MONTVALE—Mayor Michael Ghassali said he and Councilmen Doug Arendacs and Dieter Koelling traveled to Trenton on Wednesday, Jan. 7, and testified in federal court in support of a request to pause New Jersey’s next major Fourth Round affordable-housing deadline.
As we reported in advance of the hearing, Ghassali had urged fellow mayors and governing officials to attend the 10 a.m. proceeding before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, saying a coalition of municipalities is seeking to put the state’s March 15 deadline for adopting implementing ordinances on hold while its equal-protection challenge proceeds.
In an update issued at press time, Ghassali said he testified that Montvale would face “serious and irreparable harm” if forced to proceed with rezoning for high-density housing under the current timeline. He said two other coalition mayors also testified, and that the coalition’s counsel asked the court to issue a decision by Feb. 1 — when rezoning ordinances would otherwise need to be introduced.
Ghassali said he hopes for a ruling before towns feel compelled to move forward solely to meet the timeline and preserve immunity from builder’s remedy lawsuits. For more on affordable housing in the Pascack Valley, visit PascackPress.com.