HILLSDALE—Mayor John Ruocco told the Greater Pascack Valley Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 26 that negotiations are ongoing with a developer to prepare a plan for the former Waste Management site near downtown Hillsdale.
The Waste Management facility had been a source of concern among officials, residents, company officials and the state Department of Environmental Protection while the facility operated as a waste transfer station for decades.
Pascack Press reported in October that the borough and redeveloper had signed an agreement to prepare a redevelopment plan within 180 days, with a deadline of mid-April.
Similar to the other eight mayors who answered questions and offered 2021 recaps, Ruocco provided a list chock full of ongoing projects.
He said that Claremont Development and March Development, of Morristown, are working on a redevelopment agreement for the former Waste Management property.
Ruocco said he and two council members were negotiating with the redeveloper, assisted by the redevelopment counsel and borough planner.
In October 2021, we reported, one of Claremont Properties’ mixed-use projects includes the recently opened The James in downtown Park Ridge, a five-story, 240-unit complex that includes 17,000 square feet of ground-level retail space. Coincidentally, that project replaced a former waste transfer facility in downtown Park Ridge.
Ruocco said the redevelopment plan — approved over his objections to one provision in early 2021 — allows residential development such as townhomes, multifamily, senior housing, and continued care retirement communities, mixed-use, and commercial/personal services.
He said there was a 15% affordable set-aside for rental housing and 20% for market-rate on the first 28 units per acre in the Patterson Street redevelopment zone.
He said ongoing redeveloper negotiations were confidential and he that could not offer details on possible development.
“I do have a concern — I’ve expressed this several times — about the possibility of high-density, residential development that exceeds the maximum of the 28 units per acre that was what we signed in our affordable housing agreement,” said Ruocco.
He noted the redevelopment plan allows “bonus densities” that he vetoed. (The council majority overrode his veto).
He said the redevelopment “bonus density” option allows multifamily housing up to five stories and 60 units per acre “in exchange for a community center, open space, or sustainable design elements. So we have to be careful what we get and what we give up in terms of getting.”
He said he was aligned with his peers’ position in seeking to control high-density residential developments in the area.
Of traffic, he said, “I don’t know if there’s any solution. It’s likely to get worst in Hillsdale, especially if the development in the Patterson Street area continues. There’s always that tension between the desire of residents to keep the small-town feel of Hillsdale and the need to accommodate the political demands of Fair Share Housing Center as well as the market-driven demands of younger folks who want rental units.”
He said local seniors need a place to meet that is not currently available, and need reliable transportation as the senior van provides.
Ruocco said the borough and Woodcliff Lake were waiting for delivery of a new senior van to be shared between towns, and although NJ Transit gave approval, the van has not yet arrived.
He said keeping property taxes low helps seniors age in place, and that offering services such as snow removal by linking seniors with young adult volunteers helps. He said the town would unveil that soon.
According to Ruocco, zoning changes for outdoor dining and relaxed restrictions due to Covid are being reviewed by a council committee and may be made permanent.
He said the borough-owned Stonybrook pool “has rebounded financially” and has provided hope that there will be good, financially healthy years ahead.
And he said the borough needs to avoid a property tax increase, noting the council’s approval of a 5.33% increase last year, mostly due to a $500,000 down payment for future bonds to finance a planned $10 million community center and new artificial turf field.
Ruocco said he opposed the increase then, “and here we are, a year later, and we still don’t have any council consensus on what to build or where to build it.”
Ruocco revealed in early December that DMR Architects estimated the two projects at nearly $16 million; recently, two council members said options would be discussed in early February. He said that residents have not been allowed input on the center/turf field plans.
He said Hillsdale’s $1.1 million in American Rescue Plan funding, half received in 2021 and half due in 2022, will be spent mainly on infrastructure projects, including sewers. He said he’s asked the business administrator and attorney to look at possible ordinances to adopt to better regulate the rollout of 5G technology locally.
Also, he said, due to recent resignations from Business Administrator Chris Tietjen and DPW Superintendent William Haffler, the borough will be reviewing candidates to replace them. (“See “Boro admin, DPW chief resign,” Pascack Press, Jan. 31, 2022.
Check out the breakfast on WCTV-NJ, learn more about the GPVCOC at its website, and check out Michael Olohan’s report of the mayor’s breakfast discussion on affordable housing: “At breakfast, mayors urge regional strategy on 2025 housing mandates.”