Mahwah August 17, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 9 DaPuzzo announces candidacy for mayor’s seat by Frank J. McMahon Mahwah Mayor John DaPuzzo has announced that this November he will seek election to the one-year unexpired term of former Mayor Richard J. Martel. Following Martel’s death in March, DaPuzzo was selected by the township council to temporarily serve as mayor until the next election in November. Martel’s term expires in 2012. DaPuzzo and his wife Dawn have lived in Mahwah for over 21 years and have raised two children who have both graduated from the Mahwah schools and gone on to professional careers. Over the course of almost two decades, he has been a volunteer coach and a Cub Scout leader and has been involved with many aspects of the township through a variety of civic and social organizations in addition to the municipal government. “Recently I was called upon to serve as your mayor which is an honor and a privilege like no other,” DaPuzzo said on his website. “I was appointed to this office by the township council following the untimely passing of my friend and former mentor, the late Mayor Richard Martel. He left very large shoes to fill, but I believe I have managed to stay the course, kept Mahwah on an even keel, and maintained an eye to the future for moving forward with the vision and initiatives Mayor Martel and I shared.” DaPuzzo sees three primary issues facing the township: the Crossroads development, water rates, and the township’s taxes and services. On the development of the Crossroads property, DaPuzzo said he and Martel recognized that the site would be developed by its present owner, and he has supported the rezoning of the property to allow the eventual development of a lifestyle center because of the significant benefits it would provide to the township while at the same time preventing an alternative use that could have the potential of negatively impacting Mahwah on an order of magnitude far greater than any worst case scenario for the current proposal. According to DaPuzzo, the major benefits of the proposed lifestyle center include expanded shopping, dining, and recreational opportunities, $2.7 million in incremental annual tax revenues for the township, over $4 million in township road improvements, at least $1 million in permitting and construction fees, a 12 percent increase in Mahwah’s job base reducing unemployment, and low impact on township services and schools. DaPuzzo also claims the proposed development prevents the property owner from further considering alternative uses including 1.8 million square feet of office space with new high rise buildings, the construction of up to 2,000 units of affordable housing, or the sale of the property to a federally recognized Native American tribe with long term plans for the construction of a casino. “The added conveniences, real economic benefits, additional tax revenue, and assurance that adverse development will not occur all add up to a prudent positive decision that carefully recognizes the needs of all Mahwah residents,” DaPuzzo said. DaPuzzo acknowledges that there have been several hundred very vocal and passionate objectors to the rezoning of this property for retail. “Their principal objections have been the potential increase in traffic, security concerns, and environmental impact issues,” DaPuzzo stated. “Press reports and statements have led to a barrage of misinformation surrounding the facts associated with the initial plans. These include turning Mahwah into another Paramus with a mall larger the ones in that town along with massive traffic jams. Also cited are an enormous increase in crime, a drain on our services, and flooding as a result of additional impervious coverage. “The facts simply do not support the majority of these contentions.” DaPuzzo said the Crossroads development is smaller in square footage than four of the five Paramus malls and comparable in size to its smallest one. “There will be some increase in traffic due to the development,” he acknowledged, but he emphasized that the developer is required by the New Jersey Department of Transportation to build and pay for all on site traffic mitigation roads, entrances, and exits, resulting in millions of dollars of improvements to existing roads. “The combination of these initiatives is expected to reduce the traffic impact of the development and further studies will be done to demonstrate this to the NJDOT’s satisfaction at the builder’s expense,” DaPuzzo stated. DaPuzzo also pointed out that the township’s police chief found nothing from a law enforcement viewpoint that generated any opposition to the development, although it might be necessary to add up to two additional officers to the police force in the future. In terms of environmental impact, DaPuzzo claims that many conclusions, including flooding and the destruction of wetlands have been asserted without the benefit of the required environmental impact study the developer will be required to complete by the NJ DEP. “The destruction of wetlands is illegal and to assume that the NJDEP would permit it borders on the absurd,” DaPuzzo emphasized. “The state has rigid requirements for drainage and other environmental protections and the Crossroads developer will be required to demonstrate scientifically to the NJDEP and the Mahwah Planning Board that they have addressed all pertinent issues. “The preponderance of negative possibilities measured against the positive benefits for Mahwah weighed heavily in tipping the scales in favor of my support for the Crossroads rezoning,” DaPuzzo said. (continued on page 23)