Full Notification

Proposed Expansion of Promise Church:
 
Promise Church has submitted an application to Leonia’s Planning Board seeking approval for a significant expansion of its facility at 150 Grand Avenue. The current structure is approximately 7,000 square feet; the proposed addition would increase that to about 21,000 square feet. Plans include expanding the parking lot from 58 to 107 spaces and removing a substantial number of trees from the rear of the property.
 
The proposed expansion would include a youth sanctuary, Sunday School classrooms, nine meeting rooms, a gymnasium, a pre-event area, a prayer room, and a large kitchen.
 
At the Planning Board meeting on Wednesday, July 23rd, we heard initial testimony from the church’s attorney and then its engineer. Testimony will continue at one or more upcoming meetings, with future appearances expected from the traffic expert(s), the applicants themselves, and further input from their legal counsel and other professionals.
 
As Mayor, I also automatically serve on the Planning Board.  I am required to remain impartial and will not offer any opinion on the application until the full testimony has been presented and deliberated.
 
If you would like to learn more or share your perspective as a resident, I encourage you to attend one of the upcoming Planning Board meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for August 27, 2025
 
Promise Church is requesting variances for building height, parking stall dimensions, and a new sign along Grand Avenue. No variances are necessary for minimum lot size, frontage, depth, or setbacks (front, side, or rear). The proposed plan also already complies with Leonia’s limits on impervious and building coverage.
 
We have been informed that a large number of trees would need to be removed as part of the project, mostly from the rear of the property. Promise Church has stated they will abide by the requirements of Leonia’s Shade Tree Ordinance, including tree replacement fees. They have  testified to implementing a landscaping plan that includes the planting of a significant number of new trees on site.
 
Promise Church is also seeking consideration from the Borough to grant an easement allowing access to the municipal pool driveway, along with permission to park congregant vehicles in the adjacent lot during church services. Because the pool parking area is a Green Acres protected site, Promise Church has formally requested an exemption from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Green Acres requirement which limits Green Acres designated property for park and recreational purposes only.
 
While the State’s decision on that request is entirely separate from the Planning Board’s review, it is fair to say that if an exemption is not granted, the church’s ability to proceed with the project as currently envisioned would become significantly more challenging.
 
As with all Planning Board applications, this one will be considered solely on the evidence presented, applicable zoning and land use law, as well as testimony from professionals and comments from residents.  I will keep you updated through future status reports.
 
Sidewalk Maintenance:
 
Many Leonians have expressed a desire for better property upkeep in general—and sidewalk maintenance in particular. The good news is we are now moving forward aggressively to address this. The reality is that meeting a reasonable standard will require an investment of time and, in some cases, money from most households.
 
Well-maintained sidewalks contribute to the overall appearance of our community and positively impact property values. Every homeowner should be aware that sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of the property owner—not the Borough—even if the damage is caused in part or in whole by a Borough-owned tree.  Poorly maintained sidewalks contribute to the potential for falls and increased homeowner insurance liability coverages. 
 
As mentioned in an earlier update, I formed a Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Compliance. Several residents volunteered for this effort, and they approached the task with real enthusiasm (even after learning they would not be writing summonses—a role that seemed oddly popular).
 
Given the importance residents place on sidewalk conditions, the committee, working with our Borough Administrator, made this issue an early priority. We have already begun implementing a process to ensure compliance and have increased enforcement. Warnings and violation notices are now being issued.
 
Please know that the Borough will be reasonable in granting extensions or considering special circumstances when warranted. Our objective is not to generate revenue through fines—although in some cases, avoiding a fine may prove to be the necessary motivation. The real goal is to significantly improve sidewalk conditions across Leonia.
 
The Borough Administrator has prepared a practical guide to sidewalk improvements, many of which do not require full replacement. You can find the guide HERE. The Building Department is handling enforcement and will gladly answer questions about your specific property. For assistance, please contact [email protected].
 
Save on Your Household’s Electricity Cost:
 
Here’s a simple way your Leonia household can save some money.
 
Leonians who want to lower their electricity bills by investing in solar power –without putting panels on their homes–now can do exactly that thanks to a new state program.  The savings are made possible by the New Jersey Community Solar Energy Program.  It permits renters and homeowners to sign up for a portion of the power generated by solar panels installed on commercial rooftops across the state.  An independent expert we’ve recently consulted described participation in this program as a “no-brainer.”
 
I’ve previously written about the impact of PSE&G’s 20% electricity rate hike on both the Borough and residents alike. Our uncovering this program was part of our broader effort to find ways to cut utility costs in the face of those sharp increases.  We took a look at best practices across multiple other municipalities.  Westwood, for example, uses this same approach and their residents are very happy with the results. 
 
Participation is completely optional.  If you’re interested in lowering your electricity supply costs, I encourage you to take a serious look. Your electricity will still be delivered by PSE&G and you are still billed by PSE&G—nothing changes on that front—but through this NJ state program you’ll receive a discounted supply rate off of the PSE&G current cost you’re paying. 
 
Click here to read more information from our Borough team
 
Click here to see The Record’s July 14 article (Page L-1) about how Westwood is participating
 
If you’re ready to sign up, we are in the process of setting up a Borough portal for registration which should be live shortly.  You can also elect to sign up on your own.  For every household that joins through our site, Leonia will receive a small monetary benefit—further helping to reduce municipal costs and, ultimately, the tax burden on all residents.
 
 Every dollar counts, and this is one way to keep more dollars for yourself. 
 
NJ Property Tax Relief Programs:
 
Our good friends on the Age Friendly Committee (who, by the way, are doing yeoman’s work on behalf of our senior population) asked me to include in this update some information about the NJ Property Tax Relief Programs available to homeowners and renters alike. 
 
First, you need to understand it is a different process from last year and everyone needs to submit an application, regardless of your eligibility in past years.  The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2025.  Residents can file an application online at propertytaxrelief.nj.gov. 
 
New Jersey has simplified the process with a single combined application (PAS-1) for the Senior Freeze (Property Tax Reimbursement, ANCHOR and Stay NJ programs for residents 65 or older or those collecting Social Security Disability Benefits.  In the expanded property tax relief program the combined reimbursements can bring up to $6500 for homeowners and up to $700 for renters  The eligibility requirements have also changed making more residents eligible to receive the tax relief.  The applications were mailed directly to people in March.
 
Any questions can be directed to AgeFriendly Leonia ([email protected]).   Ellen Healy and Mary Gendron keep a close eye on this mailbox and will respond. 
 
Police Blotter:
 
At every level of government—municipal, county, state, or federal—public safety remains the most fundamental responsibility. In Leonia, we are fortunate to have a Police Department that is on duty 24/7, 365 days a year, ensuring that our community remains safe and well-served.
 
To give you a sense of just how busy and productive the Leonia Police Department is: they handled 818 calls for service in July alone, and 7,038 YTD through 7/31 so far this year.  (Service call numbers include motor vehicle stops that are initiated by the department.) 
 
The productivity of the Leonia Police Department exceeds that of many comparable departments in our area—including some with larger staff. They routinely conduct more traffic stops, issue more citations, and carry out more specialized traffic enforcement operations than neighboring towns. It might not always seem like that, but our officers can’t be everywhere at once.  That’s just reality.  We have officers with upwards of 60+ motor vehicle citations and actions per month. 
 
Here’s an interesting data point from the most recent monthly police report: between 12:18 PM on June 15th and 4:14 PM on June 19th, a traffic counter was deployed on Grand Avenue, just south of Station Parkway. To my surprise, it recorded 100,129 vehicles with an average speed of 29 MPH. The posted speed limit on Grand Avenue is 30 MPH.
 
LPD’s record in solving crimes and apprehending suspects is equally impressive. A recent example: after a horrific pedestrian hit-and-run resulting in death on Grand Avenue, Leonia detectives worked tirelessly with Bergen County officials—combing the scene, reviewing video footage from multiple sources, and piecing together vehicle data. Thanks to their effort, a vehicle was identified, and a suspect arrested who remains in custody.
 
Recently, I’ve asked the Chief for a full breakdown of average 911 response times. While I await that data, I will say there is anecdotal evidence suggesting the average response typically falls between two and three minutes and, sometimes, much less than that. 
 
Case in point: On Valentine’s Day, when a devastating fire left 34 of our neighbors homeless, the first officer arrived just 30 seconds after the initial 911 call. That officer confirmed a working fire and began a rapid evacuation—sustaining an injury in the process. His actions, and those of others who followed, helped prevent a greater tragedy.
 
Not only do our police officers arrive at the scene of an emergency quickly, they are highly trained, well equipped and well educated to handle whatever situation they might encounter. 
 
Please feel free to introduce yourself to any of our 20 officers as they make their rounds through the community.  I believe you will be impressed. 
 
Storm Flooding – Monday, July 14th:
 
It should come as no surprise that the frequency of intense rainstorms continues unabated. Thankfully, the storm on Thursday, July 31st turned out to be less severe than initially feared—sometimes, we get lucky.
 
I’ve covered Leonia’s ongoing flooding challenges extensively in previous updates, so I won’t repeat myself here. If you’re new to this issue or would like a refresher, click here for background and previous communications.
 
Unfortunately, we weren’t as lucky on Monday, July 14th, when a major storm—accurately forecast—dropped approximately 5.5 inches of rain in a short span. Even so, Leonia weathered it relatively well. While some basements saw moderate flooding (including my own), we avoided the more severe, large-scale flooding that we’ve experienced in the past—particularly on Wood Terrace, which has previously flooded with similar rainfall.
 
This July 14th storm marked the first real test of two major flood mitigation efforts: 

• the pump system the Borough acquired and deployed to assist our neighbors on Wood Terrace, and
• the temporary water barricades placed along Broad Avenue next to the Post Office, designed to slow down stormwater from rushing down the Methodist Church driveway.

 
Despite a few hiccups and a close call, both systems held—and flooding on Wood Terrace was successfully averted. My thanks go to the Flood Committee (chaired by Council President Jordan Zeigler), the Department of Public Works (led by Superintendent John Villareal), and the residents of Wood Terrace for their cooperation and patience as we put this new approach to the test.
 
Our Borough Administrator, Marisa Mesropian, has also prepared a helpful brochure on flood resilience and remediation measures for homeowners. Click HERE to view it.
 
Grant Funding Update:
 
Leonia continues to make steady progress in securing grant funding to help offset costs and reduce the tax burden on residents. So far this calendar year (through June 2025), the Borough has been awarded $901,845 in grant funding, with nearly $28 million in additional grant applications currently submitted and under review by various government agencies.
 
Grant funding has become a key strategy in how we maintain and improve services without passing more of the cost onto taxpayers. As the old saying goes, you can’t win if you don’t buy a ticket. The same is true for grants—if you don’t apply, you won’t receive funding. And we are applying.
 
Applying for these funds takes time and coordination, and we’re trying to make sure no opportunity is missed. Our Borough Administrator, Marisa Mesropian, has implemented a thorough grant-tracking and application process that involves departments across Borough operations.
 
When I took office as Mayor, I made it a priority to pursue outside funding more aggressively—and that remains a central focus. We’re putting in the work to ensure Leonia competes for and captures available resources to support our community.
 
A large portion of the pending applications relate to a major proposal now under review by the federal government—a new Community Center that would house both Recreation services and a Firehouse. We’ll continue to share updates on this initiative as more information becomes available. Click HERE to revisit the background on this proposal.
 
While there are no guarantees when it comes to competitive grants, we’re committed to continuing this effort and doing everything we can to bring outside corporate/private funding into Leonia to support our priorities.
 
DPW Hazardous Waste Incident:
 
During one of our recent recycling collection days for commingled containers, a Department of Public Works (DPW) crew unknowingly picked up a large jug of acid that had been improperly placed with commingled recyclables. The container was loaded into the truck along with other materials. Afterward, the crew smelled a strong burning odor and saw vapor emanating from the vehicle. Recognizing the signs of a potentially dangerous chemical reaction, they immediately stopped the truck.
 
The Leonia Fire Department responded quickly and called in the Bergen County Hazmat Team to assist. Together, they safely and effectively managed the situation. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the truck did not sustain any lasting damage.
 
This incident serves as a serious reminder: hazardous chemicals must never be placed in your household garbage, recycling, or trash. These substances require special handling and proper disposal.  Check out this link for information on how and where to safely dispose of various hazardous materials .www.bcua.org/?SEC=B57513DC-5789-4617-8427-EB9D21DBD40A. 
 
For those wondering whether we tried to identify who did this, the answer is yes. Our goal was not punitive but educational—to ensure the person or household involved understood the gravity of the situation. Unfortunately, because of the volume of pickups and the point at which the acid was discovered, it was not possible to pinpoint where it was collected.  I’m hoping whoever did this might read my report and realize what happened as a result of their actions. 
 
Our Municipal Budget:
 
Whenever someone asks me what the big issues are in Leonia, I can assure you that our budgetary constraints always make my list. 
 
It used to be that as a municipal government we would tackle the budget process in earnest come the Fall and then work our way towards a responsible outcome which could be introduced and passed sometime in the Spring.  Well… those days are over.  The budget process is now out of necessity a year-round affair.
 
We absolutely must tightly manage the process throughout the year and factor each month’s unfolding financial realities into the picture well before the Fall season.  What’s driving this are largely the costs your municipality and your governing body do not control.  It is these costs which have resulted in a tax increase above inflation this year.  Last year, you’ll recall we were able to come in under inflation.  Costs for pensions, healthcare, insurance, tipping fees, utility supply, etc are all costs we don’t control and have all substantially exceeded inflation rates.  The good news is for costs we do control we have consistently kept at or below inflation rates.  If only these controllable costs represented our entire budget.  They do not. 
 
We were recently advised that the State of NJ is increasing costs associated with our municipal employee’s healthcare by a whopping 36%.   This is a major hit to the budget and all of our taxes.  In fact, if you add up (and I just did) the last 5 years of NJ’s increases for healthcare costs alone, it is 115%!  That means the healthcare costs to Leonia taxpayers for municipal employees past and present has more than doubled in 5 years!  Combine this with the other uncontrollable cost increases and you begin to appreciate why budget considerations are now a year-round process. 
 
With a probable 36% increase in healthcare and other likely double digit increases for tipping fees, electric utility costs are already up 20% (40% in two years), plus insurance etc, I just don’t see how we can avoid another sizable tax increase this year, even with your governing body doing everything we reasonably can to control our spend. 
 
Along these lines, we are proactively preparing ourselves as best as we can.    Please take a look at this presentation by Councilman Christoph Hesterbrink,  Finance Committee Chair, on the budget and the go forward position taken by the governing body concerning the best approach to our current challenges.  You may view the recording through THIS LINK.  There are some decisions to be made and some of these will be very difficult.  We’ve already cut the fat out of our budgets.  Whatever cuts we make next will be into muscle and bone. 
 
For the long run, we are working on our redevelopment plans to help us bring in more revenue to offset some of the pressure we are feeling.  While revenues are up this year and that is good news,  the real money is still more than 2-4 years away and tied up with our longer-term development plans. 
 
Updated Road Repaving Schedule:
 
By NJ State law, the Borough of Leonia is obligated to accept the lowest bid for work done by qualified contractors that exceeds a $17,000 threshold.  Road repaving projects fit that description as they are of considerable expense and the specs we develop for each project are very particular.   You are probably as surprised as I was to learn that to mill and re-pave a single municipal block is upwards of $100,000.   Asphalt roads need to be re-done approximately every 6-7 years.  So, this is expensive and quickly adds up.  Just another reason I am a big fan of the old cement roads.  But I digress…
 
Accepting the lowest bidder isn’t by itself a problem.  In theory, it gets you the best deal.  However, when a contractor bids more low-priced jobs than they can handle, it does become a problem.  Our road contractor has apparently done exactly that.  They were awarded work as the lowest bidder across many municipalities and many different jobs.  We’ve worked with them, despite their being overcommitted, to ensure Leonia isn’t being forgotten. 
 
So, while the road repaving schedule has slipped somewhat, we have their commitment to continue construction on Broad Avenue (Tuesday 08/05 through Friday 08/08). We are currently speaking with them to possibly include Beechwood Place in the mix while they’re working on Broad Avenue.  We're also attempting to finalize the schedule for Fort Lee Road with them.  Stay tuned…
 
One final note:
 
As I was wrapping up this latest cure to assist you with any insomnia, Leonia experienced a 3.0 magnitude earthquake, with an epicenter in nearby Hasbrouck Heights. For me, this was a first. I had never felt an earthquake before (and, frankly, wouldn’t have minded missing the experience).  Very fortunately, I did not receive any reports of damage or injury. 
 
We also gained a better understanding of the importance of emergency communications within the community. As a result, Leonia will do some more work to ensure we are using the most effective and efficient way(s) to share timely emergency information.
 
While a Nixle alert was sent approximately 30 minutes after the earthquake—and we continue to encourage everyone to sign up for Nixle alerts, by the way, at this LINK here—we recognize that more can be done. We will shortly review all available communication options and move forward based on what best serves the community.
 
That’s it for my August 2025 update. I hope everyone is enjoying a safe and relaxing summer.
 
Kind regards,
 
Bill Ziegler
Leonia Mayor