HILLSDALE—After nine years of service to Hillsdale as a councilman and council president, Frank Pizzella on Dec. 13 — his last official meeting — heard words of praise from the mayor, fellow council members, and a couple residents who thanked him and recognized his contributions and commitment to Hillsdale and downtown redevelopment.
Pizzella, a Republican, did not run for reelection on Nov. 8. Incumbent Republican Janetta Trochimiuk and Republican newcomer Justin P. Fox ran unopposed for two council seats.
Pizzella owns Pier Advisors LLC, a firm “providing executive leadership support to clients engaged in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors with unique competencies in land use, economic development, real estate development, re-development and environmental remediation.”
He took his Doctor of Law from Seton Hall University School of Law, and has undergraduate degrees in biology and environmental science and political science and government, both from Rutgers University.
Pizzella’s near decade on the council has seen many changes in town, including the elimination of a former Waste Management garbage transfer station that included dozens of foul-smelling refuse trucks daily traversing local streets while heading to the transfer station.
Residents Chris Campbell and Adam Hampton both thanked Pizzella for his public service during brief remarks.
Several council members and Mayor John Ruocco noted that it was Pizzella’s persistence that eliminated the transfer station and improved local quality of life.
Now, thanks much to Pizzella’s efforts, a 255-unit, multifamily rental apartment complex, and a proposed free community center and outdoor plaza, are being planned.
“Without Councilman Pizzella’s dedication for redevelopment, the redevelopment agreement that was signed with Claremont March (CP Hillsdale LLC) earlier this year to develop the Patterson Street industrial area would not have taken place,” said Ruocco.
He noted the contributions that Pizzella made over nine years on the council to effect redevelopment to Patterson Street and the borough downtown.
Councilwoman Abby Lundy said Pizzella “served the town with passion and you put your heart and soul into it.” She said Pizzella “charged ahead” on the redevelopment “and led the town on a path that will benefit the town and residents for years to come.”
She noted Pizzella used to joke around and call her his “seedling” and as a parting gift she offered him a pack of Forget-Me-Not seeds. “So I will not forget you. I will not forget what you did for the town. I wish you the best of luck on your next chapter.”
Councilman Anthony DeRosa told Pizzella that the “mere mention of his name conjures a host of reactions and emotions.” He said “no one can compare to Frank Pizzella, no one comes close to him. He’s one of a kind.”
He said to paraphrase from Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates because you never know what Frank you’re going to get.”
DeRosa said Pizzella was many people rolled into one but noted Pizzella pushed the idea to eliminate the waste transfer station, satisfy local affordable housing obligations, and rejuvenate the industrial area to blend it in with the rest of town. “I believe that without Frank’s help this plan never would have come to fruition.”
He said Pizzella’s contribution to the redevelopment of Hillsdale was “a lasting benefit to the community.”
Councilman John Escobar said Pizzella was one of the reasons he got involved on council, and thanked him for his service and friendship. “It’s been a wonderful pleasure knowing you and I’m sure you’re still going to be involved in town.”
Council President Trochimiuk said she met Pizzella three years ago when both of them ran on the same Republican ticket for council. “Basically Frank has been my mentor,” she said, with emotion. “My mentor, my friend and I will miss you on council tremendously.”
Replied Pizzella: “I’ll miss you as well.”
Trochimiuk added, “And I hope to be able to follow in his footsteps on redevelopment and if I could accomplish and do a quarter of what you’ve done it would be fabulous.”
Pizzella said he was “especially proud” of what had been accomplished while he was on council. He cited his involvement with the environmental commission, Access For All, the Board of Health, and especially economic redevelopment.
The redevelopment plan rezoned 14 acres around the Patterson Street industrial zone, imposing design standards, setbacks, and architectural requirements on new types of possible residential, congregate living and mixed-use developments.
It also offers the possibility of density bonuses to developers who propose multi-family projects, with bonuses tied to providing a community benefit such as a community center or open space.
In 2019 Pizzella told us that the Economic Growth and Development Committee believed “Redevelopment of the industrial area and revitalization of the downtown must work together under a strategy that insures for common goals, that neither program overpowers the other and that both support and benefit the direct goals of the other to secure a final product that is cohesive and complementary.”
He said it was important that the redevelopers want to work with the town. He also suggested if any changes are made to the original agreement, “You’ve got to make sure that you get the value that we fought for. We fought for quite a bit of value in that and I think that you should fight for the same amount of value and not change anything unless you get it.”
Earlier at the Dec. 13 meeting, council tabled an off-consent resolution that eliminated the community center, and paid the borough $750,000 in lieu of the center.
In addition, the resolution permitted the redeveloper to add six more apartments to the complex, which increased total units to 261. Following the resolution’s tabling, no further action or discussion occurred.
Pizzella said when he had first moved to Hillsdale, he had just lost his dad, and got involved in community affairs and council. He said now, 9 1⁄2 years later, his mom had recently passed, “which is very difficult.”
He thanked residents “for their continuous support” while he was on council.
He thanked the Republican County Committee for its support, fellow council members, the business administrator, the mayor, Denise Kohan, the borough clerk “my oldest and dearest friend,” the borough attorney and volunteers.
He became emotional as he thanked his wife, Tina, and children Michael and Ava “for giving me the opportunity to give back, give back to my community that I love so much.”
He said he wished all residents “a very happy new year and all the very best in everything that’s to come in the years to come.”
A long round of applause followed Pizzella’s emotional speech that concluded the final 2022 council meeting.
The council next convenes Jan. 4, 2023, for its annual reorganization meeting.
Editor’s note: We appreciate Councilman Frank Pizzella’s outreach to Pascack Press this year on behalf of what he characterized as underreported “good news” out of the Borough of Hillsdale, a people and place he clearly loves.