24-story tower for Summit Avenue

[averagejoe]

basralian is a senior partner in winne banta.unless you are naive you would recognize that large firms tend to contribute in the towns in which theyre located.and they expect nothing in return beyond basic courtesy.no smoking gun here,try again!

[regina]

Wee bit defensive aren't you Joe? The administration could have refused his donation based on the appearance of impropriety. But that didn't happen. If they had, there would not be a question - and it's just a question, not an indictment.

[Editor]

While we're throwing Mr. Basralian's name around, I thought I would share this:

Mr. Basralian is active in many charities, serving as a Trustee of the Central Board of the Armenian General Benevolent Union, the largest Armenian charity in the world, Trustee of the Bergen Community College Foundation, having served as its President for two years, a Trustee of the Winifred M. Pitkin Foundation, Inc., former Secretary and Trustee of the 9/11 Armenian Fund USA, and numerable other charitable organizations. 2005, he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for his charitable contributions to the community. Source: http://www.superlawyers.com/new-jersey/lawyer/Joseph-L-Basralian/ea21c2b8-d3b5-40e6-826b-2a1105fcb2c8.html

People with credentials like this don't engage in the type of behavior that you and SackResident insinuate. I don't see why the incumbents should have to refuse this token offer of support in an election as important as this one. And while I don't begrudge you your right to "question", I'm sure you'll agree that sometimes things are not always as they appear.  Of course, the challengers will want to exploit this to their full advantage.

Even if you disagree with the above, why on earth would someone give less money in a year when they would want to buy more influence?  It makes no sense.

(Replies to this thread were split and now appear here)

[Prospect Avenue Coalition]

Hackensack Zoning Board Special Meeting
Thursday, May 14 at 7 pm
City Hall 65 Central Avenue 3rd floor auditorium

It is imperative that all who oppose this project attend the Special Meeting. It is your job to question and challenge the testimony of the applicant's expert witnesses. Be informed.

Please email us if you would like more information or to be added to the Prospect Avenue Coalition mailing list: prospectavenuecoalition@yahoo.com.

[just watching]

This is good, but also alarming

The objectors better have a LAWYER to cross-examine the expert witnesses.  And better have their own expert witnesses.

By the way, if you do have a lawyer, Basralian will object to members of the organization cross-examining the expert witnesses. Be prepared for an answer on this. Be prepared to state that the citizens' lawyer represents ONE specific person.

[Prospect Avenue Coalition]

One objector is being represented by their own counsel and perhaps another. We (the peeps on Prospect/Summit/Overlook) should separately have counsel represent us as a whole. I am in favor of hiring counsel AND experts especially traffic to represent our crew. May 14 is fast approaching. Time's awastin'.

Here is an article on the front page of the County Seat from May 1st:

http://www.thecountyseat.biz/issues/May_2009.pdf

[just watching]

People care a lot about traffic volume, but the courts generally don't.  Traffic becomes important only if the location of the ingress or egress driveway conflicts or is off-center with an existing intersection.  This isn't, it is mid-block.

If you have limited funds to expend on experts, hire a professional planner.  Someone who will testify that the integrity of the zone plan and zoning ordinance will be compromised by this application.

[Editor]

We should probably keep any discussion of litigation strategy off the boards.  Feel free to use the board's personal message system if you don't want to use email.  See "my messages" in blue menu bar above.

[Prospect Avenue Coalition]

Hackensack Zoning Board Special Meeting
Thursday, May 14 at 7 pm
City Hall 65 Central Avenue 3rd floor auditorium

[Prospect Avenue Coalition]

Here is an article in the County Seat:

http://www.thecountyseat.biz/issues/May%208,%202009%20(special%20-16pgs).indd.pdf

[Prospect Avenue Coalition]

Tonight at 7 pm in the 3rd floor auditorium of City Hall at 65 Central Avenue the Hackensack Zoning Board will hold a Special Meeting to hear testimony from Richard Pineles and his expert witnesses regarding his 24-story, 5 level garage project on Prospect and Summit. There should be a period at the end of testimony where residents may question the applicant/experts or make a personal statement. At a minimum you should get up state your name/address for the record and say "I am against this project".
 
Please attend tonight. It would be great if you could be there at 7 pm although if you come later you will still be able to make a statement at the end and that is just as important. See you tonight.

[Prospect Avenue Coalition]

Save the date - Thursday June 25, 2009
Second Hackensack Zoning Board Special Meeting

Thank you everyone for coming out tonight to show your opposition to the Richard Pineles Bergen Passaic Long Term Acute Care facility. We packed the auditorium and we let him know what we thought about his application.
 
The Hackensack Zoning Board has scheduled the second Special Meeting for Thursday June 25th at 7 pm in the 3rd floor auditorium at 65 Central Avenue.
 
We have plenty more testimony to hear so we have to keep showing up in numbers. We have to be prepared to ask hard and relevant questions which will reveal that this project is not the right one for Prospect/Summit Avenues. If you can't be there at 7 pm come when you can. If you are not in town on that day get someone to go in your place. See you then.

[just watching]

Here's today's Record article.  By the way, Adult Day Care centers are a prohibited use under the Zoning ordinance everywhere in Hackensack.  I think Eric Martindale and Joseph Mellone had something to do with it.

That's a new provision, just put into the ordinance in 2005. They require a variance anywhere and everywhere in Hackensack.  If anyone wonders why, just go down to Newark and take a tour of the Adult Day Care Center on Broadway just south of Grafton Ave.  It's run like a giant homeless shelter, and most of the "patients" have their care paid for by the taxpayers of New Jersey.


Hackensack residents turn out against proposed medical center
Thursday, May 14, 2009
BY MAYA KREMEN
NorthJersey.com
Staff Writer
 0 Comments    HACKENSACK — Nearly 200 residents packed a Zoning Board meeting tonight to protest a proposal for a 24-story medical center in a residential area near Prospect Avenue. Residents, many of whom were wearing buttons protesting the project, waited in a long line to confront the property’s owner, Richard Pineles. The proposed structure would be a 24-hour operation with an underground garage in what is currently a residential neighborhood.

“What you are trying to do, I believe, is destroy our neighborhood,” longtime resident Jack McKinney said to a round of applause.

The city has said Pineles needs more than a dozen variances, including ones for parking, use and lot size. The area is currently zoned for residential and multi-family buildings.
Pineles’ traffic engineer claims that he does not need a variance for parking and that the 402 parking spaces provided in the underground parking structure are enough.

The facility, which would provide adult day care and dialysis among other services, would fill a need in the area, Pineles said. He also owns two nursing homes in the city.
“There are 840 slots for adult day care in Bergen County, but statistics bear out that there’s a greater need,” he said. “Currently there’s no adult day care center in Hackensack.”  The facility would be able to house 250 adults for the day care program, Pineles said.

But residents said that the area is already congested and is not suited for such a large building.  “Not only will it impact traffic, it’s going to deflate property values,” said Joanne Ehman of Prospect Avenue. “It doesn’t belong in the neighborhood.”

The meeting was the second Zoning Board meeting about the proposed facility, which is known as the Bergen Passaic Long Term Acute Care Hospital.

E-mail: kremenm@northjersey.com

[RonFrey]

It's really terrific to see the number of fellow residents taking a strong position against this proposed project. I have lived in town now for 25 years and in many cases, watched the residents position being pushed to second place. This is great city/town and we shoulder a much larger portion of the service burden then most in Bergen County. Building a large facility in the middle of a residential neighborhood is not only wrong, but insulting. Hackensack has many places in the city that are in need of redevelopment where property is less expensive. So I wonder why this location? I can toss out a few guesses. The first one that comes to mind is that they want to attract upscale paying clients, so putting it in one of the best places in Hackensack can help accomplish their means. If it was in a "not so nice' area, maybe those folks would look elsewhere. Nice for them, bad for the residents. Another longer term objective comes to mind about setting precedent and opening the way to transform Summit Ave. to a high rise medical community. Lots of money to be made here. Again, good for some, bad for the residents. There is a reason for zoning, to balance the community and provide a great place to live, work and play. Hackensack has a great zoning board and I'm sure they will do the right thing. Lastly, we as residents are ultimately responsible for our community and must work together to keep it great. See you at the next meeting.

[Prospect Avenue Coalition]

In this Friday's (May 29th) issue of the Hackensack Chronicle there is an article on the front page about the May 14th Special Zoning Board Meeting to hear the testimony of Richard Pineles re: Bergen Passaic Long Term Acute Care project which he plans to build on Summit and Prospect Avenues.

Shout out to Maxine living in one of the buildings in the area who was quoted on page 5. I like the newsprint coverage.

Enjoyed the cross conducted by the attorney who lives in one of the buildings on Prospect Avenue. Nice and lengthy. Oh and very amusing at least to me.

If you live near Prospect/Summit Avenue or have to drive thru the area please do not forget to attend the Second Special Zoning Board Meeting on Thursday June 25th at 7 pm in the 3rd floor auditorium at City Hall located at 65 Central Avenue.