What Teaneck Residents Want

from their New Master Plan

PUBLISHED BY TEANECK VOICES

6/20/2023

Contents:

What Teaneck Residents Want from their New Master Plan

Raising the Juneteenth Flag

Questions - Few Answers -about the American Legion Drive AINR

More Fog about the Planning Board & Holy Name Expansion

Why THS' Class of 1959 was Special - a personal remembrance

This Week in Teaneck - June 20-25

Still Waiting For.....

• A Report from the 6/16 Clergy Meeting at Poppy's?
• A Township Website Re-design?
• User Friendly 2023 Municipal Budget?

Announcements:

PRIDE Film Festival - 6/23 & 6/30

Contacting Teaneck Voices

What Teaneck Residents Want

from their new Master Plan

Teaneck’s just-formed Master Plan Steering Committee had recently promised that the public kickoff for the Town’s first comprehensive Master Plan in 16 years would focus on hearing from the Town’s Residents. And in the Wednesday 6/14 evening meeting at the Library Auditorium the new Committee delivered on that promise.

After a modest-length Power Point delivered by two Town Planners that explained what is required of municipal Master Plans and a bit about how Teaneck’s demographics have evolved and compare to the rest of Bergen County (Click Here to view that presentation), the 100+ participants in the Auditorium counted off into 8 groups that met for about an hour to address four questions:

·       What are Teaneck’s greatest assets and strengths?

·        What aspects of life in Teaneck need improvement? What would you like to see change? What might be the biggest challenges in the next 5-10 years?

·       What is one key topic that the Master Plan must address?

·       Who must be included in the Master Planning process? What groups will be underrepresented without intentional outreach?

Each of the 8 equal-sized groups were led by one of the Steering Committee members – and the Library Auditorium looked like this as they went to work:

After those 8 hour-long discussion, each of the eight break-out group leaders then described their group’s answers to each of the 4 questions..  The leaders will now finish their notes and the compilation of the results will – it is promised – be made public and placed on the Township website.

Those 8 reports showed that the meeting had generated both welcome cohesion and significant diversity in the answers.

But rather than Teaneck Voices offering here its own views of what was said, we are strongly encouraging ALL OF OUR READERS to take 35 minutes and watch the video of the 8 break-out group descriptions of their group’s specific answers.

This is in our view especially important if you were not in attendance at the kick-off meeting (either in-person or by zoom). But we have found it instructive to listen again to what was summarized.

To do so is simple. Click Here and when the video pops up move the cursor over to minute 34 and just watch as the results are reported. (For some reason, this video is not easily found on the Town website – but Voices finally found it this time!

And stay tuned. We may be watching a new way of doing things in our town. We need the expertise of those who know planning principles, processes and economics. But we so desperately also need the views of our residents to infuse the application of those planner skills into a new statement about what we want our town to look like & be. 

RAISING THE JUNETEENTH FLAG!

Lift every voice and sing, 

Till earth and heaven ring,

Ring with the harmonies of Liberty...

Monday, June 19, 2023, the ‘Negro National Anthem” rang out, sung by the 150 celebrants of the Juneteenth flag-raising. The spirit and joy on this capstone day of a festive weekend was bursting out of the crowd gathered at the flag poles at the Sportsplex in Votee Park.

The celebration was led by Seleene Lewis Wong , whose parents, Lillian and Oscar Lewis were leaders in establishing Teaneck’s Juneteenth celebration originally in Overpeck Park. And mirroring the jubilance of family community of Teaneck Seleene’s daughter, Selah Wong, a toddler at that first Juneteenth event, read a poetry selection as part of the program.

The program moved along at a lively pace with various speakers and entertainment. Rev. Innica Humphrey of First United Methodist Church in Englewood offered the Invocation and Benediction, the Council was represented eloquently by Mayor Michael Pagan, Rising THS senior Jordan Chavis told us about the history of Juneteenth, local senior statesman Dr. Henry Pruitt offered his thoughts, and Andrea Guzman explained the colors and meaning of the Juneteenth Flag.

We were led in the Pledge of Allegiance by three young ladies of Girl Scout Troop #98313 and joyfully entertained by the TJ Jazz Band with beautiful vocals led by Spencer Jones, and the musical tribute and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by vocalist Valerie Johnson and trumpeter Reggie Pittman, two gems of Teaneck’s music community.

The Flag-raising was a glorious conclusion to a weekend that included a silent walk from the MLK statue at FDU to the Indigenous People and Enslaved African Burial Ground on Pomander Walk, and a Jazz Concert by Reggie Pittman and the Pittman/Daniels Quartet on the Municipal Green the evening of the Flag-raising.

                      Let our rejoicing rise

                High as the list’ning skies,

                Let it resound loud as the rolling sea  

Questions - Few Answers - About

Teaneck's American Legion Drive AINR

At the June 13 Council meeting’s G&W public input session, the issue raised most frequently by residents had to do with the status and leadership of the planned June 28, 2023 “community meeting” on the American Legion Drive Area in Need of Redevelopment (AINR)

Teaneck’s prior Council's flirtation with calling areas of its Town blighted (9 now have that designation) apparently continues – despite what appears to be overwhelming public dissatisfaction with both the concept and its application here in Town.

But no AINR designations have been so publicly targeted as much as the American Legion Drove AINR and its sister on the north side of Cedar Lane, the Beverly Road AINR.

Calls to rescind the designations – or at least prevent completing redevelopment plans to implement them – are, ironically, made much more complex by virtue of the odd outcome of the May 2021 litigation initiated by the Stop & Shop company which itself argued that the original AINR designation in the Spring of 2021 was improper. 

The irony is that when the S&S suit against the Town and Planning Board was settled, the public suddenly found that the settlement had conditionally designated one of the AINR property landowners, Crossroads Company, as the conditional Developer.

Enter Crossroad Company in that settlement with an entire conceptual development plan for both AINRs.

But, as the public is now discovering, Crossroads was actually a very early actor in this AINR designation process. When then Town Planner, Richard Preiss, first made his informal report to the Planning Board (2/11/2021) he asserted that a major factor in finding the entire ALD area to be blighted was the serious blight at Stop & Shop.

Who said so? Answer: Robert Velosin, CEO of a supermarket consulting company. Preiss included Velosin’s entire report in his first report to the PB. Check it out in the PB agenda packet for that 2/11/2021 meeting (Click Here)

But wait, who is Robert Velosin? If you check the short bio sketch he submitted with his 2/29/2021 consultant’s report, Velosin said he was a former supermarket executive who was now a supermarket consultant. What he forgot to mention in his bio was that he was simultaneously a senior executive of Crossroads Company – and had been so since 2012 (check the Crossroads Companies website).

In fact, it now appears that Velosin’s consulting company is a subsidiary of Crossroads. And who had suggested to Planner Preiss that Velosin evaluate the Stop&Shop operation? Answer: Crossroads Companies had recommended its own senior officer, Velosin, as an "independent" consultant, to Preiss.

The evaluation Velosin made of the Stop&Shop operation was so negative that Preiss and members of the PB assumed that S&S should, on the basis of the Velosin findigs, be demolished. 

Well S&S thought that, among other things, there was a big problem with the Velosin report! S&S’s suit said Velosin had a material conflict of interest (see Count 3 of its May 2021 suit) and S&S sued in state court to STOP Teaneck’s entire ALD AINR’s designation. (Crossroads is best-known for its development of a major S&S competitor, ShopRite supermarkets .).

But somehow 16 months later, the settlement of the S&S suit which suddenly popped up mid-meeting (with no copy available to the public) into the Council’s September 20, 2022 meeting included a concept plan for both the ALD and Beverly Road AINR’s and made Crossroads the conditional developer of both!

But Crossroads was not named the conditional developer forever. That same night (9/20/2022) the prior Council also passed a Resolution 249 (Click Here) which, yes, says Crossroads is the conditional developer – but for only 6 months and only a new resolution by Mayor and Council could extend that designation for the next 6 months beyond March 20, 2022

So, doesn’t that mean that Crossroads is no longer the conditional developer? On the other hand, what about the settlement and the Crossroads AINR development concepts that go with it?

Why does any of is matter now? Because Councilman Mark Schwartz has rwecently claimed on Facebook that Crossroads remains the AINR’s designated developer- and that is why Crossroads will be giving the major (only?) development concept presentation opportunity at the ALD AINR community public meeting on June 28.  Hmm…..

One can expect litigation to fly from all directions with a mess like this!

Well, meanwhile Teaneck has a new Council and a new Township Attorney and all have new ideas about the Town’s development. But is the Town bound to earlier promises to Crossroads? That is likely to prove to be both a legal and tactical question.

So, when residents pressed at the most recent Council for an answer as to why Crossroads Companies was scheduled to be giving its plan at the June 28 Community Meeting on the American legion Drive AINR, the Mayor asked the new Township Attorney, Scott Salmon to comment. In the following video, Salmon only speaks for 75 seconds. We suggest that you listen 3 times to what he does and doesn’t say! Click Here for Video

More Fog -

the Planning Board & Holy Name Expansion

Is Teaneck about to finally witness a settlement between Holy Name and its Neighbors? Who knows?

What we know for sure is that the in-person only meeting long-since scheduled for Thursday June 22 (7:00 pm at MP-1 in the Rodda Center) is apparently going to happen. 

What is really different is that as of Sunday June 11, the Holy Name (the Applicant)attorney had caused to be published a required public meeting notice that calls for a massive increase in the range of issues to be addressed at that June 22 meeting.

Holy Name proposes that a wide range of hospital zone expansion issues can all be addressed this week – and not just the two site plan approval hearings that have occupied the Planning Board for the past 8 months.

In any event, the Planning Board - whether or not there has been a settlement - will have to meet for a few minutes on Thursday to schedule a continuance in order to keep its entire Holy Name processes going!

Readers who like a long read of legalese will want to review the newly proposed public notice agenda for June 22 and should Click Here. Better yet, most of our readers should plan to go in person to the Rodda Center on Thursday night. True, no settlement has been announced as of Tuesday afternoon the 20^th. Still, the chances are that for once the Planning Board meeting may this time be worth your while whatever it turns out to adderess.

Teaneck High School Class of 1959 --

A Personal Remembrance

By Barbara Ley Toffler, Ph.D., THS ‘59

On Tuesday evening, June 13, Council honored the Teaneck High School Class of 1959. The recognition was for the extraordinary class commitment to the students of Teaneck by raising among themselves $112,950. given in scholarships to Teaneck High School students since their 2009 50^th Reunion.

The Council Certificate and award was accepted by the members of the Scholarship Committee, Camille Hannan Norton and Linda Goodier Gerdes. Camille, responding for the Class of ’59 , said that “one of our teachers, a coach whom we greatly admired, said he thought there was always something special about our class.” Yes, we had adopted and supported a child from a war-torn country. Yes, we had dedicated our yearbook to World Peace instead of to an esteemed teacher.

But there was more. Here is a quote from a proclamation given by the Council to the Class of ’59 when it was celebrating that 50^th reunion: “The Class of 1959 achieved unity of purpose while respecting the diversity of its members.”

Not given as an example, but known by many of my ’59 classmates, was a unique (at that time) decision that was made and acted upon. In the 1950’s, groups of THS girls would form sororities. Before our class, these sororities were strictly segregated by religion – Jews were still a newish entity in Teaneck. When the class of ’59 entered THS in 1954 in 7^th grade (the school was still a 6-year 7^th to 12^th grade school), groups of us started to talk about forming sororities. And front and center of those talks was the decision to become sororities composed of Christian and Jewish girls. (Race was not yet discussed in the high school in 1954 although residents were beginning the work through the Teaneck League for Better Schools that led to desegregation in 1964).

Gamma Chi, Lamda Sigma Delta, Gamm Phi Delta!!And many more!

The 486 students of the Class of ’59 were representative of the new generation to carry the soul of Teaneck into the future. And that soul, that togetherness and unity of purpose has raised $112,950. in scholarships.

Our alma mater says, in part, “Glory, honor, praise, allegiance, these to her [THS] are due.” The Class of 1959 will continue to honor those words through their commitment to the students of Teaneck High School

This Week in Teaneck - June 20 to 25, 2023

Teaneck Historic Preservation Commission – Tuesday, June 20, 2023 at 7:00 pm. access by zoom only Click Here and add passcode 184024– Click Here for Agenda

·       As usual the Commission’s agenda is clearly laid out on the Town website and addresses progress made in obtaining and placing historical markers and prep work for the Commission to participate in the new Master Plan development

·       Click Here to get to the Commission’s page where you can have access to the Commission’s new GPS map of Teaneck’s historical places

Youth Advisory Board (YAB) – Wednesday June 22, 2023 at 7:00 pm – no other information available 

Teaneck Environmental Commission (EC) – Wednesday June 21, 2023 at 7:30 pm – no other information available.

Shade Tree Advisory Board (STAB) – Thursday June 22, 2023 at 7:00 pm – in Room 4 of the Rodda Center. Click Here for the agenda

Planning Board – Thursday June 22, 2023 at 7:00 pm – In-person only in MP-1 of the Rodda Center.

·       For agenda and explanation see related Voices story this edition. 

Still Waiting For ..

Still Waiting…..

For a Report From the June 16 “Breakfast with the Clergy”

Do we hear you saying, “What Breakfast with the Clergy?"

On Thursday, June 15, Teaneck residents were surprised by an announcement in their email-received Tid-Bits. Tid-Bits is the emailed newsletter sent by Elie Y. Katz that is, as he says, NOT an official township email, but is his personal opinion. The announcement was an invitation for “Breakfast with the Clergy” the following morning, Friday, June 16 from 8:15-9:30 am at Poppy’s Bagels, hosted by Danielle Gee and Elie Y. Katz. The agenda was: 1) Community Relations, 2) Community Outreach.

Why was this gathering announced less than 24 hours before the event?

Why a sudden meeting with the clergy of Teaneck? Had something happened?

Was this a Council sponsored event? The hosts were our 2 Deputy Mayors, but their titles were not included.

A meeting of clergy from across faiths and from all corners of Teaneck to discuss Community Relations is a momentous event.

Teaneck Voices, recognizing the importance of such a gathering, immediately contacted the two hosts for detailed information.

Teaneck Voices asked the hosts several questions: 1) What clergy attended? 2) What were the key ideas discussed? 3) Any plans for future gatherings? Is Renewal of the Clergy Council a goal? We received no response.

Still Waiting for...

A Township Website Redesign – It has now been months since Voices pointed out that not only did the Town not get a new website design by the promised “end of 2022”, but it has now been months since the Town got 5 seemingly strong website designer bids for the Town website redesign. For inexplicable reasons, no one has said an official word about the issue since their bids were open. What about at least a “status” report at the June 27 Council?

Still Waiting for...

A User-Friendly 2023 Budget – The state unambiguously requires that municipalities publish a User-Friendly budget once its annual budget has been approved. Many towns new require their CFO’s to produce much earlier versions - while their budgets are still in negotiation. Not Teaneck!

In fact, where is Teaneck's required adopted budget User-Friendly budget?

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