Full Notification

Station Parkway Litigation Update:
I was worried—actually, very worried—about how the ongoing lawsuit surrounding the Station Parkway site would ultimately turn out. There was a great deal at stake for Leonia and for our collective future as a borough. I have consistently promised that as soon as I was able to report to you on closed legal negotiations, I would do so. That time is now.

I am referring specifically to the two single-family residential parcels on the west side of Grand Avenue, between Maple Street and Station Parkway, that were the subject of a builder’s-remedy lawsuit. The initial proposal—a 150+ unit, five- to six-story building on relatively small single-family lots—would have overwhelmed our Spring Street neighbors and dramatically increased congestion, traffic, and parking demand in the surrounding area.

Beyond the immediate impact on Spring Street, it was clear to the entire governing body and our Planning Board that having density at more than 150 units per acre on this site would set a troubling precedent for future development throughout Leonia.

Given what was at stake, I believed the only responsible course of action was to assemble our own “Dream Team” to represent Leonia and try to level the playing field against a determined developer with very deep pockets.

Jeff Surenian, Leonia’s affordable housing counsel, is among the best in the business. Shortly after becoming Mayor, I met with Jeff and later invited him to speak at one of our Town Halls so residents and the governing body could better understand the landscape we were navigating. Kendra Lelie, our professional planner, is by far the most capable planner I have worked with, and our Borough Administrator, Marisa Mesropian, brought her formidable skills and leadership to bear throughout this process. None of this would have been possible without the full support and endorsement of the governing body, our Planning Board and our neighbors on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee for Redevelopment and Revitalization.

With this team in place, we invested the time necessary to fully understand the affordable housing laws and how they are applied in practice. These laws are heavily skewed in favor of developers, and knowledge was the only way to give Leonia a fighting chance.  One can debate whether the developer’s interest in affordable housing was sincere. What is not debatable is that New Jersey’s affordable housing statutes allowed the developer to assert that Leonia could not meet its obligations without the high-density project they proposed.

So what happened?

After months of negotiations and being whipsawed back and forth in settlement discussions, I am pleased to report that what began as a 150+ unit proposal has been reduced to 14–19 townhouse units—well within acceptable density limits and far below what was sought by the developer.  In my time serving Leonia, both as a Councilman and now as Mayor, I have never seen a more favorable outcome for Leonia from a settlement of this nature.

Leonia’s interests were protected. We did not cave to the use of affordable housing as leverage or compromise our density principles.  We stood by our carefully crafted housing plan—one that satisfies our obligations as a municipality and then some. Our position was so compelling that both the Arbitrator and the Judge supported a dramatically lower density than originally proposed.

Had this gone the other way, it would have set a damaging precedent and seriously jeopardized our ability to remain true to our goal of restoring, enhancing, preserving, and protecting the small-town character, charm, and traditions that define Leonia.
I also have good news to share regarding the proposed development at Christie Heights and Grand Avenue. As I outlined in my December status report HERE, this matter followed a similar path.

I am pleased to report that this case has also been settled—using the same strategic approach and outstanding team that represented Leonia so effectively at Station Parkway. What began as a 64-unit proposal has been reduced to 12 units, again well within the desired density for that parcel.

None of this would have been possible without the coordinated efforts of our professionals and the many volunteers who serve on the governing body, Planning Board, and the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Redevelopment and Revitalization. My sincere thanks to all of them.

And speaking personally—this is indeed a big relief.  One less thing to worry about! 

My State of Leonia speech:
On January 5th as part of the governing body’s annual re-organization meeting, I delivered my annual ‘State of Leonia’ speech.  I can think of no better way to quickly familiarize yourself with the ‘big picture’ strategic priorities in Leonia than to take a few minutes and watch what was said.  HERE is the link.  As always, I welcome your comments and questions at [email protected]. 

Promise Church Update:
The Planning Board continues to hear testimony on the Promise Church application, which seeks to significantly expand the Church’s facilities at 150 Grand Avenue.

To date, the Board has heard testimony primarily from the engineer responsible for stormwater management and from Church leadership. In the coming meetings, we expect additional testimony related to stormwater management, as well as presentations from the applicant’s landscape architect and traffic engineer.

Recent Planning Board meetings have been well attended by Leonia residents interested in understanding how the proposed expansion may affect their neighborhood and the community more broadly. The next Planning Board meeting, at which testimony is expected to continue, is scheduled for Wednesday, January 28 at 7:30 p.m. in the second-floor courtroom of the new Municipal Center.

Because this is a quasi-judicial proceeding governed by New Jersey state law, the process can be frustrating—particularly for those who attend expecting to offer opinions during public comment. At this stage, the Board is limited to hearing testimony from experts retained by the applicant. Members of the public may participate, but only by asking questions directly related to the testimony presented. Public opinion and commentary are not permitted at this point in the process; that opportunity comes later.

The same rules apply to members of the Planning Board. Board members, including myself, may only ask questions arising from the testimony and must remain objective throughout the evidentiary phase. Expressing opinions prematurely could expose the Borough to legal challenge. While I understand how frustrating this can feel, it is essential that the process be followed carefully and correctly.

So when does the public have the opportunity to offer opinions? That occurs at the conclusion of all testimony. In the meantime, asking thoughtful and thorough questions is critically important, as it ensures that concerns, clarifications, and details are formally entered into the record. Ultimately, the Planning Board’s decision must be based solely on what appears in that official record—and nothing else.

I hope to see continued strong attendance at future meetings, beginning with January 28 at 7:30 p.m., so that everything that needs to be placed on the record is, in fact, placed on the record.

Kulite:
If ever there were an exemplar of corporate social responsibility, Kulite is it. As Leonia’s largest employer—supporting approximately 800 employees—and our largest taxpayer, Kulite continues to be an extraordinary partner to our community.

Their support for Leonia takes many forms. Kulite generously funds college scholarships for graduating LHS seniors, supports our schools’ STEM programs, helps finance Leonia Day, contributes significantly to our public library, and consistently invests in the well-being of our community. Kulite is truly a treasured asset, and it is worth repeating: their success is our success, and vice versa.

One of the ongoing challenges Kulite faces is inadequate on-site parking. As the company continues to grow and thrive, many employees are forced to park farther from the facilities than is desirable.

The Borough owns a small parcel of land facing Overpeck adjacent to Kulite’s main building at Fort Lee Road and Willow Tree Road which, if ultimately purchased by Kulite, could help alleviate this parking constraint. Such a transaction would also create a new ratable for Leonia, allow the Borough to apply a significant portion of the proceeds toward debt reduction—thereby lowering annual interest costs—and provide the County with additional overflow parking capacity for future Overpeck Park events. 

Preliminary discussions regarding a potential sale have begun. State law requires that any sale occur through a public auction process, and the Planning Board will be involved as required. Importantly, Kulite has already committed that any improvements would include first-class landscaping, tree plantings, and the use of permeable pavers to assist with stormwater management.  Anyone familiar with Kulite’s properties knows the care and attention they devote to landscaping and site design.

I will continue to keep you informed as these discussions progress.

Teaneck’s DPW:
Leonia has a unique opportunity to explore a partnership with the Township of Teaneck to locate Teaneck’s DPW facility on a property owned by Leonia immediately north of Leonia’s existing DPW building.

Let me be very clear: this does NOT represent a merger of our DPW with Teaneck’s. Leonia has an outstanding DPW, and a merger is not under consideration. What is being explored is a partnership that could allow for equipment sharing and operational efficiencies—opportunities that could help Leonia reduce future capital costs.

In tight budget times such as these, it is important that we take advantage of meaningful opportunities to save taxpayer dollars when they present themselves.

Here is the current status… The lease on this Borough-owned property north of our DPW facility expires later this year. Teaneck has expressed interest in constructing its own DPW building on that site. We have begun preliminary discussions and are starting to negotiate the terms of a potential long-term lease.

I will continue to keep you informed as these discussions progress.

Honoring our Volunteers:
At a recent Mayor and Council meeting HERE, we took time out to honor the outstanding contributions of Leonian Jon Abouaf to the Leonia Recreation Commission.  Jon selflessly gave over a decade of his time to further the mission of our Recreation Department by serving, among other roles, as Chair of the Rec Commission.  The governing body honored Jon for his time and dedication.

Volunteers are the backbone of our community, and we can’t thrive as a community without our volunteers.  I like to say there is a volunteer role for everyone.   If you have some time to contribute to Leonia, please take a moment to review the list of different committees, commissions and boards.  Complete the volunteer form HERE indicating your preferences based on your interests.

Bulk Trash Pilot:
Please mark your calendars… the first date of our monthly bulk trash pickups will be Thursday, January 8th townwide.  This will be the ONLY pickup date for bulk trash during the entire month and the date is different from what is indicated on your community calendars.  Please make a note of it.  DO NOT put out bulk trash on another date as you will just have to retrieve it and wait until Thursday, February 12th for the next pickup.  HERE is a link with additional information (from last month’s update) on why we are undertaking this pilot effort.

Age Friendly Initiative:
Leonia is committed to allowing our seniors to respectably age in place by providing much needed services which will further enable our older residents to continue to be contributing members of our community.  Over the past year this is an initiative which has gained tremendous momentum.  My sincere thanks to Ellen Healy and Mary Gendron for helping to make this happen.

Thank you to the more than 500 residents age 55 and over who completed the Age-Friendly Leonia Community Needs Assessment Survey. The results are being tabulated and analyzed. A report will be shared with you during the first quarter of the year. The survey results will inform a grant-funded Age-Friendly Leonia Action Plan that will be geared to making our community an even better place to live as we age. Thank you for your support of Age-Friendly Leonia.

That’s it for now… I hope everyone had a happy holiday season, and I wish all Leonians a wonderful new year.

Kind regards,
 
Bill Ziegler
Leonia Mayor