TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—The Township Council purchased easements on seven lots for $158,000, taking another step toward obtaining all the easements needed to complete the awaited Pascack Road–Washington Avenue intersection project.
Backed by its threat of condemnation and eminent domain, the township has been negotiating for easements on 13 properties identified in an ordinance for acquisition in early October.
The easements just purchased are on properties owned by 660 Pascack Realty, whose principal is James Kourgelis, owner of Seasons Catering.
Over the years, and most recently in 2013, Kourgelis has been involved with applications to site other ventures, including a CVS, Dunkin’ Donuts, a liquor store, and townhomes on properties adjacent to the busy Pascack Road–Washington Avenue intersection. None have materialized or been approved.
In early October 2020, negotiations for easements on 13 properties were ongoing, Councilman Steven Cascio told Pascack Press, and had been ongoing for about six months. No settlements had yet been reached.
The negotiations for easement purchases include appraisals, title searches, title reports, surveys, studies and inspections, said the October ordinance. The ordinances being acquired include 11 for road widening, one for a drainage easement, and one for a temporary construction easement.
The planned overhaul of the intersection was kick-started by approval of a shared services agreement in mid-2019 between the Township and Bergen County.
The agreement was approved after a delay of six months—much to the council’s surprise—after a second review by the township engineer and necessary document edits requested by Township Attorney Kenneth Poller, which came with an instruction to white out Mayor Peter Calamari’s signature on the approval that that mayor said he believed had been sent to the county.
A final condition was added that requires the Township pay for any new traffic signals required at the new firehouse/ESB under construction.
We reached out to Poller and Calamari to determine how many easements remain to be settled but did not hear back by press time.