North Edition
‘GREASE’ IS THE WORD!
Closter • Demarest • Harrington Park • Haworth • Northvale • Norwood • Old Tappan • Rockleigh
CONGRATS, ASHLEY!
FEBRUARY 17, 2020 OLD TAPPAN
229-UNIT
MIXED USE PROPOSAL FACES BOARD QUESTIONS, CONCERNS
Second-grader Ashley Khramova of Closter’s Hillside Elementary won big for winter reading.
NORTHVALE
SEE PAGE 6
TEN-UNIT
HOUSING COMPLEX APPROVED BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
A proposed 10-unit multifamily three-story residence—with two affordable units—is coming to a site near downtown Northvale. A boarded-up, partially collapsed auto parts store and adjacent lot at 192 Livingston Street near the center of Northvale was approved to be demolished and replaced by a three-story, 10-unit multifamily residential apartment building by the Planning Board on Feb. 5. The property is a 14,945square-foot lot, with frontage on Firenze Street and Livingston Street.
From 14 units to 10 The development was originally proposed for 14 units, but was reduced by the developer to 10 units, in keeping with Planning Board recommendations. The approved 10 one-bedroom rental units include two affordable units, required under a set-aside
See NORTHVALE page 54
Photo by Murray Bass
BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
NORWOOD—Norwood Public School kids had some good old-fashioned fun on Friday, Feb. 7 at the Back to the ʼ50s Sock Hop Dance, a fundraiser for the schoolʼs upcoming production of “Grease: The Musical.” Now director/choreographer Ann Van Cleaveʼs third year leading the schoolʼs annual musical, the former Broadway actor pushed to perform the ambitious production—but not without added costs.
“For some reason, ʻGreaseʼ tends to be the most expensive show to get the rights to do,” said Van Cleave. The Sock Hop dance was able to raise $1,500 to offset the additional costs, Van Cleave said. “It was a big success. We were thrilled with the response,” Van Cleave said, thanking Mary Kate Portera specifically for her leadership on the event. Continued on page 16
Racism allegations mar NVOT-Teaneck basketball game BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
OLD TAPPAN—An investigation was launched by high school athletic officials at Northern ValleyOld Tappan amid allegations that NVOT players used racial slurs during a freshman basketball game Feb. 11 against Teaneck, leading the Teaneck coach to remove his players from the court with only minutes remaining in the game. Media accounts alleged that some players on Teaneckʼs freshman basketball team heard NVOT players use the “n-word” as well as referring to the Teaneck players as “bitches.” Efforts to get details on the investigation and whether the Big North, both schoolsʼ athletic con-
LOVE YOUR LIBRARY! Harrington Park librarians ask you to “have a heart” and support this community gem during February.
SEE PAGE 18
ference, was also looking into allegations of racial slurs, were not returned by press time. Teaneckʼs freshman coach Owen Barnes told his team to leave the court with three minutes remaining, alleging NVOT players were insulting his players and using racist slurs. Barnes said he only pulled his players off the court because the verbal abuse continued unstopped by referees and opposing coaches, according to one published account. However, Northern Valley Regional High School District officials said no reports were Continued on page 16
Old Tappanʼs top planning official told the developer of a proposed 229-unit development adjoining Bi-State Plaza that there appear to be fundamental disagreements over what the board wants versus what the developer is offering on critical items such as street widths, integration of affordable housing with marketrate units, and sprinklers in all townhouses. Those issues were raised at several points throughout a nearly four-hour hearing Feb. 12—the fourth hearing for a proposal that will reshape the central shopping district of Old Tappan. Planning Board Chairman William Weidman and 200 OTR LLC attorney Peter Wolfson went back and forth on the contentious items, with Weidman noting upfront “those are huge items.” Several times, Wolfson responded that the applicant, 200 OTR LLC, identified as Hornrock Properties, had heard the boardʼs concerns but would make sure its proposal met local and state building codes, not necessarily agreeing to Weidmanʼs requests. ʻMade a mistakeʼ years ago Weidman said the planning board “made a mistake” nearly 30 years ago by approving road widths of 24 feet instead of 28 feet. The board has asked 200
See PLANNING page 24
B ck in time...
This week a century ago, a Closter factory worker stole the payroll cash and went on the lam.
SEE PAGE 4