HILLSDALE—A key piece of the borough’s redevelopment plan for a four-story, 255-unit, luxury apartment complex on Patterson Street — the redeveloper’s agreement — likely will be formally introduced at the Aug. 9 council meeting.
The 7 p.m. session, whose agenda was not released by press time, is likely to include discussion of the agreement, which was referenced at the July 12 Borough Council meeting by special redevelopment counsel Joseph Baumann, financial analyst Jennifer Edwards, and architect Francis Reiner.
Mayor John Ruocco on July 25 renewed a critique of the council along the lines of transparency, telling Pascack Press, “A concern I have, unrelated to the financial (PILOT) agreement, is that the public was told that we would post all the relevant documents, including the ‘final’ redevelopers’ agreement, online before the Aug. 9 meeting so that they could digest and comment on it during the meeting.”
He said, “It is my understanding that a resolution will be on the Aug. 9 agenda instructing me to sign the redevelopers’ agreement.”
Patterson Street Urban Renewal LLC proposes a 255-unit, four-story luxury apartment complex, the first high-density development eyed in the borough’s redevelopment zone. Zoning regulations for the redevelopment area are in the Patterson Street Redevelopment Plan, adopted in early 2021.
Ruocco and the council majority have spent much time and energy sparring over Ruocco’s desire for more public material to be made public, including on the town website under his “Spotlight” column. He has sought support and rulings on these questions.
For its part, the council majority has pushed back against what it sees as Ruocco’s “divisiveness” and “explosive” commentary, and of undercutting its efforts to improve Hillsdale.
This year the council changed its bylaws to restrict the mayor to speak first during the meeting’s closing “council commentary,” barring the incumbent from having the last word on contentious topics.
Ruocco also has run letters to the editor complaining over what he sees as mistreatment at the council majority’s hands, unique in the Pascack Valley.
The governing body is Republican. Ruocco — who votes only in the case of a tie — and councilman Zoltán Horváth generally stand apart from the council majority.
Usually the council meeting agenda is posted the Friday before a Tuesday meeting. If the redeveloper’s agreement is not released until the Aug. 9 meeting it’s likely to be posted following the meeting or available via a public records request.
Ruocco had pressed for the early release of the redeveloper’s agreement, and it appeared that Baumann was planning a public release before Aug. 9.
Outreach to Baumann, borough administrator David Troast, and council president Janetta Trochimiuk over the agreement’s release was not returned by press time.
Meanwhile, redevelopment experts, local officials, and residents are likely to discuss two documents made public online on July 22: a 176-page traffic impact study, which finds the complex’s nearly 400 automobiles “would not have a significant impact on the traffic operations of the adjacent roadway network”; and the project’s 30-year financial agreement, or PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement.
Residents can access the reports on the borough website under the Economic Development drop-down menu. Click on “Redevelopment in Hillsdale” and then on “Hillsdale Specific Documentation.”
Prior to the July 12 council meeting, Ruocco, who served as a negotiating committee member, recommended approval of the PILOT agreement. Edwards revealed at the meeting that the borough would likely receive nearly $40 million in tax revenues over a 30-year PILOT with the redeveloper.
Edwards said the borough would keep 95% of those revenues. She estimated “a maximum” of 17 school-age children from the 255-unit luxury complex, which will include 20 affordable units.
Another contentious issue likely to arise Aug. 9 concerns the council’s 5-1 approval of an up-to $199,000 design contract with DMR Architects to design a separate senior community center estimated to cost $2 million — at the Stonybrook Swim Club.
Several council members urged seniors to attend the Aug. 9 meeting and let them know whether or not a “second” or separate community center for seniors should be built at Stonybrook. Most members said they were under the impression that seniors wanted their own community space. Ruocco said he has heard the opposite.
Under the redevelopment agreement, Patterson Street Urban Renewal LLC will contribute a 5,000-square-foot indoor community space to be built onsite, along with 2,100 square feet of outdoor patio space.
After hiring DMR Architects on July 12, council members are proposing to build a separate senior community center, of approximately 3,500 square feet, at Stonybrook.
Most council members said they had always planned to have space for both young adults and seniors, and estimated 9,000 to 10,000 square feet of total “community space.”
On July 12, Trochimiuk took Ruocco to task for “so much misinformation” and accused him of trying to make council majority members appear “ridiculous” by terming the senior center as a second community center.
She said that the 5,000-square-foot community center being contributed by the redeveloper did not fulfill the council’s previous vision for about 9,000 square feet of community space.
She said council members have “spent endless amounts of time and energy” to bring about the community space that they originally committed to providing when they included $500,000 for a bond down payment, on an estimated $10 million bond, for a community center, field improvements, and DPW flood mitigation.
Ruocco told Pascack Press, “Senior residents want the assurance of knowing that they have a place to meet several times a month, usually during the morning and early afternoon, to conduct their meetings, hold various activities, and share a lunch.”
He added, “They want a place to permanently store their food prep items. They do not need a second building dedicated to them so long as the Community Center in the Patterson Street development gives them this latitude.”