TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—A fourth hearing on a proposal to build a “4 Seasons Marketplace” strip mall at the corner of the newly improved Pascack-Washington intersection comes before the Zoning Board on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 7:30 p.m.
The hearing will be held on Zoom and live at the township courtroom, 350 Hudson Ave.
Many residents from Northgate Condominiums and Meisten Street have spoken out against the proposal online and during public comments over its first three hearings, citing potential traffic, noise, and quality of life concerns.
On a public Facebook page working to raise awareness, “Stop Re-Zoning in Wash Twp,” members expressed alarm at the most recent traffic accident at the intersection, Jan. 9 during rush hour.
One member predicted, “The mall’s location at this extremely busy intersection will bring large amounts of additional traffic and create hazardous driving conditions. There are bus stops and left-hand-turn lanes just feet from the corner, where cars will have to cross two lanes of traffic to enter and exit.”
D. Jane Albanese said in part on the page, “The plot of land has been zoned residential for many years, let’s keep it that way. While I respect the owner’s desire to profit from their investment, I believe there can be a residential solution such as a much-needed elevated three-story condo with single-floor living, moderately priced, comparable in size to adjacent two-story townhomes.”
Applicant 660 Pascack Realty LLC, owned mostly by Seasons Catering owners, who operate their upscale catering and special events venue at 644 Pascack Road, proposes two retail buildings holding up to 11 retail shops and businesses, including restaurants.
Two new retail buildings comprising more than 17,000 square feet of retail space — one of 14,700 square feet and one of 2,400 square feet — are proposed.
The mall would cover approximately three-quarters of the 2.16-acre site north of Seasons. The site contains a run of vacant and dilapidated houses.
Floor plans provided by the architect offer a glimpse of owners’ thinking on tenants: a deli, sporting goods store, beauty salon, bank, breakfast place, juice/gelato store, and cellular phone store. The architect said they were only examples of potential stores and the applicant attorney said no tenants had yet been confirmed.
The township’s retail hub for years has been Washington Town Center, anchored by The Fresh Grocer and Rite Aid, at 285 Pascack Road.
The application identifies 23 property owners within 200 feet of the proposed development. The consolidated lots cover Block 2110, Lots 6-11, 660-682 Pascack Road, and are zoned “AA” for residential development. The application requests a use variance for the site to convert the lots into an expanded retail development. The proposal provides 108 parking spaces.
The intersection is being upgraded by Bergen County Engineering under a shared services agreement with the township, with improvements likely to be completed by April, Township officials said recently.
All three properties comprising 660-682 Pascack Road are owned by 660 Pascack Realty LLC, with principals James Kourgelis (67.3%); George Kourgelis (16.7%); and Carl Carfello (16.7%). James Kourgelis, an owner of Seasons Catering, has signed the proposal’s use variance application as a managing member.
In March 2022, the township purchased easements from 660 Pascack Realty LLC for $158,000 on seven lots adjacent to the Pascack Road–Washington Avenue intersection for the county intersection overhaul.
In early December, we reported that the Northgate Condominium Association’s president had penned a detailed letter opposing the development. Northgate is on the northern border of the proposed development.
An attorney for the applicant said the applicant would speak only at the hearing — not to the press.
‘A substantial detriment’
Writing Nov. 4, Missy Valantassis, president of the association’s board, advised Zoning Board Chair Said Toro that in their view the proposed development “poses a substantial detriment to the public good in that it will increase traffic at an already stressed intersection, will contribute noise and light pollution to its surrounding neighbors, will add refuse storage and collection, will introduce tractor trailer traffic to supply the proposed commercial retail tenants, and add duplicated retail services to our community.”
At the proposal’s Dec. 20 third hearing, a traffic expert from Dean & Dolan of Somerville said that the complex would “generate 43 additional vehicles over the course of a peak hour at most” and he called the additional vehicles “inconsequential” to overall traffic volume at the Pascack-Washington intersection.
At least six residents questioned his conclusions, and resident Leonard Sabino (also Planning Board vice chair) called for an independent traffic study on the proposed retail strip mall. Dolan said then he had “no problem” with an independent traffic study to corroborate his findings.
In late December, Zoning Board secretary Grace Kalish told Pascack Press that the board had not authorized an independent traffic study.
The next meeting likely will feature questions from board and public to the traffic expert, with testimony and questions upcoming from the applicant planner and Zoning Board planner.