Emerson • Hillsdale • Montvale • Park Ridge • River Vale • Township of Washington • Westwood • Woodcliff Lake VOLUME 23 ISSUE 50
JUST MARRIED
PA S C AC K VA L L E Y ’ S BEST H O M E TO W N N E W S PA P E R
MARCH 2, 2020
WESTWOOD
Six Hillsdale firefighters ‘beat up’ in Westwood house blaze BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
Joseph Platyan and Laura Erickson-Platyan wed. SEE PAGE 12
MONTVALE
170-UNIT
PROPOSAL ON FOR MARCH 3 HEARING BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
With a major mixed-use development called North Market underway on Mercedes Drive— featuring retail, residential, and office space—another major developer now proposes a 170unit three-story multi-family active-adult residential apartment complex on 28.4 acres on nearby Summit Avenue that includes affordable units. It is not clear the borough needs more affordable housing units, having met its 2017-settled affordable housing obligations, Mayor Michael Ghassali said. The projectʼs first Planning Board hearing is Tuesday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m. Applicant Wayside Residential Services LLC of Boca Raton, Florida, will testify on its preliminary and final site plan
See MONTVALE on page 34
The Bergen County Prosecutorʼs Arson Investigations Unit has yet to conclude its investigation into the conflagration that injured six firefighters and destroyed an empty house on Oakland Avenue on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Westwood Fire Chief Kevin Woods credits teamwork and professionalism in crewsʼ handling of the early morning blaze, which feasted on a property under renovation. Mutual aid included firefighters from Bergenfield, Emerson, Franklin Lakes, Hillsdale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Paramus, River Vale, the Township of Washington, and Woodcliff Lake, and ambulances from multiple services. Six Hillsdale firefighters from Engine 34 were sent to the hospital, all with minor injuries, after they attempted a push into the structure that was answered by the porch roof collapsing on them. Among the firefighters trapped for 90 long seconds—the timing confirmed by video—was Hillsdale Fire Chief Tom Kelleyʼs son, Chris, who volunteers for Hillsdale and Westwood. Chief Kelley told Pascack Press he saw the wreckage rain down on the men from where he stood at the first step. He said the six, who found themselves in a briefly stable void space, kept their cool and freed themselves. “It was terrifying, but when you find out KEPT THEIR COOL: Six Hillsdale volunteer firefighters were injured, and that everyone is OK, you take a deep breath briefly hospitalized, after attacking a Feb. 26 house fire in Westwood. PHOTO COURTESY HILLSDALE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Continued on page 5
‘STAR’ STUDENTS
B ck in time...
March 1–7 is a star-studded week at Temple Emanuel of the Pascack Valley. SEE PAGE 20
The Storms house and Park Ridge’s Bear Brook Bridge, plus quaint local news of note from January 1901. SEE PAGE 4