WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J.—Mayor Carlos Rendo is hailing the Borough Council’s decision July 15 to designate developer Alpert Group and authorize preparation for the affordable housing project on Broadway north of Highview Avenue.
The move will erect 16 units of affordable housing—and nothing more—on three vacant lots at the site as part of the borough’s settlement with Fair Share Housing Center.
Fort Lee-based Alpert Group said in April that it could start work on the $4 million project in May 2020. The plan includes three one-bedrooms, nine two-bedrooms, and four three-bedrooms.
Officials said that of the 17 organizations that picked up bid packages, three submitted bids: Greater Bergen, the Alpert Group, and Nouville.
Residents organized as SHINE, which says it opposes overdevelopment in the borough and calls for preserving the borough’s character to the fullest extent possible, said Rendo and the council deserve thanks for coming down against adding market-rate housing, as Greater Bergen and Nouville had proposed.
Resident Veronica Appelle of SHINE told Pascack Press July 17 that she was impressed with an affordable housing development Alpert Group erected in Franklin Lakes.
“Hopefully they’ll be able to do something similar here,” she said.
She said her group, 30 members of which turned out to Monday’s meeting, was not resting on its laurels.
“We’ve got one down, one to go, as far as Woodcliff Lake craziness is concerned,” she said.
She was referring to the pending Zoning Board meeting of Tuesday, July 23, in which the board is taking public comments toward a vote on a proposed 60 apartments at 188 Broadway.
“If that’s approved, Broadway will see a multifamily increase of at least 98 apartments. This doesn’t include the existing 18 affordable apartments at Broadway Village and the 14 rental apartments at 62 Broadway,” Appelle said.
She added that if 188 is approved, the borough would see at least 130 apartments lining Broadway.
“It is important to remember that the variance for 60 apartments at 188 Broadway is not an isolated case. Broadway is already absorbing the bulk of the affordable housing. The total apartment units on Broadway could go higher depending on how the town implements the affordable housing settlement,” she said.
According to Appelle, “There were serious ethical conflicts of interest in the way the 188 Broadway application was initiated, and there’s been a 39% reduction in their tax assessment for no apparent reason.”
She said, “They simply do not meet the requirements for the variances they’re requesting in order to construct a two-building, 60-unit apartment complex.”
‘No one objected to affordable housing’
When it was remarked that her group had prevailed on Monday, she clarified, “And deservedly so.”
She explained, “Our COAH obligation was settled completely. And part of it was to get 16 units, all affordable, right in our neighborhood—which no one had an objection to. But when the bids went out, instead of saying ‘just 16 units,’ they said ‘a minimum of 16 units.’”
She questioned how that came to be, suggesting connections that she said her group was researching. “It’s a lot of moving parts, a lot of intricacies; it’s who’s involved with whom,” she said.
Nouvelle’s plan called for 26 affordable housing units including a group home.
Greater Bergen proposed two plans: one had a two-story apartment building with eight market-rate rentals in addition to the 16 affordable units; the second saw nine market-rate units beyond the “minimum” 16 affordable units.
Rendo takes victory lap
On Facebook July 18, Rendo thanked everyone who participated in the process leading to the Alpert Group’s selection.
“It wasn’t easy fighting Fair Share Housing and the state, but we got it done. From a requirement of 386 units to 16 units is quite an accomplishment. Moreover, a very well respected builder who builds a beautiful product meeting our residents’ standards was selected,” he said.
He added, “Our entire team worked together with our residents to come to an acceptable solutions. The Broadway committee that I appointed—Cheryl Dispoto, Craig Marson, Hasmig Yetemian, Michael Fritz, Joe Langschultz and former Mayor Joe LaPaglia—worked diligently with our planner Richard Priess and our former borough attorney Ron Dario to come up with a plan of action.”
Rendo thanked the borough’s special Fair Share Housing Committee: Councilwoman Jackie Gadaleta, Councilman Corrado Belgiovine, Councilwoman Nancy Gross, Borough Administrator Tom Padilla, planner Richard Priess, and special legal counsel Gerry Salerno.
He said the team worked to implement the plan and narrow the the list of developers.
He also thanked the council and activist residents, who “worked together to make this process open and transparent, agreeing on the plan put forth by the Alpert Group.”
