Y
Emerson • Hillsdale • Montvale • Park Ridge • River Vale • Township of Washington • Westwood • Woodcliff Lake
VOLUME 23 ISSUE 47
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
MAYORS DISH Freefor Dinner two at Y OVER BREAKFAST
Y Enter toWin a
Y
Amazonʼs impact, housing mandates, more
RIVER VALE
FAIRWAYS
DEVELOPER GIVES TOWN
$700K
Funds may provide down payment on safety complex
BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
See RIVER VALE on page 114
PASCACK VALLEY
INVESTMENTS,
AFFORDABLE HOUSING RULES, FUEL REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS
SEE PAGE 13 FOR DETAILS*
A $700,000 contribution agreement with the Fairways at Edgewood developer to help fund municipal improvements—likely a new Public Safety Complex—was approved by four council members at the Jan. 27 meeting. A couple weeks prior, council approved the developerʼs agreement, which sets rules that the developer, Woodmont Properties, Fairfield, must follow in constructing Fairways at Edgewood, a 249unit development that includes 225 townhomes and quadplexes—plus 24 affordable townhomes—on nine holes (about 44 acres) of the former 27-hole Edgewood Country Club. The massive new residential development—approved in June 2019 by the Joint Planning Board—will likely break ground in spring/summer, say local officials, and the $700,000 may serve as a downpayment on a future bond issue for the estimated $10 million to $12 million public safety building, said Township Administrator Gennaro Rotella. Much of the planned Fairways development lies directly opposite
FEBRUARY 3, 2020
MEET THE MAYORS (from left) Montvale Council President Douglas Arendacs, Chamber Secretary Christine Issackedes, Emerson Mayor Danielle DiPaola, Chamber President Robin Effron Malley, Woodcliff Lake Mayor Carlos Rendo, Park Ridge Mayor Keith Misciagna, Oradell Mayor Dianne Didio, Hillsdale Mayor John Ruocco, Township of Washington Mayor Peter Calamari, Chamber Vice President Skip Kelley, Chamber member Olga Epstein, and Westwood Mayor Raymond Arroyo. BY JOHN SNYDER OF PASCACK PRESS
Approximately two dozen members of the valley business community turned out to the annual Breakfast with the Greater Pascack Valley Mayors on Jan. 29 at the Iron Horse Restaurant. In turns at the microphone many of the mayors voiced concern that significant construction
in the area is being driven by external forces, with local residents bearing the brunt of infrastructure costs and traffic. The leaders, notably Westwood Mayor Ray Arroyo, also spoke to trends that showed the Pascack Valley remains an attractive area to do business, and that towns willing to innovate could see rich rewards. Speaking to “churn and dynamism” in downtown West-
PHOTO BY MURRAY BASS
wood against the backdrop of an ongoing master plan review, Arroyo said, “Some see the glass as half empty when in fact itʼs quite full.” Hosted by the nonprofit Greater Pascack Valley Chamber of Commerce, the breakfast gave each mayor or his or her designee five minutes to speak on hot-button issues.
Continued on page 5
Economic development in the Borough of Montvale continues rapidly changing the once rural community into a hub of residential and retail building, and a magnet for new businesses—mirroring changes gradually transforming towns throughout the region. Some changes have been driven by affordable housing settlements mandated under state law, and others reflect shifts in the retail and commercial real estate markets. In 2013, the owners of DePieroʼs Farm in Montvale— then one of Bergen Countyʼs last remaining farms—decided to sell. Now in its place is an upscale shopping mall anchored by Wegmans supermarket. Other planned developments in the borough include a 350-unit mixed-use residential development on the former MercedesBenz corporate site; 80 townhouse-style homes on a 13-acre site formerly owned by A&P; and 185 units on a 7-acre property formerly owned by Sony Corp. Montvale Mayor Michael Ghassali—speaking ahead of the Feb. 4 Montvale Chamber of Commerce 2020 Regional KickOff event—said town leaders like to think of the borough as a hub for development, new businesses and opportunities. Ghassali spoke to Pascack
See DEVELOPMENT on page 134
INTERNATIONAL DAY
B ck in time...
The Montvale school community ‘sees the world’ in an annual event celebrating other lands’ culture, histories, cuisine, music, and traditions.
We mourn the loss of Arthur Van Riper, 87, a former owner of the popular Van Riper’s Farms in Woodcliff Lake. He died Jan. 26. SEE PAGE 4
SEE PAGE 12