Mahwah February 23, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Crossroads ordinances forwarded to planning board by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah Council has sent three ordinances pertaining to the rezoning of the 140-acre International Crossroads property to the township’s planning board for review and recommendations. The subject property is located at the northern end of Mahwah on the site of the Sheraton Hotel. The council recently introduced the three ordinances by a 4-3 vote. The planning board will now have until midMarch to respond to the council, which will then schedule public hearings on the ordinances. If adopted, the ordinances would create a new zone for the Crossroads property, and permit the redevelopment of the site into a town center that would contain retail shops with professional office spaces above them in a lifestyle area with a look of a “downtown” main street surrounding the existing decorative fountain at the site. The project would also include a new hotel, a theater, and a six-acre active recreation area built on the site. The four members of the council who voted to introduce the ordinances were Samuel Alderisio, John Roth, Roy Larson, and Council President John DaPuzzo. The three council members who voted against the introduction were Lisa DiGiulio, John Spiech, and Harry Williams. DiGiulio and Spiech previously indicated their opposition to the rezoning of the Crossroads site due to their concerns about increased traffic and the impact of the rezoning on the character of the township. Williams explained his vote, saying he could support the Crossroads rezoning, but he was concerned about other zoning problems currently facing the township. He said he did not want to proceed to introduce these ordinances before looking at all the traffic problems facing the township in total. Prior to this most recent meeting, the township council has held five public meetings to review the details of the proposed rezoning of the Crossroads property. During those meetings, the details of the ordinances were scrutinized extensively to address the concerns expressed by some of the council members and members of the public. The council members in favor of the rezoning ordinances have explained their support by pointing to the property’s current office park zoning, which they believe could permit up to 5,000 better paying jobs with the potential of the employees in those jobs moving to Mahwah, placing more students into the local school system, and creating more peak hour traffic congestion. They also pointed to the more than $2.1 million in potential tax revenue from the redevelopment of the site, and the $4,050,000 million the township would receive from the developer as a result of the impact fees that would be paid (continued on page 21) Swing your partner! Students at Mahwah’s George Washington School recently participated in a square dance. A professional caller was brought in to lead the students in this exercise to help promote health and wellness. Dancers got into the spirit by wearing cowboy boots, hats, and bandanas. ���� ���� ����� ����� � ������������� ��� ���� ������� ��� ���� ���� ��� ���� ����� ��� ���� ������� ����������� ��� � ���������� � ������ � ����� ������ � ������ ������ � ���������������� � �������������������� � ������ ������������ � ����� ������ � ������������� � �������� ����� � �������� ������ ���� � ������������������� ����� ��������� �� ������������ ��� ��������� ������������ ������� � ���� �� ������ � ��� ��� ����� � � ���� �� �� �� ���� ���� ��� ��������� �� ������� ��� ������ �� �������� ��� ������� ������� ����� ���� ����������� �� � ������������ ��� �������� ������� ��� ����� ����������� �� � ������������ ������������������������������� ������������� 2-23-11 Joan/Janine