Full Notification

Traffic:
 
I am calling the next Town Hall to discuss traffic on Thursday, June 27th at 7:30 pm on the second floor of the new Municipal Center building (adjacent to the library).  You can expect to hear from your volunteer neighbors on the Advisory Committee on Pedestrian Safety and Transportation, the Chief of Police and myself. Town Halls are about hearing from you.   After presenting some context, I will open the floor to your comments and suggestions.   I hope you will take the time to either be there in person or attend virtually. https://meet.goto.com/414912829. If you miss it, we will post the recording on the Borough website by June 28. 
 
This will be our third Town Hall meeting in almost as many months - the first on the budget, the second on Redevelopment/Revitalization were very well attended and informative.
 
Around Mother’s Day every year, it seems the traffic increases beyond its already extraordinarily high levels in Leonia. Whenever there is a hiccup on the George Washington Bridge (17 lanes of traffic converging into 9) or volume is just overwhelming, we also suffer in Leonia.  While we don’t cause the problem, we must do our very best in managing the symptoms to keep our sanity.  
 
On Mother’s Day, we received assistance from Bergen County from three sheriff’s officers assigned to Grand, Broad and Glenwood on Fort Lee Road to keep the intersections free of gridlock and minimize horn honking.  Sheriff Anthony Cureton and County Executive Jim Tedesco have both told me that we can continue to count on them to provide assistance.  I’ve also met with Col. Callahan, who heads the NJ State Troopers and discussed Leonia’s traffic concerns with him and how the State Police might also be able to help. 
 
Combined with ongoing mitigation efforts and new traffic mitigation steps which we will review with you at the Town Hall, I believe we are on the right track to maintain our collective sanity in the face of these ever-increasing traffic concerns.  I’m not saying we will no longer have traffic as that is not something Leonia can control, but we can manage it as intelligently as possible under the circumstances. 
 
Recognizing former Mayor Mary Heveran and retiring Police Sgt. Frank Rocco: 
 
At the May 20th Mayor and Council meeting, it was my privilege to thank both Mayor Heveran and Sgt Rocco for their many years of dedicated service to our borough.   
 
Mary served as our second female mayor from 2007-2011 and is moving away.  During her 50 years of residency, she made a huge difference through the volunteer service she provided on the governing body both as Mayor and Councilperson, as the Education Chair for the Home and School Association, a member of the Library Board, and the Recreation Commission.   As Mayor, she started the first Borough website, founded the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Youth and never missed a single meeting in 13 years on the governing body!  That by itself is extraordinary.  (And something I will tell you now I will not come close to accomplishing.)  In recognition of her many years of exemplary service, I presented Mary with the key to Leonia and gave her a bottle of special champagne to help recognize her many contributions.  Thank you Mary and good luck with your move! View the Presentation Here. 
 
Sgt Rocco was a law enforcement officer for 25 years, 21 of those in Leonia and 4 years previously serving as an officer in Washington, D.C.  Frank was one of my favorite officers (I have many favorites in the Leonia Police Department) and not surprisingly was very focused on assisting victims of abuse.  If you know Frank, you are not surprised given his character.  What Frank is too humble to tell you is that he also received a Life Saving Award.  I don’t think anyone can make a bigger difference than saving someone’s life.   After 21 years in Leonia Sgt Rocco is retiring.  Frank received a gift certificate to his favorite restaurant from the Borough and I also gave him a bottle of champagne to enjoy.   Leonia wishes him the best, will miss him and thanks him for his service. 
 
Shade Tree update:
 
There has been a spike in wildlife sightings in Leonia.  Everything from fox, deer, and turkey on top of the usual assortment of skunks, possums, and groundhogs.  Fortunately, we are not dealing with anything like the cougar that terrorized Leonia in 1899 in the southwest part of town down by Grand and Moore Avenues.  That’s a story for another day…
 
If you’re wondering why so many animals are taking up residence in Leonia, just ask yourself, “If you were a wild animal in this area, where would you prefer to live?” 
 
The simple fact that Leonia has more greenery than Palisades Park, Fort Lee or Englewood plays heavily into the reasons why.
 
Today, I view Leonia on the front lines in a battle to keep our town’s natural greenery and tree canopy from developer interests who don’t share our enthusiasm for quiet tree-lined streets or front and backyards.  All of our property values reflect the green nature of our community.  Urban sprawl is real and it is now threatening Leonia.  We all must work hard as a community to protect what keeps Leonia special. 
 
When a neighbor cuts down a healthy tree (a beautiful majestic tree was recently cut down on Glenwood Avenue between Fort Lee Road and Elm) it negatively impacts all of our property values.  That single tree absorbed more than 4000 gallons of rainwater annually, provided shade for the surrounding homes during the summer, decreased utility costs, offered fresh air, a beautiful aesthetic etc.  And yet today, a homeowner is within their rights to cut down a tree on their private property after taking out a permit and paying a nominal tree replacement fee.
 
The current fee for chopping down a tree (anything over 8” at Breast Diameter Height) is $350.  To discourage the removal of these most majestic of trees where you can’t nearly get your arms around the trunk and are often more than a century old, the governing body is currently considering upping the fee structure based on a progressive tree trunk size scale.  To discourage bad behavior, I’m personally in favor of drastically increasing the costs for tree removal. 
 
We are researching what other communities who value trees like we do have done in New Jersey.  We will take this information into consideration and arrive at a new fee structure in Leonia.  If you wish to weigh in as this is being considered, please attend any upcoming meeting of the Mayor and Council or write some comments to [email protected]. 
 
As our surrounding area transforms into more of an urban look and feel, I truly believe if we are successful in maintaining our green landscape despite development pressures, we will enjoy a huge boost in property values, especially this close to New York City.  As it is today, when you come into Leonia from Pal Park or enter Leonia from the top of Fort Lee Road, you see an immediate and considerable difference between our neighbors green canopy (or lack thereof) and ours.  With your help, I’m going to do everything I can to maintain and enhance what we have despite the resurgence of urban sprawl and increasing development pressures in our area. 
 
If we are successful, I am very confident you will enjoy a dramatic increase in your property values and all the wild animals who continue to seek sanctuary in Leonia as a green oasis will be grateful in their own way. 
 
Finally, in the event you see a tree being removed and you don’t see a green tree removal permit being displayed, please call the Buildings Department at 201-592-5780 x253 or x265 during regular business hours.  If it’s outside of regular business hours including the weekends, please call the non-emergency number for the Leonia Police Department at 201-944-0800.  Someone will check whether a permit has been issued and take appropriate action including citations/fines as warranted.  We’re all in this together as we do our very best to protect our trees in Leonia.  Don’t hesitate to call if you think a tree is being illegally taken down.
 
Composting:
 
The food composting initiative is now operational in Leonia thanks to our wonderful Environmental Commission volunteers.  Many families including my own have already signed up for the service.  Here is the link if you’d like to join their ranks or review the FAQ’s.  https://neighbors.neighborhoodcompost.com/subscribe/  As you know, the food is used for farm animals in Sussex County NJ and what can’t be used for that purpose is composted and used to help grow superior crops with soil rich in nutrients. 
 
The bin for the food collection is behind the senior center at the ground-level back entrance of the Sculpture Garden.  Only families who sign up receive the code to access the collection bin.   For a nominal monthly fee, you can participate.  Remember all the food waste that we compost is removed from the overall waste stream which saves all of us real $$ in tipping fees for garbage disposal. 
 
If you haven’t already signed up for this program, please consider doing so.  Your action helps the environment, reduces taxes and is a boon to Sussex County farming.
 
Revitalization/Redevelopment:
 
Here’s the latest… Leonia has hired some of the best professionals in NJ to help us effectively navigate the redevelopment and affordable housing challenges we confront.  We are taking a proactive approach by not letting things just happen to us, but instead anticipating what we need to do and positioning Leonia in advance to make the best decisions and get the most favorable outcomes.  To do otherwise, I believe, is irresponsible and opens the door for developers (not Leonians) to determine our future as a community. 
 
The rules associated with development in general and affordable housing in particular are onerous and heavily skewed in a developer’s favor.  No surprise since NJ is a pro-development state and developers basically wrote the most recent law.  Understanding these rules will give Leonia the best chance of maintaining its character, sense of community and quality of life while, at the same time, fulfilling our legal obligation to provide more housing. 
 
I believe most Leonians, including myself, support affordable housing.   I am disappointed in the new law because it failed to take into consideration any of the practical implementation aspects confronting a municipality like Leonia. A noble concept can be easily derailed by a lack of appreciation for implementation essentials. This is my concern here. 
 
Our committee on Redevelopment/Revitalization is proceeding with their review of Leonia’s Redevelopment Plan 2023 with an eye toward gaining the support of a majority of Leonians behind a revised plan.  I foresee another Town Hall (much like what we did on May 9th) where we discuss recommendations in September.  Coming out of the May 9th Town Hall we have included the comments from the public in this process and will continue to collect input during the summer. 
 
To help us most effectively deal with the affordable housing new laws, I am forming an Affordable Housing subcommittee which will work in parallel with our Revitalization/Redevelopment committee.  There are some really great ideas out there which we will leverage.  Other communities like Cresskill have enjoyed success with 100% affordable housing developments and we can learn from their experiences.  More to come about this subcommittee in future updates. 
 
So, you can see for yourself, I have attached a schedule of deliverables we must adhere to based on the new law. Schedule. Failure by Leonia to meet these deadlines will result in our forfeiting “immunity” which opens the doors for developers to dictate what happens in Leonia.  We do not want this to happen.  You can look to the south of our wonderful town and see for yourself what happens when developers overrun a town.  That is not my vision for Leonia nor do I believe it is yours. 
 
For a thorough briefing on our situation, please watch the May 9th Town Hall recording. May 9th Recording.  It is only a little over an hour in length and encapsulates what is happening.  Considering how much you’ve already invested in Leonia including the value of your home and property, it is probably worth your while to spend an hour and check out what is going on. 
 
I can assure you this is the single biggest challenge Leonia has faced since the federal government proposed Route 80 and Route 95 go up Fort Lee Road in the 1950’s.  Leonia prevented that from happening through hard work and determination.  We must do the same to preserve Leonia today.  I’m always amazed and grateful for the hard work of our volunteer neighbors on these committees and of the tireless efforts of our paid professionals.  To reflect the importance here, we will be discussing redevelopment at every single Mayor and Council meeting for the foreseeable future.  This also gives you another opportunity to weigh in with your comments and suggestions because we do want to hear from you.  Together, we will get through this but it is NOT going to be easy. 
 
So as not to make this status update any longer, I will hold off on sharing some news about an initiative to bring TV and Movie productions to Leonia until the next report.  Stay tuned…
 
Kind regards,
 
Bill
 
 
Bill Ziegler
Leonia Mayor