.  If they don't want to elaborate, it'll all be over in 10 or 15 seconds or less of public speaking.  Everyone should be told that they can handle that, and that they need to do it for the betterment of Hackensack. The more names on record as testifying in objection, the more it will influence the court.  It doesn't matter if each objector is repeating the same thing.  NUMBERS OF SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION is the only thing that counts, and if they only speak 10 seconds each, that's not a problem.

Offline Oratam_Weaping

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #217 on: August 29, 2011, 02:19:33 PM »
Can they consider the economic consequences related to costs related to sewars, roads, traffic, etc???

Offline just watching

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #218 on: August 29, 2011, 09:44:33 PM »
Yes to all of those.

And most importantly they can consider the impact to the zoning of Summit Ave.  Currently a single-family zone, called R75, single-family houses on 75-foot wide lots with a minimum lot size of 10,000 sf.

Once this big building gets built, it will destroy the Zone plan and the master plan for the entire neighborhood.  It will open up pandora's box for other developers to come in and build office building, apartment buildings, more medical facilities.  The zoning Board has an obligation to defend the zone, and can only grant a "D" variance (2/3 majority yes vote) for the most explicit of reasons.

Offline hackensack_newbie

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #219 on: August 30, 2011, 10:56:01 PM »
Sounds like this is bad news. Although I don't live in the immediate vicinity (I'm closer to Spring Valley), I'm around Prospect almost on a daily basis, either visiting someone, waiting for the bus, or just driving through. I plan on attending the September 15th meeting to show my support for the opposition. I agree with Just Watching that everyone should say something.

Offline Prospect Avenue Coalition

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #220 on: September 08, 2011, 01:51:12 AM »
23949 @ just watching, prospectavenuecoalition applauds your significant contributions in the area of community activism and wishes that everyone living in Hackensack would be so civic minded.

For over 2 years we have actively and continuously rallied, recruited and coaxed residents to go up to the mic to say at least “I oppose this application”. As you can see from the Zoning Board transcripts posted on this thread many members of prospectavenuecoalition have done their part by asking numerous questions and getting important testimony on the record. Many have stepped up to the mic, some repeatedly, to voice their opposition to this LTACH application but getting people to participate has been no easy task.

Initially, our primary goal was to pack the room and in this we succeeded. Our secondary purpose was to feed the queue during the public comment section and to direct residents to the media to get their quotes in the newspaper. As the special meetings seem to be never ending our refocused goal is to pack the room again so thus the revamped flyer created courtesy of a recruited resident. Seeing how you disagree with our tactics we have attached our standard flyer which does not recommend bringing reading materials.   

We hope that your post encourages more residents to step up to the mic to voice their opposition to this LTACH application.

REMINDER - THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
HACKENSACK ZONING BOARD SPECIAL MEETING AT 7 PM
CITY HALL 3RD FLOOR AUDITORIUM AT 65 CENTRAL AVENUE
BERGEN PASSAIC LONG TERM ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL APPLICATION

Offline Prospect Avenue Coalition

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #221 on: September 13, 2011, 11:04:59 PM »
24148 Attached is the transcript from the July 26th Hackensack Zoning Board Special Meeting.

REMINDER - THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2011
HACKENSACK ZONING BOARD SPECIAL MEETING AT 7 PM
CITY HALL 3RD FLOOR AUDITORIUM AT 65 CENTRAL AVENUE
BERGEN PASSAIC LONG TERM ACUTE CARE HOSPITAL APPLICATION

The Hackensack Zoning Board has invited the public to comment on this application during the September 15th Special Meeting.

Offline just watching

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #222 on: September 16, 2011, 07:27:56 AM »
status report ???

Offline Editor

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #223 on: September 16, 2011, 12:02:04 PM »
I'm told there was no decision last night.  Next meeting is October 26th.

Offline Edwin

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Re: 24-story tower for Summit Avenue
« Reply #224 on: September 16, 2011, 08:18:51 PM »
why don't they pay taxes? Hackensack has a medical building exemption or something, for its realty taxes?