WESTWOOD—The Greater Pascack Valley Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Breakfast with the Mayors” drew a capacity crowd at The Tavern at The Iron Horse on Wednesday, with the front room limited to 50 registered attendees — other would-be guests were turned away this year for lack of space.
All 10 Pascack Valley municipal leaders were invited to provide updates — focusing on shared services, affordable housing, deer, and quality of life. The nearly two-hour gathering was powered by seven: Mayor Mark Bromberg of River Vale, Carlos Rendo of Woodcliff Lake, James Koth of Oradell, Keith Misciagna of Park Ridge, Michael Ghassali of Montvale, Michael Sheinfield of Hillsdale, and Thomas Gallagher of Old Tappan.
Schedule conflicts and illness prevented the mayors of Westwood, Emerson, and the Township of Washington, or their representatives, from attending.
The chamber’s leadership: President Tony Pallogudis, Vice President Anthony Rizzo, Treasurer Kenneth Baron, Secretary Greg Giardino, Technology Director Ralph Crespo, and External Relations Director Teri Capparilli.
In opening remarks, Pallogudis said the chamber brings together business owners and professionals to enhance our community while donating a portion of event proceeds to local charities and awarding scholarships to graduating high school seniors in Pascack Valley public schools.
The GPVCOC hosts events throughout the year. Its premier event is the Citizen of the Year dinner. The group participates in ribbon cuttings and business anniversary celebrations. As is typical of chamber programs, the breakfast was a warm and lively networking event as well.
Highlights:
River Vale
River Vale Mayor Mark Bromberg talked about the 10-member Pascack Valley Mayors Association, noting it helps create “efficiencies for the towns” that otherwise wouldn’t be. He touched on shared services, completion of the Public Safety Complex due before spring, and the “banner year” at the town-owned River Vale Country Club. He said the club brings in a lot of folks from outside the area and “hopefully we get some spillover” as visitors discover local restaurants and the greater Pascack Valley.
He praised the golf course management team, noting administration and town council oversight has “worked out well.”
Park Ridge
Park Ridge Mayor Keith Misciagna said his borough has enjoyed three consecutive years without a municipal tax increase. “Not only are we holding taxes in check, but we’re doing things,” Misciagna said. He singled out the restoration of the historic train station and saving — and planning to restore — the 1770 Frederick Wortendyke Homestead, one of the Pascack Valley’s oldest Dutch Colonial homes.
Misciagna said he was looking forward to this year’s 250th anniversary of America’s independence and celebrating an event at the train station. He touted success in grant funding over acquiring the Wortendyke Homestead, plus a grant to maintain the site.
He talked about the advantages and disadvantages of the borough’s local public utilities, which cover water and electric distribution. He noted that a local resident, Kerry Shelby, was instrumental in getting a public referendum on the ballot — and approved — which showed that residents were willing to invest up to $5 million to dredge and restore Mill Pond, also called Electric Lake, the site of the borough’s first hydroelectric power station. Park Ridge was the first Pascack Valley town to electrify its downtown, thanks to power from Mill Pond dam turbines.
Woodcliff Lake
Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo said the “800-pound gorilla,” the state’s affordable housing mandate, was changing the borough. He talked about 370 units going in at 300 Chestnut Ridge Road, the former BMW property of some 21 acres.
He said properties scheduled for development include the former Hilton Hotel campus, purchased by Zygi Wolf, planned for 148 townhouse units and in negotiations. He said a settlement with Party City’s owner means 91 housing units with 20,000 square feet of retail space here.
He mentioned “community benefits” of the affordable housing settlements include a $2M contribution tied to restoring the Westervelt Lydecker House, at Werimus and Old Mill roads, and reinvest in community recreation areas. He noted the May opening of Woodcliff Park, more than seven years after the borough acquired the former Galaxy Gardens nursery site.
Montvale
Montvale Mayor Michael Ghassali reacted to a federal judge having just ruled against his Local Leaders for Responsible Planning lawsuit to pause the March 15 affordable housing deadline. [Editor’s note: we’ve broken this out as a page 1 story in this issue: “Ghassali vows he’ll fight ‘to Supreme Court’ on housing.”]
Ghassali said the borough loves its acquisition of DePiero Farm and its soon-to-open, 1-acre community garden. The DePiero family farmed in Montvale for 101 years, and the borough acquired its remaining 8.4-acre tract in August. It leased the farm to D’Agostino Landscaping of West Nyack, N.Y., for a 20-year term to run farm operations, and prevailed in a legal challenge contesting that award.
Ghassali said the borough would name the farm “Fair Share Farming Center,” a tweak aimed at a courtroom foil and driving force for housing justice (in its view): the Cherry Hill-based Fair Share Housing Center. (FSHC’s executive director, Adam Gordon, served on new NJ Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s transition team and is looking forward to her advancing the cause.)
Hillsdale
Hillsdale Mayor Michael Sheinfeld said area towns are grappling with flooding, deer-population concerns, and planning for America’s 250th anniversary. He said deciding how to mark the 250th will likely be “a heck of a lot easier” than figuring out solutions to regional flooding and deer issues.
Sheinfeld said deer impacts are a concern across the East Coast and that “there is no simple solution to that, but we’re talking about it.”
Sheinfeld also noted recent improvements at Centennial Field that have allowed for more frequent use. He said a $5.8 million improvement project at Memorial Field is underway, featuring “all the bells and whistles,” including an artificial-turf field, playground and basketball courts.
He said The Piermont, a 256-unit luxury apartment complex on Patterson Street, is nearly ready to open, with rental units now available for previewing. A new community center there will likely hold a grand opening sometime this spring, he said, adding that the site of — and area around — the former Alexander Cleaners has been remediated.
Oradell
Oradell Mayor James Koth said “increased density and development” due to affordable housing changes the community and creates additional burdens.
He noted the borough business district has “four big box office buildings” along the northern end of Kinderkamack Road that may be redeveloped.
He said they’ve taken the position that these specific areas should be “mixed use” redevelopment including both a business/commercial area and residential. He said that received “a lot of pushback” from Fair Share Housing Center, and “we’ll see how that works out.”
Old Tappan
Old Tappan Mayor Thomas Gallagher said the former 19-acre former Pearson Education site is now “fully developed” with homes for about 240 families, plus the borough welcomed in 50 new families over the past year. He said he was proud to welcome new families and new businesses into Old Tappan.
He said the movie Song Sung Blue, with stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, was filmed in Old Tappan and wrapped early in 2025. “I’m not a movie critic but I would recommend going to see Song Sung Blue,” said Gallagher.
He said the borough’s main goal in 2026 is to “enhance our downtown” in 2026.
Gallagher noted the borough settled its fourth-round affordable housing plan with Fair Share Housing Center that should help turn the Bi-State Plaza into a “beautiful downtown” with mixed uses, such as housing, boutique stores, and “hopefully a supermarket.”
He said “deer management is a big issue” in the Pascack Valley and throughout the northeast. “We have to find ways to address our deer problem,” he said. Gallagher and the council held two prior meetings in 2025 with representatives from the NJDEP and Animal Protection League of New Jersey addressing lethal and non-lethal ways to manage deer population.
Mixing and mingling
Afterward, we asked several guests what they took from the event. Meals on Wheels North Jersey executive director/Tri-Boro Food Pantry director Janelle Larghi said in part: “I think that the mayors are always so busy defending themselves that they don’t ever really get a chance to talk about what they’re actually getting done.”
Standing near Park Ridge Mayor Misciagna, she said, “People come at them with one issue … but look at all the other things that he’s getting done… accomplishing a lot of other great things for our community.”
Event sponsors included Pascack Valley City Lifestyle, LMC, CareBuilders at Home of Woodcliff Lake, and Columbia Bank. For more information visit PascackChamber.org.
— Some reporting by John Snyder