Greedy Developers attack Massa, Zoning Board members in attempt to force storage facility at 170 Schuyler Avenue!
Developers call themselves "Concerned Citizens" of North Arlington in putting public pressure on members to vote yes come the January 9th meeting!
Use "Encap style" tactics to scare community with a twisted version of the truth!
NORTH ARLINGTON - In a highly unusual move, the applicant of a storage facility before the local Zoning Board has started a "media blitz" with several full-page ads in the Leader Newspapers, South Bergenite and The Kearny Observer calling upon the board to approve an application that would construct a storage facility on prime real estate.
The developers, identified as "Concerned Citizens of North Arlington" failed to identify the members of what some are regarding as a shell organization created solely to secure approval of the application at hand.
"Who are these concerned citizens? Have they ever attended a zoning board meeting? Why don't they identify themselves in this ad? Who paid for the ad? The developers? Why doesn't it mention all the facts surrounding the application?" said one local source familiar with the application.
According to sources, the owner of 170 Schuyler Avenue has successfully sued for lower assessments and that the tax value of the property would be much higher if leveraged in a "mixed use" capacity such as retail and residential.
Many are asking why anyone would approve an application that would limit the tax revenue of the borough's 5th largest parcel to under $200,000.
"The project has many questions including those of security. Who will monitor these storage bins? What is the process to prevent illegal activity from taking place on the property? The developer's ads are misleading and the fact no one signed their name to these ads only clouds the legitimacy of the claims made in these advertisements," said another NA homeowner.
Hackensack Bogota Properties, who describe themselves as storage specialists apparently purchased the media blitz as their agreement with the owner expires on January 15th. The next meeting of the zoning board is January 9th.
"If this plan is such a great idea, why is the owner letting the agreement expire? It seems to me they would extend the agreement if the owner actually believed this was the best way to rehabilitate 170 Schuyler," said another area resident.
The ad asked citizens to call the homes of Zoning Board Chairman Nick Antonicello and Vice-Chairman Rich Glennon. Antonicello is a Democrat and Glennon a Republican.
"The phone numbers listed to contact both Glennon and Antonicello are incorrect. Who gave the developers permission to post the unlisted phone numbers of volunteers in the newspapers?" said another angry resident.
According to other sources, the number listed for Antonicello has been disconnected for years and his current number is in fact a private number. The same can be said for the number attributed to Mr. Glennon.
"It's one thing to list Mayor Massa's public number and email. But Mayor Massa doesn't sit on the zoning board. Why is he being dragged into this mess? Mayor Massa has nothing to do with the application in question. It is the job of the zoning board to request testimony and aggressively investigate and review the merits of the application. I'm happy the board has people like Antonicello & Glennon who aren't afraid to stand up to bullies who think they can do what they want when they want. Why all this political pressure to build a storage facility? What's the real story behind spending thousands of dollars to force pressure on unpaid volunteers to give them what they want?" said a neighbor of Mr. Antonicello.
Antonicello refused to be interviewed for this article and attempts to reach Mr. Glennon and Mayor Massa were unsuccessful.
One individual familiar with the application questioned the validity of the claim it would have no impact on traffic.
"Apparently, they want to construct 800 storage bins. That's plenty of space for many people seeking to store goods and perishables. While this might make for a nice investment for the owner, is it the best usage of prime real estate overlooking midtown Manhattan? There will be an increase in truck traffic every time a bin is occupied or changes ownership. To claim a minimal impact on traffic on a residential area is less than honest," said another NA homeowner.
With a new borough administrator and incoming members to the council, few understood the rationale of the applicant in forcing a showdown with zoning board leaders as well as the mayor.
"The applicant seems to be attacking Democrats, Republicans and anyone who won't give them what they want. Antonicello, Glennon and Massa are all homeowners. They all oppose EnCap and they all have a track record for scrutinizing applications and proposals before the community. Why any resident would take up the cause of an out-of-town developer without understanding the issue based on the spin of a few ads in the local press is a bit absurd and quite frankly, ignorant" said one longtime NA resident.
