MONTVALE—Mayor Michael Ghassali has a vision for the 28-acre wooded lot on at 127 Summit Ave. and he’s making his best pitch for resident and council support.
On Aug. 9, he wrote residents, appending a video, saying the council on Aug. 8 held the first of two required readings of the ordinance to purchase the lot — for $4.5 million — toward locking it in as a town asset.
“There are many possibilities for this lot that has 17 buildable acres and 11 wetland acres. A hiking trail along the stream and the natural setting for residents only is ideal. We will continue to purchase properties for the town and preserve their natural setting as they become available,” Ghassali said.
His selfie video starts off with him ambling into leafy, dappled mystery, “in a remote area, all wooded and serene. I wish we had something like this in Montvale.”
Another step, a beat for effect: “Wait a minute — this is Montvale.”
He said the property came on the market last week and the town is acting fast to secure it.
Listed with Liberty Realty, the property is on Zillow at $5.5 million and described as “Located in prime Bergen County, this 28.404-acre parcel of vacant land in the heart of Montvale is a developer’s dream. Fully zoned for multi-family 55+ senior housing (AH-6-AR), it features a 20% set-aside for affordable housing.”
The page says its data was last updated Aug. 2.
The second and final reading of the ordinance to purchase — and to hear public comments — is set for Tuesday, Aug. 30 at p.m. at Borough Hall.
Meanwhile, Ghassali said, at the borough’s first community center and town pool planning meeting, also Aug. 8, he signed an executive order “committing us to complete the construction of the new complex by the end of 2024 and furnishing it and getting it set up in the first quarter of 2025 for our activities. “
He thanked “all the representatives from the Seniors Club, MAL, Boys and Girls Scouts, local resident representatives, school, police and fire [departments] and borough staff for helping us to deliver a world-class community center to our residents.”
Ghassali unveiled a preliminary $15 million plan for a new community center and town pool at the July 12 council meeting, saying “an overwhelming majority of the public” are in favor of the new recreational facilities.
Ghassali told Pascack Press that cost estimates developed by borough engineer Colliers Engineering & Design include about $11 million for a community center and $4 million for a town pool.
He said the facilities would replace the senior center and be built on that structure’s footprint off of Memorial Drive. He said he anticipated the borough bonding for the new amenities — not holding a referendum.
He said major repairs were needed at the senior center, and it made sense to replace the building as well as add a new town pool.
Ghassali said a committee would be formed at the July 26 council meeting to represent “all town entities, including the seniors, the scouts, the Athletic League, the schools, planning board, members of the community, finance committee, first responders, and of course members of our council” and that a timetable of committee meetings would be posted.
In an email to residents July 13, Ghassali said, “About 50 residents attended our [July 12] mayor and council meeting with the overwhelming majority of the public and with the council unanimously approving to proceed with planning for our new community and senior center and a town pool.”
He said, “This was to only approve the concept and the footprint of the complex” and that the design, colors, number of slides, “and all the details about grass vs. concrete, etc.” will follow.
He said if planning for the new facilities finishes this year, he anticipates construction to begin sometime between April to June 2023. If that occurs, he said completion of the community center and pool were estimated to take 12–16 months, likely finishing by late 2024.
“For years residents have been asking for a new pool … I’m very excited about this, it’s something we really need,” he said.
Ghassali said the town must still submit its site plan application to the Joint Planning Board for consistency with the Master Plan, review and approval before construction begins.
Prior to July 12, Ghassali said that the previous town pool was run by a not-for-profit, and not the borough.
He said despite efforts by the borough to “save the pool in 2016,” rising expenses and declining memberships forced it to shutter in 2017.
“Every summer, I receive questions from residents as to why we do not have a town pool or a place for youth activities while the neighboring towns do,” he said.
He said, “If the community wants it, then we will go ahead and begin a more comprehensive planning process to evaluate the costs of construction, maintenance and management of a new recreation complex.”
— With Michael Olohan