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A Holiday Season Collage


PUBLISHED BY TEANECK VOICES

12/23/2024

Contents:

  • A Holiday Season Collage
  • PB Oks Alfred Cannabis, Synagogue Awnings, and Cuban Restaurant
  • Town Opens New Bids on 3 Professionals’ Positions 


Announcements

  • Menorah Lighting Flyer – 12/26


Contacting Teaneck Voices:

  • Email: teaneckvoices@gmail.com
  • Phone: 201-214-4937
  • USPS Mail: Teaneck Voices, PO Box 873. at 1673 Palisade Ave. 07666

A Holiday Season Collage

This diverse town of so many different communities pauses at year’s end to acknowledge, in many different ways, things that each community celebrates and collectively to express our thanks for the past year and hopes for the future. Some of those celebrations begin tomorrow night; others like Ramadan will be celebrated in a few month's time. Teaneck Voices in the following collage of images ends this complicated year by honoring some of our communities and asking our readers: what others need to be added to this collage.

PB Oks Alfred Cannabis, Synagogue Awnings, and Cuban Restaurant

During its 4 ¼ hour meeting on Thursday evening 12/19, Teaneck’s Planning Board took up 3 site plan applications – and approved each of them unanimously – although two with significant conditions.


For the third time, the Board heard testimony and public questions/comments on two proposals to approve both cannabis cultivation and retail facilities on the eastern side of the existing warehouse at 455 Alfred Avenue.  The Board had first to agree that the applicants had met the 12 conditions Council specified in the conditional zoning designation for 5 lots on Alfred. The Board also had to agree to give these cannabis proposals a variance since the available parking did not meet Town code parking requirements.  The Board agreed that even if the applications were approved the Town engineer must subsequently agree that the proposed odor control program described by the applicant meets the very strict “non-detectable” requirements found in Ordinance 29-2021. The applicant agreed with that condition. The persistent public concerns that the cannabis location at 455 Alfred was within 1000 feet of Englewood’s Denning Park Playground and thus illegal continued.  These public claims were said by one Board member to have been inaccurate which he claimed to show by reading from a NJ League of Municipalities (NJLM) legal opinion on its website. (See Teaneck Voices website for discussion at Click Here of whether that NJLM citation was complete and accurate. ) Readers who are interested in reviewing this 2 ½ hour cannabis hearing and the unanimous vote to approve the cannabis site plans should Click Here and go to min 7 of the PB video.


Although it took almost an hour, the site plan amendment sought by Young Israel for awnings and canopies needed for protection from recent climate impacts served mostly to provide clarification of the synagogue’s request. The approval of the variance needed for outdoor dining by the incoming Rumba Cuban Restaurant on the site of the old East Restaurant at 1405 Teaneck Road involved more public discussion to determine what could and could not be said about the safety of turnings into the restaurant from Teaneck Road. The concerned neighbors sought roadway clarification while fully supporting the revival of this restaurant site.

Town Opens New Bids on 3 Professionals’ Positions

Teaneck’s Purchasing Department announced last week that it was conducting competitive bidding processes for three Township professional positions: Town Planner, Town Labor Attorney, and Town Tax Appeal Attorney (Click Here to review the bid announcements.)  The fact that these bidding processes would be taking place had not, Voices believes, been previously publicly announced. 

The bids for all three were opened in Council Chambers at 10:00 on Friday morning December 20 by Town Purchasing Agent Simona Casian-Sirbu assisted by Town Chief Financial Officer Issa Abbasi. (see photo).

Multiple bids for each of the three professional positions were opened. There were: 

  • 4 bids for the Town Planner position including one from the current planner (Phillips, Preiss) 
  • 6 bids for the Tax Appeal Attorney
  • 9 bids for the Town Labor Attorney including one from the current labor attorney (Weiner Law) 



Voices does not expect that either the process of selection or the winner will be known until after the beginning of 2025, and most likely not until at least the mid-January Council meeting. 

Announcements

Contacting Teaneck Voices


Co-Editors: Dr. Barbara Ley Toffler and Dr. Chuck Powers

IT Editor: Sarah Fisher

By Email: teaneckvoices@gmail.com

By Phone: 201-214-4937

By USPS Mail: Teaneck Voices, PO Box 873. at 1673 Palisade Ave. 07666

Teaneck Voices' Website is www.teaneckvoices.com


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