[ back ]
Land swap approved by council
(by Megan Burrow - May 13, 2008)
After nearly three hours of discussion, the land swap between the Westwood Volunteer Fire Department and Palisades Land & Management LLC was approved at the May 6 borough council meeting.
The ordinance passed on final reading by a 3-to-1 margin with Council President Cynthia Waneck casting the dissenting vote. Council members Ingrid Quinn and William Phayre both recused themselves due to their involvement with the Westwood Fire Department.
The borough will gain a parcel of land of approximately 5,300 feet, widening the fire department’s property and making it less irregularly shaped. In exchange, Palisades will receive 2,434 square feet of land at the corner of Center and Jefferson avenues adjacent to the fire department, formerly used by Foremost Catering.
John J. Lamb, an attorney from the firm Beattie Padovano LLC, counsel to Palisades Land & Management LLC, has argued the swap would benefit each party because it would allow both parcels of land to be used more efficiently.
The land swap proposal was originally brought to the mayor and council in 2006, but the council had requested the company first gain approval for any variances from the board of adjustment before seeking the final go-ahead from the governing body. Palisades gained tentative approval from the zoning board in September of 2007 and once again brought their case before the council in January.
In addition to the zoning variance, Palisades had to obtain a valuation to make sure the land the borough would receive is at least at equal value to what they would give. Lamb characterized the appraisal as “extremely conservative” at an earlier council meeting, stating the report values the Fire Department’s property as high as possible, at a $216,700 benefit to the borough.
With the swap approved, Palisades plans to demolish the four buildings currently on the corner and build a new three-story structure; the first two stories containing offices, and the third housing three two-bedroom apartments.
Although the central office zone does not normally permit apartments, the area does allow for single-family and two-family homes. In addition to the new three-story building, Palisades will construct a two-story parking facility, which would provide overflow parking for the fire department, tenant parking, and 13 metered public spaces.
The Westwood Parking Authority will keep the revenue generated from the meters and Palisades will bear responsibility for the parking lot’s maintenance, including emptying the meters, resurfacing the pavement, and snow removal.
The fire department parking and public parking will be split into separate lots, divided by a median of the borough’s choosing. Lamb stated that if within 12 months, the fire department was not satisfied with the chosen barrier, Palisades would install a different gate at no cost to the borough.
Several members of the public raised concerns that response time during emergencies could be slowed due to the different parking arrangement for the firefighters. One of the most vocal in her opposition to the swap was former councilwoman Gail Frasco, who called the project “an accident waiting to happen.”
In response to these fears, Borough Engineer Stephen Boswell stated, “from an engineering standpoint, with the changes made in the parking lot, I don’t think a reason to vote no would be the safety issue.”
Boswell had recommended several changes to the original design and said the current plan would represent a “neutral change” in terms of the safety of residents. Waneck centered her objections on the language of the ordinance, calling it “subjective” and voiced her concerns about COAH regulations. She argued that the “square footage isn’t the whole picture” and contended that the borough would be “taking on the liabilities of future COAH costs.”
Ultimately, Councilman Peter Grefrath said, the decision came down to what was best for Westwood. He explained that the developer, who built the building that houses Westwood Pets and the medical building across from borough hall, has “always made good on his promises. You have to go with your gut sometimes.”
Councilman John Sciara explained his affirmative vote to the public, saying, “the existing property is in ill repair. I think there will be more than adequate parking. It’s a plus, I know there are some negatives, but we’ll be able to work them out.”
Megan Burrow's e-mail address is burrow@northjersey.com.
[ back ]
