Hackensack, NJ Community Message Boards

There's more problems with this photo, that rule out the corner of Prospect and Passaic.  The trolley line went from Passaic Street to Franklin, which angles to the NW, and then west on Hamilton Place from the intersection of Franklin, Hamilton, and Prospect.

The photo couldn't be looking west on Passaic Street, because the burning building would be on the wrong side of Passaic Street. And it couldn't be looking east down Hamilton from Summit Ave.  There might be a very slight incline in the photo, but not enough to be that block of Hamilton Place, and then the building is a block over on Passiac Street.

Maybe that is a trolley car which is en route to Hackensack, but the photo was taken in Paterson, and the fire is in Paterson ?

What about the most recently construction mid-rise on Passaic Street, north side, just west of Summit Ave.  Was that wood-frame or concrete ?

The answer is YES, the construction on Hackensack Ave is the same 'lightweight' construction as the Avalon project in Edgewater that burned.  Basically in recent decades wood has become cheaper than concrete and steel, so as long as building codes allow it, developers are making massive concrete parking garages and building 5 stories of wood frame above that.  6 stories is not allowed.

 Here's a complete list of the buildings in Hackensack with this dangerous type of construction:

1.  310 Prospect Ave, both buildings (along Third St, and behind 300 Prospect Ave)
2.  The new building on Linden Ave near Anderson Street
3.  Avalon Hackensack on Hackensack Ave
4.  The new building under construction on State Street next to the Cultural Arts Center
5.  SW corner of State and Atlantic streets

Only slightly less dangerous are the 4-story townhouses at Anderson & Prospect.  And the same builder constructed on Main street a few blocks south of Route 4.

All the older 5 story buildings in Hackensack are masonry construction.

I am hopefully that the State will change the building codes.  And in the meantime, the City of Hackensack should put the stop to all of this construction.  These are firetraps. They endanger both residents and our firefighters.

The op-ed piece by Kelly includes information that Steve Lonegan, the former Latino-bashing Mayor of Bogota and losing candidate for many higher offices, has now moved to Hackensack.  I can't imagine him running for office here, but you never know. Anyone know where in Hackensack he lives?   http://www.northjersey.com/news/kelly-hackensack-council-civility-rule-walks-a-fine-line-on-free-speech-1.1153066

I think they are getting by with rent money from a Korean congregation.

Great article.  I agree with Homer on his cost estimate, and if not it is on the low side. Could easily be $2M.  And yes, it would involve the County's cooperation.

Regarding the traffic flow, I was in downtown Ramsey that other day working, and had to travel their Main Street, with has one lane in each direction and parking on both side, just like the genius plan for Hackensack.  It was pure gridlock, and I wasted 10 minutes to go 3 blocks. And it was not because of a UPS truck parking to make a delivery, or a bus stopping to discharge and pick up passengers. 

Random cars ahead of me were interested in making left turns, and they had to wait for the opportunity because traffic was heavy in the other direction, which meant all the cars behind them were also waiting.  I am starting to think this will be the biggest problem in downtown Hackensack, of all the factors weighing against the traffic flow change.

The cameras actually cause worse driving behavior, but not at the filmed intersections.  People are increasingly disregarding traffic laws at non-filmed intersections. It's an Orwellian program, and people don't like the surveillance and invasion of privacy.

Therefore,  the cameras have caused a feeling of general contempt for laws among a significant percent of the population who cares about those Orwellian things.  And that is not good for society as a whole.

It is good to know that the program is over.  Now I can go back to respecting the laws.