Mahwah November 2, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 11 Voters must decide on pros, cons of Crossroads issue by Frank J. McMahon A major issue in Mahwah’s Nov. 8 municipal election is the rezoning of the International Crossroads property from corporate office space use to retail use and a plan by Crossroads Developers, LLC to build a 650,000 square foot retail mall on that site. A referendum on that issue will be part of the election and the developer has published a list of advantages to the rezoning and construction. The Committee to Stop the Mahwah Mall has responded with a list of the project’s disadvantages. The developer claims that detailed economic analysis estimates indicate the Crossroads Town Center would generate in excess of $2.33 million of tax revenue for Mahwah and, using the current township budget as a guide, this ratable would account for on average two tax points on the tax rate. The developer also estimates that the annual taxes on the property will be $2,914,907 and the fiscal surplus the municipality will receive will be $551,479, while the school district will receive $1,827,109. By providing retail, the developer claims, the Crossroads Town Center will help to maintain the existing office ratables by providing a direct net-benefit for the surrounding work community. The opponents of the retail mall claim the tax revenue figures used by the developer came from report presented to the council by the Mahwah township planner in November 2010 and are based on the initial proposal for a 900,000 square foot retail mall and not the 650,000 square foot mall in the current plan, which would reduce the planner’s estimate of the tax revenue. In addition, opponents point out that the planner’s estimated potential $1.6 million tax revenue for the school district would not go directly to the district, but to the township to cover the portion of the township’s tax rate impacted by the school district. Opponents claim that could be absorbed by an increase in the school district budget which is likely to rise because of increased school enrollment from employees at the mall who move into the township. The developer claims Crossroads Town Center would create a lifestyle center, which is a shopping center or mixed-used commercial development that combines the traditional retail functions of a shopping mall with leisure amenities oriented towards upscale consumers. They say the mall would provide residents with shopping, recreation, entertainment, and a meeting place. Opponents claim the mall would create traffic, flooding, and crime problems for the township, much of which would be caused by New York State and out of town visitors. The developer claims the project would provide improved recreational opportunities for township residents since 26 acres have been planned for active and passive recreation. According to the developer, a new multi-use recreational facility for soccer, football, and lacrosse would be constructed for Mahwah residents of all ages. Also included is a “nature path” leading from Mahwah into Suffern, New York for residents to walk, run, and hike. Parking and public restrooms are planned along the route. Opponents say the developer is actually planning a sixacre active recreation area and the 20 acres of passive recreation is in a flood plain. They don’t believe parents would want their children in a location where there is only one exit in the case of any emergency and where it would be unrealistic to pick up their children on time because they will be tied up in traffic. In addition, opponents say the developer may just install a bare ball field and not a sod field or one with artificial turf and there may not be any restrooms at the field. The developer maintains that in almost every scenario, under International Traffic Engineering standards, retail development results in significantly lower peak traffic numbers by more than 50 percent. According to the developer, the proposed development would provide an oppor- tunity for area residents to shop nearby without having to travel to the Paramus area. As a result, the amount of traffic that cuts through Mahwah to get to retail to the south would be reduced, providing a benefit to the township and the region. The $6 million worth of off-site improvements that would be identified by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the township would also improve area traffic operations. The developer also points out that the previous zoning of the property would have allowed for 1.8 million square (continued on page 19)