Hackensack, NJ Community Message Boards

It is great to see that the band is continuing to grow.  Hopefully, in the future, the music program in the district can be expanded.  Congratulations to the students, the  MacVicars and Ms. Walker!

I agree with Oratam.  After reading last week's newspapers, crime does not elude Basking Ridge or Upper Saddle River.

It was removed for the docket and the developer will have to re-notice everyone if it is to before it will be considered.

This area was recently zoned for 1 and 2 family homes.  Mercury Rising was granted the variance to build townhouses on the property.  They made a new application to build 30 apartment rental units.  It sited the downturn in the market for this new application.  It is unfair to the residents of that neighborhood to have to subject their property values to Mercury Rising.  Mercury Rising has suggested that it will alleviate a need for affordable apartment units.  Hackensack has more than its share of affordable housing units.  It has already taken on the units for other towns as a result of COAH.  When is enough enough?  At one point, after the downturn of the market, Mercury attempted to get the residents to agree to building a long term nursing facility.  This application was never made because the local Elks lodge there refused to agree to the solicitation by Mercury to use their parking area for a ridiculous price of $600 per year for 55 years.  That ridiculous request asked that the Elks notify the  landowner 21 days in advance of any events taking place at the lodge.  The Elks Club is a pre-existing structure and has peacefully existed with its residents.  The addition of 30 apartments units without appropriate parking does not make sense.  Additionally, the City has recently  zoned the area between Atlantic and Essex from Prospect to Railroad as a medical zone.  Where does it stop.  If this continues, Hackensack Medical Center will be asking for permission to build in this area which is largely populated by minorities, and would certainly run them out of the city.  It should not be built.  How would other residents of Hackensack feel if such a complex would be suggested on Ross Avenue or in the Hillers section. I am sure, they would more than likely be upset like residents of this neighborhood. Those neighborhoods, like this one, should never be subjected to such a construction.  The number of variances Mercury is requesting includes height changes, parking changes, fencing allowances, and decreasing the setbacks from the street.  In addition, it calls for parking which backs out into an area that already has issues of parking.  These apartment should be built on River Street, not here.  There has been innuendo throughout the city that the owners are politically connected.  That may or may not be true but the suggestions bare more credibility to this rumour when the applicants have the audacity to even come before the Zoning Board when they have not paid taxes to the City since 2010.  Why has the property not been placed on the rolls for a tax sale.  Maybe there is a political connection?