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Town home zoning approved unanimously
(by Maggie Fazeli Fard - March 12, 2008)
After 16 months of negotiations and internal disputes, the River Vale Council unanimously approved an ordinance to create new town home zoning in the township on Monday night, paving the way for the development of 59 townhouses on a tract of land adjacent to the River Vale Country Club, formerly Bergen Hills.
The ordinance had seen numerous incarnations since work began in late 2006, the most notable changes being the switch from age-restricted to mixed age housing, the increase in the total number of units from 55 to 59 and the introduction of affordable housing units.
While the council had been close to split in the past, with Councilman Noel Matos and Council President Glen Jasionowski staunchly opposing previous versions, proposals that would increase the township’s Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) obligation and decrease the amount of state aid by approximately $200,000 led to a change of heart among naysayers.
“I was at one time against this ordinance,” said Jasionowski after the vote at the March 10 meeting. “[But] I don’t see any way that I could have in good conscience voted no. This was a vote done with all the residents of River Vale in mind, and the future residents of River Vale.”
He said the ordinance was “the best deal possible.”
Matos, who had criticized last year’s change from 55-and-over to mixed aged housing as well as the number of three-bedroom units, which was originally set at five, agreed.
“I was probably the most opposed to this ordinance when it came out, if not the [only] objector,” Matos said, who said the “turning point” in his thinking was a reallocation that could limit the number of non-senior three-bedroom units to as few as two.
The new TH-1 zone will allow for the development of 59 units on the site, including 37 market rate units with a minimum of 15 one-bedroom units, a maximum of 22 two-bedroom units, and the option of two three-bedroom units. There would also be 12 affordable housing units, two of which would be three-bedroom units, which would go towards the township’s COAH obligation. There would be 10 senior housing units that are limited to owners who are 55 and over; there would be no limit on the number of bedrooms for each senior housing unit.
“Given the preponderance of all the changes that were done,” Matos continued, “it’s probably the best choice for River Vale under the circumstances.”
The approved ordinance was drafted following a joint meeting with the planning board on Dec. 10 and incorporates some of the feedback, including changing the area requirement from three to five acres, given to the council by the board.
The plan also includes 1.75 parking spaces for each one-bedroom unit and two spaces for each two- and three-bedroom unit. Additionally, every unit will have at least one garage and a driveway suitable for an oversized car.
As part of the deal, the township will give the developer a piece of land that Jasionowski said is smaller than the council chambers in town hall, which will be used to expand the clubhouse. In exchange, the township will receive a 1.7-acre tract of land north of the community center that would be used for a soccer field, $250,000 to be used as the township sees fit, and an audio-visual system valued at $80,000 installed in the community center.
Additionally, the township will obtain a 50-year deed restriction on the site, long sought after by developers.
“I think that this is one of the greatest nights in our history,” said Councilman Dwight de Stefan, who was part of the group of residents that fought against the site’s development by Sterling Drugs 24 years ago. “We saved the golf course, folks!”
While few members of the public attended the public hearing of the controversial ordinance, the council found support in an unlikely place, from a resident who had previously opposed some of the changes.
“Originally I was, as you know, fairly critical,” said Rivervale Road resident John Donovan. “I would have voted no. I still to this day believe that this should have remained a senior housing zone.”
However, Donovan said that in light of proposed new COAH rules and the proposed cuts in state aid, he has reconsidered his criticisms and asked that the council consider “conditional approval.”
He asked that the council commit to maintain an open dialogue with residents when moving forward with an ordinance pertaining to the golf course clubhouse, to map out the TH-1 zone’s boundary lines on a zoning map, to include an amendment addressing the new COAH rules and to pursue a comprehensive review of the township’s zoning code.
These conditions were not addressed in the body of the ordinance, but Jasionowski gave a verbal commitment to follow through on Donovan’s requests.
Mayor Joseph Blundo, who in December threatened to cut off his support and the assistance of his administrative staff if the ordinance was not finalized and voted on as quickly as possible, was satisfied with the outcome of the evening.
“You drove us crazy,” he told the council jokingly, adding that this was the first time in his governing body career that the entire council worked so hard on one thing.
“I’ve thought this was a good deal for the public from day one,” Blundo said. “You made it a better deal… Thank you for no bloodshed.”
Maggie Fazeli Fard's e-mail address is fazelifard@northjersey.com.
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