Villadom Times Weekly Newpaper Online-February 11, 2009 Issue

Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • February 11, 2009 Franklin Lakes Planners pleased with affordable housing result by Frank J. McMahon Several members of the Franklin Lakes Planning Board recently took an invitational tour of the Mill Pond housing complex on Old Mill Road, which includes affordable housing units, and they were pleased with what they saw. Chairman Frank Conte, and board members Joseph Pullaro, Julius Lauber, and Joseph Cobuzio went on the ﬁeld trip with the permission of University Heights, LLC, the owners of the property. The board members reported back to the full board at a recent public meeting and expressed their satisfaction with the housing development. “The hard work that was put into this project by this board made it a better living community,” Conte reported. “When you drive by there in the summertime you don’t know it’s there because of the trees we preserved. Pullaro voiced satisfaction with the amount of parking at the site. “We were told there would not be enough parking, but all the units are full and there is enough parking,” he said. Pullaro also recounted how there was a concern by board members about getting snow off the site, but he found the snow is being trucked off the site. “That says something about the owners (of the property) for following the board’s resolution,” he added. Lauber also voiced satisfaction with the site, saying the board created a better situation than it was given when the plans for the site were ﬁrst presented to the board. This property was the focal point of controversy for several years after it was obtained by the state when a previous owner of the site died without a will. The state sold the land to a developer who received planning board approval in 1992 to build 44 luxury townhouses on the site. That developer went bankrupt, however, and the property was sold to a real estate holding company which sold it to University Heights, the company that sued the borough in 1999 in a “builder’s remedy” lawsuit for the right to build on the Helpful Hints Helpful Hints from property. The developer asked the court to allow more units on a site than the borough’s zoning ordinance allowed in return for building a number of affordable housing units on the site. As a result of that lawsuit, the borough’s zoning plan was declared unconstitutional by a Superior Court judge in 2000. A 2001 settlement between the borough and University Heights permitted 100 units on the site, which is constricted by 6.35 acres of wetlands and surrounded by borough owned parkland. Fifteen of the units were to be set aside as affordable housing. The planning board then had to review the details of the plans for the site prepared by University Heights. Several changes were made by the board in an effort to minimize the impact of the development on the borough. In March 2003, the planning board approved a site plan for the housing project by a 5-3 vote. The board’s decision came after 15 public meetings dating to April 2002. During that time, numerous experts representing University Heights, and FLOSP, the Franklin Lakes Open Space (continued on page 17) Peter Says... ome “On sunny days open the blinds and drapes to capture the warmth of the sun. Close them at night to help insulate against cold outside air”. 27 Franklin Tpk, Waldwick Open Sundays 9-3 201-652-5666 �� COSMETIC VEIN CENTER, LLC Medical Day Spa ��   �� YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSPAPER �� Luba �� • Microdermabrasion • Facials • Chemical Peels • Teen & Adult Acne Control • Eyebrow Design & Eye Lash Tint • Body Waxing (including Brazilian Bikini) �� 265 Ackerman Avenue, Suite 203 Ridgewood • 201-445-8820 Feel Better Now! ��Muscle Activation Techniques �� • Speed muscle recovery • Increase joints’ range of motion • Eliminate compensatory patterns • Reduce risk of injury by insuring muscles function optimally • Improve athletic performance and execution of everyday activities �� Ridgewood 201-488-4314 or 201-341-0183 �� Keane Fit & Wellness ��