SHARE:  
PUBLISHED BY TEANECK VOICES
Managing Editor
Bernard Rous


Editorial Board
Natalee Addison
Laraine Chaberski
Toniette H. Duncan
Charles W. Powers
Barbara Ley Toffler


Supporters
Denise Belcher
Juanita Brown
Margot Embree Fisher
Gail Gordon
Guy Thomas Lauture
Laverne Lightburn
Micki Shilan
Gloria Wilson
Contributors
Bettina Hempel
Henry Pruitt
Howard Rose



Advisors
Theodora Smiley Lacey
Loretta Weinberg

Contents
The Impact of High Density Development on the Mature Suburb of Teaneck
Letter to the Editor
Voting Methods and Dates
Notable Women of Teaneck
  • Alexandra Soriano-Taveras
What's the Answer?
  • Residents' Questions: Old and New
Announcements
  • Hispanic History Month
  • Street Renaming - Carol Ann Otis
  • Community-wide Flu Vaccination Clinic & and COVID-19 Testing
  • NETBPA - Board of Education Candidates Virtual Forum
  • Math Adventures and Word Play
  • Pop-up Book Sale
One Town One Vote Appeal Letter
Upcoming events
  • Take Action - How you can Help
Events at the Library
The Impact of High Density Development on the Mature Suburb of Teaneck
by James Veach
The Teaneck Council meeting on September 14th was a study in contrasts.

On the one hand, Deputy Mayor Mark Schwartz reported on the occupancy rates at three recently constructed apartment buildings located at 1475 Palisades Avenue (Teaneck Square), 1775 Windsor Road (Avalon Teaneck), and 1500 Teaneck Road (One500 Apartments).

Deputy Mayor Schwartz stated that all three complexes are “fully occupied,” And that One500 Apartments has a “seven-month waiting list”!

To the Council, Teaneck Township is thriving!

On the other hand, during Good & Welfare, one Township resident after another reported on the devastating impact of the vast flooding caused by Hurricane Ida, especially on one of the areas most severely damaged by Ida’s flooding: Belle Avenue, a major gateway onto and off Route 4, the town’s umbilical cord to New York City.

A Belle Avenue resident told how his basement was destroyed and his two cars totaled. This resident proposed that just before the next storm, Council members should move into his basement and see what it feels like to have your house inundated. He also proposed opening a kayak launch on Belle Avenue and suggested that Governor Murphy come to Belle Avenue for his next disaster tour. He urged the council to regrade the street and repair and upgrade the sewers and drains along Belle Avenue before he and his neighbors hire a lawyer and sue the Township.

Another long-time Belle Avenue resident made clear that the flooding on his block is but the tip of the iceberg, that flooding occurs along Windsor Road and many intersecting streets, and that the Township has been aware of this for a decade or more.
Yet another Belle Avenue resident reported on the years of flooding he has endured and suggested one alternative – stop taxing repeatedly flooded residents if the Township can’t provide the essential sewage and drainage services.

Belle Avenue and the surrounding areas were not the only parts of Teaneck to be affected by Ida. A New Bridge Road resident brought up the apartment building recently erected at 764 New Bridge Road, a development called The River Commons. The resident, who said he lived in the last house in Teaneck before entering New Milford, told the Council that before the River Commons developer dug into the hillside and built the apartment complex, he had no flooding; now, he has 5-6 feet of water in his basement when storms hit.

It is unknown if any part of River Commons flooded - this development is not occupied, having yet to receive a Certificate of Occupancy.

The West Englewood Avenue underpass was also totally submerged, and the water destroyed the underpass’s interior lighting and wiring. The underpass was out of action for several days.

Ida also flooded the Votee Park area along Palisade Avenue and judging from the high-water marks on the grounds around the Fieldhouse, came within a couple of feet of our $3 million investment.

At the end of the meeting, Fire Chief Zaretsky joined via Zoom to read a prepared statement about his department, but also noted that the Fire Department had rescued many residents from cars and basements all over the Township during Ida.

Finally, in his closing comments, Deputy Mayor Schwartz promised to address the Belle Avenue flooding but warned of the “sticker shock” to follow. His comments highlighted the study in contrasts of the entire meeting: The Council warning of the significant costs of safety, security and the maintaining of habitable dwellings, while the residents are still reeling from the sticker shock of the almost $3 million spent on the Fieldhouse and the $4-5 million soccer field that is almost always locked tight.

This past weekend, Paul Mulshine, a columnist for the Star Ledger, wrote an interesting piece on flooding and declining infrastructure. Mr. Mulshine spoke to former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan who operates a restaurant in Hackensack.

Mayor Lonegan described the flooding in Hackensack, which sent sewer manhole covers flying. He pointed out that drainage systems in older cities – like Hackensack or Hoboken or Teaneck – carry both sewage and storm water. These older systems can’t handle the volume of water to begin with, but now Hackensack must deal with its own apartment house building boom.

Mayor Lonegan observed: “I don’t even know how you add these [new apartment] buildings to this system. The sewers are 100 years old.”

Mayor Lonegan makes an excellent point. Just like Hackensack, Teaneck’s Council and our Council-appointed Planning Board and Board of Adjustment have been re-zoning to encourage the construction of new apartment buildings. These new buildings, with thousands more residents, are connected to Teaneck’s old sewage and drainage systems, systems that are already overburdened.

In addition, each new building increases impermeable surfaces, thus reducing the capacity for undeveloped land to absorb water. In other words, each new building adds more volume and greater demand to the Township’s outdated sewage/drainage systems.

Of course, every developer that comes to Teaneck hearings arrives with a lawyer, engineers, designers, and assorted experts, all of whom assert that our drainage and sewage systems can handle the increased runoff and sewage that every new structure generates. Few, if any, have conducted studies to assure these statements are accurate

Rather than boasting about occupancy rates and waiting lists, Teaneck’s Council should be prepared not only to answer the complaints of angry residents wiped out yet again by water cascading into their yards, cars, and basements.

It is time to stop all development in the Township until the Council invests in a thorough assessment of the sewer and drainage infrastructure, and repairs and replaces what is causing this massive flooding of our town.

It is worthy of note that Avalon Teaneck has a special emergency exit leading from the complex to Windsor Road built at the insistence of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to give the residents of that housing complex a path to escape from flooding!

So, the next time the Council majority wants to report on occupancy rates at newly constructed apartment buildings, residents should bring the conversation back to Hurricane Ida and future flooding that will soon follow. See, Report Warns of Catastrophe over Warming, NY Times, September 18, 2021, p. 1.; UN climate report a ‘red alert’ for the planet.

Yes, Teaneck does need affordable housing. But undeveloped land, like the low-lying 0.6 acres along Englewood Avenue, should remain undeveloped to promote flood resiliency and avoid stressing our overburdened and aged sewer/drainage systems.

It is time to draw a straight line from overdevelopment in the Township to our sagging infrastructure to climate change and those flooded basements and totaled cars on Belle Avenue. It’s time to deal openly with these climate-related changes and put our dollars to best use – restoring our infrastructure and planning for the future.
Letter to the Editor
by Dr. Henry Pruitt
Why do urban city dwellers move to surrounding suburbs?
In my judgement they are seeking the following quality of life enhancements.

  • Low density housing.
  • Good public schools with relatively small class size.
  • Less traffic.
  • Comfortable public commuter services.
  • Open space, clean, well-maintained recreation facilities and parks.
  • Low crime.
  • Good public services: police, fire, public works, trash removal.

People who move to the suburbs know in advance that these amenities cost money and they are willing to pay higher taxes to achieve and maintain this safe and comfortable quality of life. When these amenities are threatened, the attractiveness of suburban living is diminished.

Politicians seeking election hail “lower taxes” as a desirable goal and promise they are the ones to deliver that goal. Rarely do these politicians talk about what residents will sacrifice to gain those lower taxes. There is almost no mention about quality of life – like open space, clean air, comfortable living conditions or ease of getting to work.

Many of the towns in our once suburban area have begun building high density, multi-family apartment complexes. These complexes are similar to those in Newark, Paterson, the Bronx and Brooklyn from which our suburban residents sought and seek to escape.

To add to the re-urbanization movement, New Jersey’s new law allowing the full production and sale of marijuana has encouraged some towns to establish full-scale “pot” neighborhoods ostensibly to ease the tax burden on the residents.

Rarely have municipal governments addressed the resultant strain on our aging infrastructure (sewers, pipes, electric grids, etc.), on our diminished sense of safety and security, and the over-stretched public services the urbanization of suburbia will bring.

Do we really want:

  • Increased class size in the public schools,
  • gridlock traffic during rush hour,
  • commuter buses not stopping at your bus stop because they have already reached capacity, 
  • limited recreational accessibility,
  • drug sales in your community, and
  • increased response time relative to police and fire emergencies?   

If high density housing is going to damage the quality of life in a suburban town, it might be better not to allow it and to pass the increased cost back to the residents. Why move away from an urban environment if the negative qualities of that environment are being brought to your suburban hometown?
HOW AND WHEN TO VOTE
Below you will find a flyer from the League of Women Voters of Teaneck followed by a handy illustration from Teaneck Voices of the three ways to vote this year, each with their dates. Voters can find out if they are registered in Teaneck by clicking here. Voters can track their vote here to see if has been counted yet (or use the QR codes in LWVT flyer). As indicated , Teaneck Voices favors voting YES on our two Municipal Questions.
Teaneck Voices' Voting Illustration
Notable Women of Teaneck
Alexandra Soriano-Taveras
I serve this community and value the many diverse voices because that is what I’ve always done, who I am and what I will continue to do!

Alexandra was born in Harlem, NY to immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, who achieved the American Dream, attending college, working good middle class jobs, and providing a path for their children to pursue any opportunity they desired.

Alexandra received her Bachelor’s degree from NYU in Cultural Anthropology and Education, which she applied in her early community building work, organizing Asian, Latinx, and African American families around housing issues in NYC’s Lower East Side.

She went on to pursue a Master’s Degree in Urban Studies and Development, and later earned a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education, all while sticking to her anthropology roots. She also continued to research, archive, and preserve Native American artifacts at the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in New York city.

The importance of a political education was instilled in Alexandra early in life, and she brought that love to the alternative school movement, teaching at SEIU 1199 (Service Employees International Union) School for Social Change in the Bronx and focusing on engaging teens in civic and political life.

She continued this work in Washington Heights where she engaged Dreamers in the political and legislative process while coordinating a successful youth development program out of CCNY.

She co-founded and co-organized a national conference to advocate for Dominican Americans, “Dominicans 2000,” and she is a founding member of the Latina Political Action Committee which raises money to recruit and support Latinx candidates.

Alexandra served on the Manhattan Community Board 9, where she advocated for equitable education and programs on the Youth Committee until she moved to Teaneck, NJ in 1999.

Alexandra quickly made her mark on Teaneck politics and public schools, taking on leadership roles in grassroots political organizations advancing Democratic values and serving as President of the Teaneck Community Charter School Board of Trustees. In 2018, she was elected as Chair of the Teaneck Democratic Municipal Committee.

Under the leadership of Chairwoman Alexandra Soriano-Taveras, Teaneck Democrats have hosted a series of community forums on important topics ranging from housing development, transparency in government, open space, environmental advocacy, and championing the rights of our LGBTQ neighbors. She remains connected to grassroots organizations, bringing these groups together to support issues and candidates who embody the values and ideals that have guided her life.

During the tumultuous summer of 2020, she co-organized the Coalition to Unite Teaneck’s Racism Demands Action Town Hall series and led a TDMC team to support and contribute to Teaneck’s own BLM mural.
Alexandra now works in early childhood education, having worked as a pre-kindergarten teacher in parochial schools and now in Bogota Public Schools. She works closely with diverse families fostering strong relationships between families and schools to ensure student success. She is a member of the district’s Diversity Committee striving for equitable and just education.

Alexandra lives in Teaneck with her husband, Santiago, also an educator, and their three children, Eden and Eva, both students, and Ernesto, an apprentice with IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees). The family loves to play together and take neighborhood walks with their adopted Husky pup Bella.

When she isn’t making “good trouble,” Alexandra also enjoys making great wine for friends.
WHAT'S THE ANSWER?
  • The township claims that fire coverage is adequate with the current equipment available. The North West quadrant of the township has the lowest number of multilevel housing complexes, (2) Avalon Bay and the new development on New Bridge Road. The other three quadrants of the township each have many. The North East quadrant of the township has the most. Why can't the fire engine on Windsor road be moved to fire headquarters on Teaneck Road the most densely populated quadrant of the township with plans to make it even more densely populated?

  • Teaneck Taxpayers paid close to $3 million for the Votee Park Fieldhouse. Who is allowed to use it? How do Teaneck residents gain access to meeting rooms and kitchens?

  • Where is the Open Spaces and Recreation Plan? Has it been reviewed? If so, what are the results of the Review?

`````````````````````````
New Questions we Hope Council and Planning Board will Address

  • The school that is a private high school that is currently housed in the Jewish Center of Teaneck regularly has their students running around (looks like a form of recess), playing soccer and other gym activities--with a teacher and orange cones-- on the municipal lawn near the old police and municipal buildings.

  • Is there a contract or formal agreement with the Township that allows for this?
  • If so, can this agreement made public?
  • Who is liable for any accidents or injuries that may occur during their "play" time?

  • Is it true Vitale’s restaurant will be torn down by a developer to build an apartment building?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We urge our subscribers to identify questions you have raised but which were ignored or dismissed. Send your questions to Teaneck Voices <teaneckvoices@gmail.com> 
Announcements
CAROL DIANE OTIS STREET RENAMING
FLU VACCINATION AND COVID TESTING
NETBPA - Board of Education Virtual Forum
MATH ADVENTURES AND WORD PLAY
FRIENDS OF THE TEANECK LIBRARY POP-UP BOOK SALE
MLK BIRTHDAY COMMITTEE GOTV LAWN SIGNS
Purchasing a Congressman John Lewis Make Good Trouble Vote! lawn sign is a charitable donation that will help the Martin Luther King Birthday Committee in awarding annual scholarships to applicants who meet the qualifying criteria. Thank you for your support!

I am interested in purchasing (_____) # of Congressman John Lewis lawn sign(s).

 *Orders within Bergen County will be hand delivered.

NAME:______________________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS:__________________________________________________________________________________

EMAIL ADDRESSEE:______________________________________________________________________

CONTACT #:_______________________________________________________________________________

Please make check payable to the MLK Birthday Committee and send with form to:

MLK BIRTHDAY COMMITTEE
 PO BOX 2017
 TEANECK, NJ 07666


*Bergen County residents - $20 per sign (no delivery charge)
 To any address in the USA - $35 per sign (includes mailing cost)

Any questions can be directed to Joseph Harris at: harrisjilr@gmail.com -or/call 201-280-8580 

The Martin Luther King Birthday Committee is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
ONE TOWN ONE VOTE APPEAL LETTER
Dear Friend of One Town One Vote,

Thanks to you, we did it!

As reported in the The Record, the judge sided with more than 3,400 Teaneck voters like you who signed the petition to allow township residents to vote on whether to move municipal elections from May to coincide with the November general elections.

But the fight is not over!

Even though this decision means the question will be on the ballot in November, we can be sure the Teaneck town council will continue to try to defeat this proposal. They know a low-turnout May election benefits them, and they can continue to use their bully pulpit to try to defeat the referendum.

As an engaged Teaneck resident, you undoubtedly realize that moving municipal elections from May to November will save our town approximately $50,000 per election. More important, it will double, or even triple, voter participation in council elections. Many more Teaneck residents across various demographics will participate in the democratic process.

The result? A more representative local government! But greater participation threatens the status quo.

We need your support now more than ever!

Please help us raise money to convince all Teaneck residents to vote YES on this municipal question in November. We also need funds to pay ongoing legal costs as we defend our efforts to make it easier and more convenient for all Teaneck residents to vote in municipal elections. Please be generous but keep in mind every little bit helps. Donate now to help secure the future of Teaneck.

Two ways to donate:

  1. Make out a check payable to “One Town One Vote” and mail/drop it off to:
Bernard Rous, 764 Wendel Place, Teaneck NJ 07666
  1. Go to crowdpac.com/campaigns/403986 to donate securely online

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to democracy and voters’ rights!

Loretta Weinberg, Theodora Lacey, Jeremy Lentz, Teji Vega, Reshma Khan

Paid for by One Town One Vote, P. O. Box 3070, Teaneck, NJ 07666
UPCOMING MUNICIPAL MEETINGS
Hackensack River Greenway Advisory Board (HRGAB)
Monday September 27, 2021 at 7:30pm
Zoom but public access by approval of the Chair only. Contact Town clerk.

Planning Board
Thursday September 30, 2021 at 8:00pm
Zoom Click Here and passcode 725864
No agenda for this meeting was posted on the Town website prior to Teaneck Voices’ publication deadline.

NOTE on Planning Board Meeting: Chair Bodner had promised at the August meeting that the extensively-delayed Board review of Teaneck's Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP) would take place at a September 2021 meeting of the PB. This 9/30 meeting is the only September PB meeting.

Teaneck continues to be excluded from some state Green Acres funding programs until its Open Space and Recreation Plan - now 3 years late - is approved by the Planning Board.

It is noteworthy that the Town’s only currently-contracted planning firm (Phillips, Preiss, Grygiel, Leheny & Hughes) had billed the Town $471 for ORSP review work in March, with most of the time being charged by Partner Elizabeth Leheny. Whether Leheny will be presenting her completed review of the OSRP on Thursday is not known.

We are delighted to report good news about Planning Board compliance with regulations: After multiple requests from residents for minutes, the Board is now for the first time since 2019 in basic compliance with the Open Public Meetings Act requirement that the minutes of municipal statutory land boards’ minutes “shall be promptly available to the public” after board meetings. The PB had been in arrears on minutes for 36 sets of minutes until the beginning of September.
TAKE ACTION
Attend the Planning Board Meeting this coming Thursday 9/30 at 8:00pm and see if these critical questions are addressed:

Where is the Open Spaces and Recreation Plan? Has it been reviewed? If so, what are the results of the Review? Is the Planning Board still committed to preserving and enhancing Teaneck's Open Spaces and Recreational Facilities?

Ask these questions if given an opportunity.
Click here for this week’s Teaneck Library Events Calendar