ments have been satisfied. The meeting dates for the year are confirmed at the annual meeting are posted on the public bulletin board in the lobby of the municipal center and published in the record within the first 10 days of the new year. Salute to the flag, please.
Okay, Omar, could you please read the roll call? >> Council member Corsair >> here. >> Council member Dayton >> here. >> Council member Jackson >> here. >> Council member Michaels >> present. >> Council member Dr. Okconor >> here. >> Council member Royer. >> Mayor Zenner >> here. We have two public comment
sections tonight, right? >> Yes. >> Yeah. where the ordinance is separate, right? Okay. Just I want to talk about public comments here for a second so everyone understands. There's going to be two opportunities for public comments. Um
the first one is going to be actually very early on and that's public comment on any topic anyone would like to speak about. You could talk about the weather, you could talk about the Clinton end, you could talk about taxes, whatever you want to talk about in the first public comment. Then we're going to have the
public hearing about the Clinton end. And there's also public comment during that time. So if you choose to wait until that time to talk about um the Clinton end, you're welcome to do so. But during the public comment comment time during the public hearing, it's
only about the Clinton end project. Okay. >> All right. >> If I go ahead jump on that, >> please. >> Someone does have a comment on the ordinance for the Clinton in project. Please save it for the ordinance only so that it's part of the record.
>> Okay. All right. The first order of business is a presentation on the uh Arbor Day proclamation. Uh Councilwoman Dr. Julie Okconor, would you like to read the proclamation? >> Sure. Whereas the last Friday of April 24th uh 2026 is designated as National
Arbor Day which is a day set aside to promote the planting of trees, tree conservancy and appreciation of our n environment. And whereas the burough of tennifly has promoted tree conservancy and planting for many years. And whereas
trees in our community increase property values, enhance the economic vitality of business areas, and beautify our burrow. And whereas the Burough of Tennifly had been recognized as a tree city USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation and
desires to continue its tree planting practices. Now therefore, the mayor and council of the burrow of Tennifly do proclaim April 24th, 2026 as Arbor Day and urge all citizens to celebrate this day and to
support efforts to protect our trees and woodland. >> Thank you very much, council. I appreciate that. Okay. All right. Now is our first public comment time. So any any uh any member of the public who would like to make a comment on any topic is welcome to do so. Just recall
cost come on up please just first name only no address >> arguo president of tennifly for over 32 years I'm glad that uh tennifly has been recognized for a proclamation for trees however
um there is some work that is going to be done in nicabucker country club in which 192 trees are going to be cut some of these trees are over a hundred years old and I don't know if uh everybody is
aware of that but uh mayor and councils I think you should take a look at this because it would affect wetlands that are right behind uh we have tremendous amount of uh animals in there that they live there and I understand that
tomorrow uh Jeff can uh >> 6 pm Tomorrow there is a Nika Bucker um >> at the planning board meeting. Yes. >> And if you want to see what's going on, I have the plans. So, mayor, I think that you we should
hold on to the proclamation until we save these streets. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Would anyone else like to speak? >> Come right up to the microphone. Just give us your name, not your address, please. >> Just my name.
>> Just your name. >> Hello. Okay. Uh Andrew Till. No address because last time I didn't follow directions. >> Um I'm sorry. I I I know uh Wendy said to hold, but I can't stay for the second public for the second comment. So I
apolog I understand I understand. Look uh I want to thank many people in this room here tonight who have moved Tennifly forward the last number of years. Outstanding changes here. I'm a resident here for a while and um I can
clearly state that the town is moving in the right direction. And with that being said, it is as clear as day that the the right choice needs to be made,
which is could be easy or tough, but the right choice to redevelop the Clinton in that site so we can stop looking at broken shingles and ripped up sites and whatever whatever it may be. Um, it's time. The town deserves it. The
residents deserve it. We are a top tier town. We need to act like it. And I hope that there's going to be a yes vote because it will take us to another level which we're already in a in in a great position, but it's just going to put us
in a in a in a place. Um, so I encourage the council, the mayor, and everyone here who's in support to support this next step forward for the town. It is our most prominent corner and it is time for that great and prominent
location to reopen in a very positive way and stop collecting dust and deteriorating. We need to stop the nimiism and move forward. Thank you. Thank you for letting me speak. >> Thank you. >> Anyone else like to speak in the um
chambers here? No. Omar, is there anyone online who would like to speak? >> I see no hands, mayor. >> Okay, so we're going to close this public comment time and move on to the administrator's report. Any questions for the administrator? Lauren, go ahead, please.
>> I just want an update on the Tennerly Little League field on the timing if we have everything in order. >> Yeah, so the construction is going to start on June 15th when the fields can be turned over from the Little League and they'll be complete by August 15th. And if they're not complete by August
15th, uh then there'll be liquidated damages. >> And is there any way at this time to start the process of getting some bids for the cost of the snack shack and the bathroom renovations like phase two? >> Well, you would have to first um uh
entertain a uh or engage a professional to design the structure. So we would have to look at that and it's not part of the current capital U projects for 2026. So we would have >> no engineering I mean no architectural >> nothing has been done on the stack shack
yet. >> Okay. So if we want to move forward on that and design it in 2026 to build in 2027 what are the next steps? Next steps would be I guess uh getting consensus on amending the capital plan to uh put a
certain dollar amount uh into a capital bond to engage a professional architect or engineer to start the design process. >> Is anyone else interested? >> Yeah. Yeah. I spoke to >> So we'll put we'll put it on the agenda to be considered for our next meeting >> for May 5th. >> Yeah. Okay.
>> To be considered. We'll talk it through. >> Yes. Councilman >> pleased to receive an email this evening about PSEG's beginning to remediate the abomination they've left behind themselves. >> Do we have an update from them and are
we in contact with them regarding an expedient schedule as promised, but all roads will be repaired by PSEG no later than October 31st. >> They're still sticking with the October 31st date. Um they've completed the spring trunch of roads that they're
being paved. Um, road paving is going to start this Wednesday for nine roads that the burrow is paving through the Riverside Cooperative, starting with Ridge Road on Wednesday. Um, and then I anticipate the PCNG will do some
additional paving in the summer. We will also be doing some additional paving through the Riverside Cooperative in the summer and then PSCG would be doing some paving in the in the fall to finish up. Also not so also nine roads around the Stillman school were done about two
weeks ago. >> So I just follow >> we were looking again to figure out whether we can make um bike and walk paths on at least the larger of the roads. >> So I did uh speak with the traffic engineer John Jar who's in the audience
tonight about that. He would have to take a look at the the roads and the width of roads and the MUTCD if I'm correct and then get back to us. >> All right. >> In the far right corner there. Any other questions for the
administrator? >> No. Okay. We'll move on to correspondence. David, we have a um email from a resident here regarding the crosswalks on East Clinton. >> Yeah. So, I did get an opportunity this uh to look into this. Uh the chief of
police and the DPW director have no record of the resident contacting them previously. Uh to that end, uh DPW will be painting the crosswalks on Thursday. And the chief will be installing the flags that will produce the rulers like we have out here in front of the
municipal complex. And I think that John uh uh Jar, who was in town earlier, uh inspected the uh crosswalk up there as well. John, did you have anything you needed to add to that? >> Okay. >> All right. >> Just so the public knows, this is a
crosswalk across East Clinton and the striping has worn off. >> Okay, that's it for correspondence tonight. Okay, we're going to move on to the uh amending uh ordinance 26-14 amending the uh redevelopment plan.
Omar, could you please read the confirmation of publication of the ordinance and the title of the ordinance, please? >> Sure. >> This is ordinance number 2614. It was posted on the burough website March 31st. It is an ordinance of the burough
tennifly adopting the 123 through 145 Dean drive amended redevelopment plan prepared by Burgess Associate Associates Inc. >> Okay. So I'm going to open the floor for public comments on this ordinance. This is the Clinton in redevelopment plan
ordinance 26-14. What I would recommend just for organizational purposes tonight, whoever wants to speak, a few people at a time, couple of people at a time, line up on each side, and I'll just take alternative people to do it as fairly as possible. And once we're done with uh
public comments from everyone in the room here, we'll move to public comments that are uh on Zoom. Pardon me. Oh, sure. Of course, you guys will be able to ask whatever you want. Um, do you want to ask questions first
or typically we go to public comment first? Yeah. All right. So, who has anyone want to speak? Please come just come up line up on a couple of people on this side, a couple of people on the other side and I'll choose alternatively so it's as fair as
possible in timing. And there's a if you could help abide by there's a three minute time limit for speaking. So, go ahead. Just give us your name. Suzanne. Um, I hope I can read this without my glasses. I forgot them by my Okay, so
there are a few things that I've been hearing about. One of them is uh about that they can't make nobody can make any profit unless we go up six stories. Now, I don't know what that means. I I haven't heard
anything about, you know, ROIs, you know, capitalization. I don't there no numbers to this. I could say myself I would like a lot of money cuz I want to go and get some expensive jewelry. Now what does that mean? I need a lot of
money to go expensive jewelry. We need to know what these numbers are. The other thing I don't understand is why why do we have to change the zoning? Why can't we just give a variance? Then
we're not stuck with forever having somebody that can build a sixstory building with two underground stories. The other thing I was trying to be open-minded. I was here at the other meeting and I heard everybody saying as
the person before said that we need to look forward. We need to obviously we're going to need to develop that area. Um, and you know, maybe I was being close-minded. So, I went and I looked. Now, there are
70 municipalities in Bergen County. 59 burrows, seven towns, two cities and four no two and four seven townships, two cities and four towns.
So, I went broke down all of these. Now, there are municipalities that um have always had tall buildings that we can think of right away. Fort Lee and Hackinac, they've always had them. Um then there's the Gold Coast, you know,
by uh the Hudson, Fair View, Ridgefield, Edgewater, Cliffside Park, etc. in this area in other towns that are just like ours. Crescill, Bergenfield, Anglewood,
Dearrest, I mean I could name them all. All of you know them. I couldn't find a single building that was six stories high. I was able to find in T-neck a building that was built near Route 4 and
it's called the Marquee and it is five stories high and as far as I can tell even in Hackinack there are no floors that are underground. So, I don't know if some of these
questions could be answered, I think I would feel feel a whole lot better about this. But just to have something drop out of the sky and be our entire state building for Bergen County, I think is a little
I don't know. It doesn't seem as though there's enough research. But if we want to do more research, fine. Give the variance. And if this doesn't pass, great. And then we don't have a problem with always having to look at people who want to do six foot story high and two
stories underground. We will have the choice as to whether we want to look at those. Thank you. >> Thank you, Suzan. >> Just give us your name, sir. >> Uh good evening. Uh Arrin Um I
have some questions from uh the previous meeting that I believe were not answered. So >> can you hear me now? >> Okay. First question uh regarding the long-term financial impact on the burough after accounting for all municipal costs associated with
this development including school enrollment public safety and infrastructure where will this project result in a net positive or net negative fiscal outcome for the current residents >> in in terms of what >> tax
>> the taxes collected and what we need to spend whether it's in school infrastructure roads So, >> so it it would be paying taxes just as any other >> Yes. >> um development would >> in particular is advantageous
uh because it's also paying um for the hotel. It's past just doing the residential taxes. Um it's not just property tax, there's also occupancy fees, >> hotel taxes, >> hotel tax, etc. So it is anticipated to be a net benefit to the entirety of the
bureau of services. >> Can you please more specific with the numbers? >> Like is this a legal question? >> I'm sorry. >> Is this a legal question here? Because I don't think any of us can put forth financials that we haven't seen yet. >> Well, that's the next thing I was going to indicate.
>> Can I ask whether study has been done and specific? >> Here's the thing you have to realize. This developer has not asked for a payment in lie of taxes or any kind. >> I do know that. What you may not understand is if they don't ask for that, we don't get those financials up
front to determine all of those things in in advance. That is part of the calculation when you're doing a payment in le of taxes or a tax abatement to see whether or not they would have to prove that they need it to be able to construct. They're not asking for that. So, we don't have the mechanism to ask
for those numbers that are, you know, business decisions. Won't you want to determine in terms of the estimated taxes that you would collect through this new project and take for example the schools with the you can >> talk about that sure
>> additional number of students going through the school system >> the additional burden on on the finances of the burough. So my next question is on schools, right? Uh so it ties into this with 90
of apartments taking an approximate one and a half kids per apartment. That's 145 new students uh with the average cost of uh educating a child in Tennifly of about $27,000.
Am I right? Is it about $27,000? >> No. So yeah, finish your finish your question. Go ahead. >> Okay. And the subsidy from that we get from the government which is about 67,000 and the remainder comes from the residents
and with the taxes that we are collecting and the additional cost that burden is going to come to the residents. >> So I I can help you here. So right now the property from what I understand from our tax assessor who I spoke to at length about this it's collecting about
230,000 give or take in current taxes as is with a vacant property next door. >> Okay. >> For every story that we go up it's you know another estimated amount of taxes because that increases the size of the building and the property size. The
apartment building also will now be an increase in taxes depending on what size it becomes between both. So that will be an additional tax collected by the burrow and again depending on and again tonight's question is on zoning tonight. >> So depending on what passes the size,
density, height etc of the building that will generate the correct amount of taxes. It's estimated between somewhere 800 and one according to the developer 1.1 somewhere in that range collected over uh the two excuse me not
>> excluding the 230. So it would be an additional uh you know seven eight I'm terrible at math that's why I'm in government. Um >> so essentially that will be an increase in in burough taxes that we collect. Now we do not discuss the schools but the
numbers that I have researched is we have about 24,000 give or take per school student. We get almost half of that. Sometimes it's 12. It's year to year. Every year it changes. We've gotten 15. We've gotten 12. So depending on what that difference is, that also is
an increase of tax revenue. Now the state funding formula for education changes every year as well. >> Okay. >> So if we have an increase in our school um population, yes, the school board will then take it upon themselves to go back to the state and ask for a
re-evaluation of that number. So for us to say whether we'll net positive or net uh negative, it will depend on how the state reacts to an increased number of students. Now what's happening here just so you understand is that we are putting in additional population a little bit
like drip by drip. >> Yeah. >> And so we are building wonderful new apartments in Benjamin Brothers and downtown and our in our beautiful new condos and on West Railroad and each of those populations may or may not have school children. Some of them are family units, two-bedroom, threebedroom,
>> but we will not have an increase all at once. And so what that does to our school board is it forces them uh to not have a huge jump in population but small increases and that may just get adjusted in the year-to-year and not in a
complete different school evaluation. Um essentially we as a bureau are looking at this that we are going to take in an additional let's say 800k that we are going to have that uh for our town our community our infrastructure purchases.
Now again today's question is an overlay zone right what is appropriately zoning for this piece of land what are the setbacks what's the height what's the density what's you know the distance from the road the distance from its neighboring properties we as a board
here are not looking at the implication for school other than taxes so you guys are welcome also to go to the school board and ask them do you have a plan for increased population or increased student population and they're looking at this. They have been here. They've been listening. They've spoken with many
of us. You know, I don't think anyone's going to be surprised that we are going to increase our student population here. You know, and again, we're not 100% sure everyone will go to public school. We're not 100% sure. >> We don't know the answer though is what Wendy said. We you
don't know. >> We don't know yet any of >> So, when will we will a study be done? So we will know >> study a study for what >> for for the number of the approximate number of youth students. So it depends on what what studies you want to go with. You can go with the Ruters study.
I think it was 30 or 40 students that would add or something of that nature. >> That's what was the number that study. >> Okay. >> Yeah, that's that doesn't make sense. >> You can Okay. One person at a time. Okay. You can extrapolate out from the current population statistics of 3.1
people per household, but that's with three and fourbedroom houses. We have a lot of one-bedroom apartments in this building as opposed to three and fourbedroom homes. Um so there's a wide range of uh relatively wide range of what the student population increase will be and anywhere from whatever it is
the 30 or 40 to 120 somewhere in between. We won't know till it happens >> and if we don't have enough money what do we do then at that time? >> Well the building is going to pay taxes >> but it won't be enough. >> But so is so that's a that's a little
bit of a misnomer right? So when a new house is constructed in town, they get a building permit. We don't do a financial calculation to determine how many children from that house are going to be going into the school system. So, for instance, if it's a million-doll home, >> right, for sake of argument, and they
pay about $26,000 a year in taxes and they have two children in school, well, that's if it cost $24,000 a year to educate each child, that that household is generating expense to the town of $48,000 and only paying 26,000 in taxes. We don't tell them they can't build a
house. The the the the uh the good of educating students is a responsibility of the entire community. It's not based on being paid for by one particular construction project, whether it's a hotel, whether it's a store, or whether it's a single family home.
>> But uh I mean, I appreciate the example, but I think it's very different. >> What? Yeah. Okay. All right. We got to go on to the next person, sir, because we're past our three minutes, but thank you for your comments. I think I owe this side next. >> Yeah.
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. So what I think what we'll do is because we want to limit the back and forth to give everyone of the public the opportunity to speak and then we can address the questions at the end. Go ahead. Just your name please. >> Josh Albam, resident of Tennifly. Uh I
think everyone here can argue, you know, as micro as they want to get, but the macro benefits of this are tremendous. We all pay a lot of taxes in in in this town. Montlair did it great. They have an amazing boutique hotel. the the trickle down effects in the global the local economy are going to be
tremendous. We all deserve that property to be better than what we're looking at right now. the the main supporters of it have done a tremendous job in the local community of of bringing things that add tremendous value to our homes, to our community, and I think we owe it to the benefit of the doubt to de develop the
property without getting in the micro and trust the mayor and the support team and the developers that they're going to do a classy job and they're going to do it to the best of everyone's liking within, you know, making Tennifly and keeping Tennifly the way it is. So, you know, I support the project and I
probably speak for a lot of people who support it, but we trust you and we trust the ability for you to do it in a classy and amazing way and to make Tennifer flag great again. David Learner also from Tennifly. Um, first of all, the last time I was here was when there was a lot of
breakins going on. So, I just want to start by saying you all did a very good job buttoning that up. Uh, yeah, knock on wood. Um, also for this project and for Starbucks and as for any project of people, it's so rare when you get people that want to invest in a town. We're an
amazing town. I have a seven-year-old daughter, a three-year-old son. I don't want them going to Closer to hang out or to Fred Fish's projects in Angwood. He's done an amazing job there and I love him. But T of Life should be a place where we have development and people can come and make this town great again. Um,
John Kger, great man and uh I I'm for this project. I think it'll be incredible for the town. I hope you know you all you know take that to heart and you know really we could build something special here because you know Tennifly it's great but the Clinton in and you
know it could be so much more and I would like to see that for my kids here. Thank you. Thank you. >> Sorry again, >> sir. Over there on my right. Over. Come on up. You're ready. You're next. Whoever's next. So, whoever from that side would like to
speak. Okay. Just give us your name, please, not your address. >> Okay. >> All right. Let's all focus. >> So, I want to start by um by being very clear. I have zero financial interest in this project. I'm not representing the
developer or anyone involved. They are not my clients and I'm speaking only as a resident who cares deeply about this town. No project will ever be perfect. The reality is we are not choosing between the perfect or bad. We're choosing between options that are
all in some way not ideal. I live by the 8020 rules. If something is 80% right, we live with a 20% bad. So the real question is is not whether the builder is going to build. The question is what is he going to build. Let's remember everyone here cares
deeply about this town. We all want to protect it and I would never support overdevelopment in the wrong places. I fully support the limiting the height of buildings on Washington Avenue and railroad. It should be limited to 40 ft four stories. I agree with that. But
this situation is different. When I moved here 30 years a about 30 years ago, that site was a beautiful hotel. It had restaurants, a event space. We celebrated bar mitzvah, wedding, and places where people could gather. Today, it's neglected. It's an embarrassment to
our town. Doing nothing is not an option. It will only continue to decline. Now, we finally have a financially strong developer developer who lives in our community, someone who cares about our town and willing to invest here. We should embrace that and
not scare him away. And let's be honest, developers makes money, that's their business. If they don't do their if they don't do it here, they'll go invest in neighboring town and that will be our loss, not theirs. So, let's talk about the real alternatives. Option one is do
nothing, which is in my opinion the worst option, and option two is to work with the developer and shape the project. Yes, it includes a six-story hotel, but this is a unique site, one that has always functioned differently. This is not
about changing the rules for the entire town. I would strongly oppose that. This is about a location, one opportunity, one decision. Do we want to have a boutique hotel in this town? Because a well-designed hotel brings life back, creates spaces for gathering,
restaurants, community use. It supports local businesses, increase food traffic and generate tax revenue that benefits everyone. Now I hear the concerns traffic school over um overall impact. These are valid concerns but they need
to be grounded by facts and not fear on traffic. The town has a traffic engineer professional study will be done and if there is an impact adjustment will be need will need to be will be required. That's how the process works. On school,
we're currently at historically low enrollment about 400 student below capacity. And just an important healthy town must offer different types of housing. Not everyone is a family with school age
children. We need options for singles, divorced resident, grandparents, and young couple who are not ready to own a home. This type of development typically brings fewer children than people assume. And even if over time we needs to invest more in our schools, we let it
be. We will because project like this strengthen our financial position and it give us the ability to reinvest in our town. So don't focus on what the developer is making. Focus on what this developer is bringing to our town. We need to modernize. We need refresh and
improve. We need to improve. We cannot scare away developers who are willing to invest here because we're focused on how much money they make. Their success become our town success. We are falling behind not because of growth
but because of fear of change. I speak of I speak to people in this town every single day. Clients, residents, neighbors, the majority are supportive. They want a more vibrant updated early move it along a little. Okay.
and to you know actually have something to say to you guys that um to you. You were you know I know that there are concern and and valid concern the people have but you were elected to do the right thing with this town and sometimes doing the right things takes courage and
I expect you to do the right thing and show your leadership. I fully support this project. I mean, Orley said a lot of what I was going to say already. Orley, I thought that was great. I'm going to start where you >> What's your name? Your name just >> Noah. My name is Noah Garden. I live in Tiffly. I'm going to start where Orley
um ended and that's with the council in front of me. We've taken a long time to put the right people on this council. It has taken years to get the wrong people off this council. The people here were voted on because we wanted change. This
room is not necessarily representative of the way that our town feels, right? Many people work in New York City, like myself, I had to leave early today to get home to make it to here because for some reason this has become a hot button. If we have enough people in here
yelling one way or another, that seems to influence the group. Again, I think we're past that. And like Orly said, it takes courage, but you were voted for a reason. And I think that that you guys have shown that change has continued to come and those of us who voted for you
appreciate that. So hopefully we'll stay on the on the right track. As far as this town goes and this particular project, to me, it's not even about this project. It's about our vision for this town and what we want it to look like in 5 to 10 years. And if we want it to look
like it was 30 years ago, like I've said online, that's fine. Like I respect that view. I don't think the majority of people in our town feel that way and I think we see that through the way we voting and otherwise. I mean I just had two events. I had two bar mitzvah in the last two years for my kids. I had
families come into town that had to stay at the Clinton in. It's an embarrassment. It's not only an embarrassment at Clinton in I got kids that play sports when they go on that little league field when they go in all of our facilities. Like we're a town that has one of the biggest tax bases in
this city. And when you go to every other surrounding town, whether it's this hotel that we want to put up or the fields, we have lagged behind. We're finally on the right track thanks to some of you on this council and we appreciate it. But don't stop now. And
don't listen to the vocal minority because it doesn't represent the people that voted for you and put you on here. So obviously I'm from the Thanks. Good evening. Um, Jason Tuvel, 82 Joyce Road. First, I want to thank uh the public for coming out to voice their opinions. Thank the mayor and council
for the job that they're doing here. I spoke at the last meeting. I'm a factual person. So, when I look at this project, I think the pros substantially outweigh the cons, and I'm in support of it. And I'll tell you why. And I go by categories typically when I compartmentalize these things. From an
aesthetic perspective, this is a huge win for the municipality. I've seen the work from this architectural firm. They take great pride. Conrad Rancotti does a great job. You see the building here. The aesthetic benefit is going to be substantial. That's number one. Number two, this is how you plan a town. You
put the density in the downtown and you have the single family on the periphery. This is exactly what we're doing. And by doing that, it's going to invigorate the businesses in the downtown. That's how you properly plan a municipality. Next thing is affordable housing, right?
Towns get in trouble when they don't properly plan their affordable housing. That's what happens. Five, 10 years go by, people say the state is mandating things and the towns scramble and they don't plan properly. Give this gives us a great opportunity to plan where the
affordable housing is going in a way that makes sense. So that that's a win. The next is storm water management. This is going to be a huge upgrade. You heard Mike Dipple uh speak at the last meeting. He also a fantastic engineer does a great job. The storm water
management in this area is going to improve tremendously by this project. Right? There's going to be an impact. We all know that all projects have an impact no matter what you put here. But the benefits of the of this project substantially outweigh any any negatives. The other thing too is
process. This is a redevelopment plan, right? So you have the opportunity above and beyond. If this was regular zoning, you wouldn't have the ability to ask the developer for things that will benefit the community. Re regular zoning, you can't do that. So you're going to have the ability through a redevelopment
agreement to ask for additional storm water, sustainable features, offtrack improvements, do your job as a council and ask the developer developer to contribute those things. So I think this is a great opportunity both from a
infrastructure perspective, a process perspective to really capitalize on what the developer wants to put here and then the financial aspect of this. I know it comes up with school children. I would ask the developer to submit a pilot application to the town because a pilot
actually may prove yes beneficial to the developer no question but it actually may be beneficial to the burrow also because the burrow gets to keep 95% of the taxes and figure out how they allocate it. I would I would encourage them to submit the application in the
proforma just so we know whether the pilot would be be beneficial to the municipality because it may be and on the school children issue I I don't know I just have a different view on this when a young family moves into my neighborhood I think that's a great thing when school children come into a
town I I think that's a benefit I think it means it's a a flourishing town a town that's doing well so the fact that some school children might come into the to the to this property in no way gives me any sort of u you know of negative feelings towards the project. So I would
implore you to approve this ordinance, take the next step to the redevelopment agreement, the next step to the site plan and work with the developer to continue this process. Thank you very much. >> Hi, I'm Josh Sharf, resident of Tennifly. First, April 21st. This should
be a historic day. I think um the young lady over here referenced 50 or 60 towns in our in our in our county that would be begging to have developers like this offering to build something with the amenities and what the revitalization
can do to our downtown. We should be so grateful and so lucky that people are willing to invest millions and millions of dollars in Tennifly. How amazing is that? I moved here 5 years ago. I have a seven and a four-year-old. Um they'll be dominating sports hopefully in the next 5 years. So, please cheer for them. Um,
and like we talk about all these things. What bothers me the most, you have a lot of keyboard warriors who like to go on the Tennifly Times and these Facebook groups. I love them to stand up here and they they they like fake news. Talking about 350 school children. 90 units, I believe 20 are going to be uh single
units where it's one or two people, studio type units, mathematically impossible for that many to people be in there. So, I encourage everybody in this room, be open-minded, be thankful, be be grateful for what we have in front of us, and more importantly, let's look forward. This can truly revitalize our
downtown. I'm sure we all love Mel's. Um, we all love where we go to dinner tonight, Masa Pasta, all these great things. They will be times 10 with something like this. Hundreds of people that can walk into our downtown, support our restaurants, bring jobs, bring great things to this community. So, council,
thank you for bringing this town forward. can't wait to see what the next 5, 10, 20 years look like. And everybody here, I just encourage you um especially the keyboard warriors, please keep an open mind on what this really is and not get stuck in, hey, don't do this because we've never done this. That's never the
right answer. So, let's look forward and thank you very much. >> Over on the right side over here, who's next? >> Come up to the microphone and just give us your name. Rosie Mattio. I've lived in this area for over 15 years and I have four daughters including this one
who's gonna be having a bach mitzvah this year. >> Congratulations. >> Also a small business owner and I conduct business in this area and we have nowhere to go to have meetings, nowhere to take people. We have bities to put them up in that dumpy hotel at the Clinton in or Anglewood and we need a place in town for us to congregate,
for us to be proud of, where there's food, where there's shopping and places where we want to be proud of. We go to Greenwich sometimes because like that's the model that we want here. Why am I go bring the Tapenzee Bridge when we can be right here in this town with the developers who want to make it amazing here. So I think the pros outweigh the
cons and be real anchor for the community and really vitalize a town that we love so much. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you. >> Hi everyone. My name's Jocelyn. Um did not intend to speak tonight but no it's all good. I am the president of the board of education. Uh, so I'm speaking
on behalf of the board right now. Uh, not really going to comment on any of the sort of comments that people have made. There's a lot of misinformation out there. What I would encourage you all to do is to tune into our meetings, attend our meetings. We do have a meeting this next Monday night, April 27th. Feel free to come ask us
questions. You can ask our business administrator questions specifically about how finances work when we do have more students. there's a lot of nuance to it and just a lot of confusing information out there and that is the best way to get those questions answered. I also just wanted to say that we are on our agenda for approval on
Monday night will be a demographic study. The uh board of ed the district is engaging one. We should have the results midsummer probably um and it will include you know all of the new development not just this proposed project but all the other projects that have been recently approved so we can
plan accordingly and you know really anticipate an accurate number of students. So just encourage you all to come to our the uh the board of ed meetings ask your questions there and we have all the administrators and our experts there who can really answer specific questions directly and that's
all. Thank you. >> Thank you Justin. Good evening everyone. Um I want to raise a concern. >> Just just your name please. >> Nadav. >> Thank you. >> Resident of Tennifly. >> Of course. >> Um I actually agree with a lot of the things people stayed here said to see a
deserted building at one of the main intersection here. I have no problem that we need a hotel here. All that. My concern comes I lived in Manhattan for over 20 years. uh as a Jewish person, especially in these times and everything, I'm very concerned with
crime and with anti-semitism. Uh bringing uh rental buildings, another 95 apartments into here after 200 were approved when I didn't see any survey of a need for 300 rental buildings in our
town that a portion of them would be a lowincome housing. My question is like this. I've suffered personally from low-income housing in nice development in Manhattan or crime or a lot of the things that I've just mentioned. My
question is what qualification do you do for the lowincome resident? Has this been a lottery? Do you check crime records? Do you check what exactly is being checked for those few hundred families that will come here to our
town? That that is my main concern. Not the development, not the the hotel. So, I'm just going to because there's some confusion over affordable housing. A lot of uh sometimes people think it's low income or section 8 housing. U that's
not what it is. This is affordable housing where u there's a process applicants go through um it's an affordable housing what's the title of the person afford >> affordable housing administrative agent which reviews the applications and does background checks credit checks all that
sort of thing. People have to firemen police officers they have to be able to afford to live in the apartments. They have to meet income requirements everything that would normally be have to be met for anyone renting an apartment. Yeah, >> 50% of income with a certain percentage
of it being at the 30 to 50% and another percentage being at the 50 to 60 50 to 70% of the median income. Um, section 8 housing actually does not make enough money to qualify for these units. That's a different program altogether. That that's not what would be coming in. It's
not tenement housing from what you're referring to in New York. >> And what about like criminal background? Is there any crimes that are okay for these people to come here? Any criminal records or it's not allowed for those type of outings?
>> I don't know. Criminal background checks. I don't know how that works. >> So there's state laws protecting against that for even when you do an employment application, there's state laws that that protect. It is based on financial background. So basically they don't share criminal record.
>> What an individual landlord does goes beyond what we do. They get income qualified by our administrative agent. They still have to get qualified for the unit by the owner of the rental apartments as well. They have their own criteria, but if I'm not mistaken, there
are some um you know procedures and guidelines under the federal rules that don't allow you to look into certain criminal backgrounds. I so >> which raises my concern which exactly answers to >> understood >> few hundred people with again I'm not
against low incomes they're all my concern is with the crime raising from those apartments that don't get checked or or get checked by a landlord >> checked the same way the market rate gets checked >> right
>> there's no difference >> basically up to the landlord not the town >> they have to follow federal guidelines as well as state guidines I truly am not the one that does that. I can't tell you what it is. Uh but it's the same check for the income qualified
as well as a market unit. So it's the same across the board. >> And what one following? >> Yeah, of course. We're up to we're on three minutes here. So quickly, >> just one following question. Was there any survey done about the need of 300 rental apartments? Not to tell the need
of 300 rental apartments to clean our town, >> right? The burough doesn't do those sort of market surveys. We don't do that. >> The state has put a requirement on the town in this 10-year period of round four of affordable housing saying that the bureau has the requirement, maybe
not the need, but the requirement to provide almost 300 affordable units. And the way that they say that you do it is that then it's only 20% as affordable and you have to let somebody build 80% of the market. So, the bureau is actually doing a really good job trying
to balance between sponsoring projects themselves, utilizing extension of controls, whatnot. But ultimately, a big driver on everything is the zoning we're required to have in place because of the affordable housing mandates from the state. >> But just one thing, there's nothing like
this in the other surrounding town. >> Every single municipality in New Jersey, >> all all the >> everyone, all of them. Yes. >> Thank you. Bulan. Um, a lot of residents were here last time and I won't repeat all of uh
the concerns that were raised, but I am going to say um maybe everybody's in their own echo chamber. People who support it only talk to people who support this project. People who don't support it only talk to people who don't support it. Uh, but I am going to say I don't think it's a small minority of people who don't support this. I think
it's a very large minority of residents who don't support this. Um, and I really want to make it very clear because I kind of feel there's a bit of a shell game. I don't think you're going to find anyone who disagrees with the fact that we would love love love a thriving
hotel. The problem is the six-story building that's attached to it. And why is it going to be six stories? And the fact that we know that a hotel on this exact site failed. It failed. Not a mythical hotel, an actual hotel that
failed. And if it fails, then we will be sitting here in a few years with yet more apartments where that hotel currently is. So honestly, if we set the expectation for this particular plot, which is the three plots, I believe, and
said to the people who own it, we are not going to ever approve six stories, then maybe they would sell it to a developer who would put the 75 apartments that they were allowed to do by right, and we'd have 75 apartments rather than 95 and in a few more years,
maybe another hundred or 200. So, I wish I had a crystal ball. If I knew that this would be a thriving hotel in the future, maybe I'd feel differently, but I still don't understand why we have to have a six-story building attached to it. Thank you.
>> Thank you. >> Appreciate it. Uh, Akash Sha, last time I was here, um, what I heard was a desire for an independent, credible, transparent analysis. Uh, several of the first speakers called for that. Uh, it's
clear that that hasn't yet been done. Um, so let me at least share some of the the homework that I've done. Uh, and I'll just touch on taxes because that affects all of us. Um, look, here's what's important to know. The majority of our property taxes pay for our
schools. And yes, what happens in the schools and how we finance them is not necessarily the purview of our council. But we're debating a decision that's going to have a dramatic impact on our schools and our taxes. And so we don't get a pass on doing the homework. Here's
what that looks like. The majority of our property taxes go towards our schools. New Jersey state law caps property tax increases at 2%. But there are some exemp exceptions. One of those exceptions is something called
an enrollment adjustment. So if your student body in either K through 5, 6 through 8, or 9 through 12 grows by more than 1%, then the district is allowed to hike your taxes 6%. Three times the normal
cap. And if we're bringing in well over 300 units given all the developments that are already in the pipeline, the 95 that are being proposed here, the 12 that the planning board's discussing tomorrow night at the same time for West Railroad Avenue and so on and so forth.
Right? I've seen architectural plans for more developments in the pipeline, then we are likely to cross the threshold for an enrollment adjustment. We may even do so year on year, right? 6% hikes year on year. You choose your numbers. In three
months, we'll have a demographic study. But you do the math. Whatever numbers you pick, it's not pretty. And look, I don't think we're looking at the worst case scenario. But I do think that we need to be serious about doing our homework. And look, the reality is that
the math that I just did or the facts that I just laid out aren't even the true cost of what happens when we don't do our homework, right? Because if we're serious about doing our homework, I think the question we've got to be asking is why? Why are we rushing
forward to make zoning changes and push forward developments without doing our homework? Last meeting. Yeah. Last meeting, right, we got an answer. If you were listening closely,
the answer was desperation. We have only had one developer come to us in the past five years. The question we ought to be asking is why? Why is there only one developer coming in five years? This is Tennifly,
New Jersey. I bought a home here in the last 5 years. I didn't enter a single property that didn't have more than one bidder on it. Right? It's Tennifly. How do you have a property that cannot attract more than a single bidder in
five years? Right? Ask why. Is it because there's some antiquated and outdated ordinance that requires the developer to operate a hotel where it's failed? >> It's time to wrap it up. >> No problem. Is there some other constraint? Right. Solving that problem
is really the job of the council. And to be honest with you, I think if we solve that underlying problem, we unlock all sorts of win-wins, not just for the community, but for the developers, too. Right? There are opportunities on the table if we solve. >> It's time to move along. And just
>> I'm going to make action here. Go ahead. >> So, I just have to correct one particular fact. This is not the first developer. This is the third developer in almost six years that's been serious enough to write checks to each other and owners um for purchasing and rebuilding
this property. The third one and that doesn't include all the developers who tried to get in on the deal but were locked out because of the other three. So there's been numerous individuals who have been interested in this property. This is the third.
This is the third. There was a previous owner. One of the owners is in the audience now. This group is the third next person to speak. >> Hello. Can you hear me? Hello. >> Yes. Go ahead. >> Okay. So, good evening. Uh, my name is
Anne Nelson. I have uh lived in Tennly for 30 years and I raised my two children here and I am in my 28th year as a teacher here in town. I chose 105 for its beauty, its treeline neighborhoods, and the strength of its schools. And after decades in the
classroom and talking to thousands of parents and teachers, I can say clearly our schools are very well utilized and even sometimes stretched. Now, um this is why this proposed six-story development with 95
residential units is so deeply concerning. This is not a small project. This is a major high impact development. And yet many residents I've spoken to around town don't even know what this
project about is about. Some know a little bit about it or nothing. So to them, it feels like it is being pushed forward without meaningful community input and without clear answers. In other words, residents are being
asked to absorb a townaltering project with minimal information. What is the plan for welcoming a large influx of students into the current school system? What happens to class sizes to resource resources to the
individual attention that we give to each child? Tennifly is known nationally and we can even say internationally for its in for its excellent schools. Now, so why would we risk weakening the
very foundation that defines this town? Families come to townify for its schools, for and for its dedicated teachers, not for a six-story building. Now, it's not just the schools. This project, in my opinion, raises serious
common sense concerns, uh, traffic congestion, pedestrian safety, flooding, and fire response challenges, uh, because even if a building is labeled fireproof, uh, real life conditions are never that
simple. And then there's a scale, uh, the scale of the building. Tennopi is valued for its human scale. its harmony, its character. A six-story building of this size does not blend in.
It It dominates. So, let's be clear. I'm not opposed to this to to development. The Clinton Inn is is absolutely needs to be improved 100%. But is this the only option?
Right now, too many people feel unheard and this is not how this pro this process should work. I think we can do better. I think we must do better as a town. Let's slow down. Let's open this
up. Let's work together. find a solution that respects Tennifi's character, protects its schools, serves the whole community, not just a single project.
Thank you. >> Hi, good evening. My name is Aie and I'm a resident of Tennly for about 30 years. All my kids, three of them that they have big kids graduated from Tennly
Public School. And um I like or remember the days where we could uh go to a nice restaurant in Clinton Hin when you could function over there and yes there are many fears. I
didn't plan to talk today but I hear so much fears and concerns but on the other hand I hear the developers I hear the hope that are raised for our town. Yes we
could continue like always but guys it's time to move on. It's time to try to improve life here. Yes, there are many things I would improve. Lightning, sidewalks, but this is one step ahead,
maybe many steps ahead in order to improve our town. And yes, we have a great public school, but people who already passed it want to continue to live in Tennerly. And we want a nice
area. And this is one thing that can uh add to to give us a big addition to improve our quality of life things. Thank you. >> Thank you, Carol. >> Good evening. My name is Carol Silverman
Herz and my connection to Tennifly spans more than five decades. In the late 1960s, my family moved from New York City to Highwood Avenue. We moved for the same reason so many families have chosen to make Tennifly their home. Excellent schools, a comfortable
suburban lifestyle with many community resources, and proximity to New York City. Growing up in my neighborhood, I walk past the Elizabeth Katie Stanton House daily. For those who may not know her story, after years of activism in Senica Falls in Boston, fighting for the
right of women to vote, she chose Tennifly as her home in 1868. Drawn to what was then a quiet rural community just an hour from New York City. She raised seven children, and in that house on Highwood Avenue, she and
Susan B. Anthony co-authored the first three volumes of the history of women's suffrage, the most consequential work of her life. In 1975, the National Park Service declared the house a national historic landmark. That history lives in
these streets. It is not a footnote. It is the foundation of who we are as a community. That is why I bring her story up at this forum. Elizabeth chose to live in Tennifly for many of the same reasons we all have, to live in a
community we can proudly call our home and where we can raise our children. I fully support revitalizing the Clinton in site. Tennifly deserves thoughtful investment and that property represents a real opportunity to become a valuable
community resource. But a six-story project is not the right answer. Not for the town, not at this moment, and not on this scale. Tennuply downtown has tight circulation, limited parking, and infrastructure that already works hard
to serve our residents. a project combining 95 plus new retail units, sorry, rental units, a market, a health club, additional retail, 200 hotel rooms, and a 10,000 square foot rooftop event space will generate peak
congestion uh that our streets are not equipped to absorb. Our own master plan explicitly warns that large-scale redevelopment can cons constrain traffic capacity, burden municipal services, and erode the open space character that defines us. We
wrote that and we should honor it. And then there is a fiscal question. Development should strengthen our tax base, not create hidden costs that quietly shift onto residents shoulders. Before approving something of this magnitude, we owe it to every homeowner
and family in Tennifly to see the full picture. Not just projected revenue, but the real downstream demands on police, emergency services, schools, and infrastructure maintenance. This is not the first time height and scale have been sticking points at this
very site. In 2022, a prior developer reduced their assisted living proposal from six stories to five specifically because this community pushed back. That instinct was right then and it's right now. I am not here to say no to growth.
I'm here to say get it right. Tennifly has always been a thoughtful measured community and that instinct has served us well. Elizabeth chose this town because it gave her space to think, to breathe, and to build something lasting. That is the legacy we are responsible
for protecting not by freezing tennifly and amber but by ensuring that this growth reflects the same care and intention that has always defined this community. Let's revitalize the Clinton end. Let's do it at a scale that we can
proudly and responsibly sustain. Thank you. Hi there. Um, uh, Brett, Tennifly resident of 12 years. I think this looks uh, absolutely amazing. You know, you guys like kudos to this this design. Very, very
impressive. And I look at it and think, oh my gosh, this this could be absolutely amazing to our community. And I appreciate the thoughtfulness. But the problem is I I work in risk and I think about worst case scenarios and I try to think well okay well what if it
didn't go right. You know what if what if the 95 units were a net strain on the tax base in the school system. You know what if those 600 parking spaces which is basically 50% of the 1200 spaces that exist in all of the 20 municipal lots
downtown was a traffic disaster. What if you couldn't drive your kids to school and they were late constantly? What if the bus system didn't come in like they say it might? Even though that that's that's a problem. The downtown is is not equipped, I think, to handle this kind
of volume. And it's a shame that given Tennifly is one of the wealthiest towns in the area has to say it's this or nothing. Why can't it be half of this or a quarter of this? And let's just see how it's done.
I think we need to develop the space, but we need to do it a way that's intelligent and it works for all the residents of Tennifly. 200 rooms in a hotel would be the largest hotel that's not off a major highway. Nothing like a
200 room hotel exists in any small Bergen County town. I don't know how we would fill that. What if it failed? What if they had to convert those units to apartments? Like I don't know anything about what I see that the as far as the CO goes that guarantees that that couldn't be
converted even in progress. So I don't want to say no to development. I think it's amazing to have these thoughts on how we improve our town. I just I have to be convinced because right now things are pretty good for me. Like we have a great school
system. You know, we have a great town. You know, I know the downtown's not quite what we'd like it to be, but I don't know that this uh construction is going to convince shop owners to open their their their storefronts. We have other issues that I think are a little
bit more systematic. So, um I I don't want to say no, but I just have to say not yet. Good evening. Howie Siden, Tennify, New Jersey. Um, questions. Walk away with more questions. The main
question is why? Why? Where is the need? Where is the need for that kind of density? I see the picture, you know, you represent a picture looking from the northeast to the southwest coming from a wide open area. What about a picture
from the southwest looking northeast? What about looking across at the at the houses across from the apartments? Why are there no views of that? Why do we not see the shade that's going to be inflicted upon those people? We see a pool on a roof.
So, a pool will be elevated with screaming, music, and noise. What's going to be done about that noise? This isn't Brooklyn, Hollywood. This is Tennfly, New Jersey. I mean, we could make a nice facility
out of smaller size. I mean, we do need development there. And what is the track record of hospitality of this company? Why are they given breaks? We're going to reszone for them. There's a zoning board. They can appeal
before the zoning board. Anybody can. Why are we rushing this? Why are I haven't heard from the master planner. Shouldn't we hear from the town people who we've paid to tell us how our town should be? How come they haven't
testified here? >> Developer spoke. He talked about a traffic plan from December and January before there was a traffic light. Why are we looking at traffic studies before there's a traffic light?
I can tell you just by the naked eye, something like this, we're going to have a banquet hall with 500 people. We'll need a new traffic light at Dean and uh is that which is already a dangerous intersection. Uh something's going to
need to be done about the traffic at Tennifly Road and uh Westervelt, not Deaner, is it? Is it not Dean? It's Dean and Wester. I'm sorry. um in the morning. Now, somebody mentioned it's already like a 15minute
commute on Tunnel Road and we're adding additional the traffic signals are antiquated at East Clinton and Engle. We don't have the infrastructure for this to support this. So, why are we doing this? Why are you going to change
our zoning? Let the zoning board do that. That's why we have a zoning board. What is the interest of this mayor and counsel? What is the interest? We have boards for this. You know, it's really a shame. And even
Lauren had had asked them last time about adding an an additional unit of affordable housing. I thought they would have come here tonight and that would have been one of the first things we heard that they agreed to it. but nothing heard because nobody really
cares what the public has to say. Thank you, Jonathan Kger. Um, first off, thank you so much, council. I I just wanted to clarify two things because two individuals who are running for council
have come up here and made statements that are false. So, the first is, is the mayor correctly stated, we're not the third, we're the fourth developer into this, and there were seven other bids that were right alongside ours. And so,
if you're going to make statements, it'd be great to make sure that they're factual. Secondly, this council, and I think Carol, the other woman who's running for council, stated this, did approve six stories, not five. So, we're not going above what was already done
several years ago. And I just think it's important that individuals who are looking to replace council members speak the truth in front of this public and know their facts as they relate to something of this size. Um, I think you
just asked about the track record and I think it's a great question. Uh, our partners have built the Fina Hotel in Miami and New York, the Fifth Avenue Hotel in Manhattan, the St. Reges in Bora Bora, three hotels in Dallas, and five more. I don't need to continue. An
in an incredible track record, an incredible an incredible track record. >> There's a speaker. >> Everyone has their chance to speak. So, I stand here before all of you um with an unbelievable amount of excitement.
I've spoken to 20 individuals who were not for at the hotel and got to sit with them one-on-one and discuss the plan and discuss the history of this project and why it's this size and our intentions and why we're putting in a market and we're putting in a spa and not just
going to try and put in a bank and a CVS which would do nothing for this town. So I can assure you the intention is nothing other than doing everything to help the town, the downtown,
the surrounding businesses and all of the individuals here. That's the intention. So appreciate it. And I think when people come up and make those kinds of false statements, I'd implore you to continue to correct that because this is
all public, especially when it relates to people running for council. >> Sir, before sir, before you start, sir, before you start, Howie, you brought up a couple of issues I just didn't have a chance to clarify. So, a couple of things. This this whole project of that
area has been going on for about six or seven years now. The um the previous council declared the area an area need of redevelopment which gives state law that gives uh it's a tool for councils to exercise great authority over uh
property and be involved in the transaction more than usual. Um this entire uh amended development agreement and the original development agreement was written by the burrow's uh consultants
and experts not by any developers experts and also it did go to the planning board about what four weeks ago or so before it came to the council. Um and the planning board decision was that it was consistent with the master plan.
So we're not nothing's been rushed. It's seven, eight years in the making. There's nothing fast going on here. It's just the opposite and it's going through all the legal appropriate processes that it needs to do. I just wanted to respond to that.
>> It doesn't need to. The council took control of it by declaring it an area need of redevelopment. >> Go ahead. >> Hi everyone. My name is Styles Steinberg. I'm a resident of this town for the last 12 years and I'm really prodeveloper. Um thank you Jonathan for
you know bringing this to our attention. I think nothing has been done there for many years because all the plans didn't work. You know keeping this hotel it's it's an eyesore and this is the fact that this hotel doesn't work and it's not a success because it's a it's an eyesore to our community. I don't think
it can stay there. I think it needs to be something much nicer. And I think this development I don't think they're proposing to add more units that's already approved. The only thing that it's a it's a high building, but it's a it's an amazing building and I think it's going to do really it uh justice
for the uh for the environment for the and for the area. Um I think it's going to create more jobs, bring more people to our area. And um also about the schools, I mean, I know that from from the fact that uh some classes are getting closed because there's not
enough, you know, kids in our school. I think uh there should be more kids in here in Tennifly. Um and um all of my kids are go go uh to play sports. We need it seems like lately we need more more sport, more
teams. Um I think it's a great a great project and I hope that um I hope you guys um can approve it. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next door on my right here. >> Miss, you're looking to speak. Who's looking to speak over here? No.
Okay. We want to make sure everyone's spoken for the first time and then we'll come back. Go ahead. >> Hello. >> Hello. Hello. You can hear me. I'm going to address the mayor and council rather than looking at um for
>> Oh, sorry. My name is Nina. I'm from Tennifly. Thank you. Um tonight on the precipice of the character of the East Tilt North and Stillman school neighborhoods and ultimately the suburban town of Tennifly being changed
forever. I implore Tenniflyy's mayor and each council member to take the time to consider your legacy and what is truly in the best interest of all of Tennifly's residents and vote to keep the historic Clinton Inn's current zone at a maximum of four stories which is
already a height that exceeds all other Bergen County northern valley towns. the area of Bergen County where Tennifly is located with the exception of Dumont and River Edge which are also at fourstory maximums like Tenniflies. The following are the maximum heights
for the other northern Valley District towns. Crescll three stories, Demores 2, Englewood Cliffs 2 and a half, Hawworth two and a half, Closter three, Harrington Park two and a half stories, Westwood three stories, Emerson three, Oridel two and a half and New Milford
three stories. All historic towns with rich histories and small town atmospheres and none of which have a height limitation above four stories. What makes Tennifly different from these quaint charming communities? Why would Tennifly's elected officials
want to change the character of the town to make it more citified rather than upholding a shared zoning mindset with the other northern valley towns in its district? Why should Tennifi become the guinea pig for the experiment? putting a sprawling six-story complex with an
elevated outdoor swimming pool, a supermarket and banquet space for 500, a project that is too big and tall for that neighborhood and belongs in a city on a piece of property that abuts single family homes and that will change the character of the town and of Bergen
County forever. The developers are seeking a change of height to six stories from the current zoning approval of four, but there are no special circumstances here for such a change. At the last meeting about the Clinton in project on March 30th, the developers request for this increase to
six stories attempted to be justified, excuse me, by claiming it was necessary for the project's profit. Respectfully, that's not Tenniflyy's problem. And the desire for more profit is not a hardship, which should change
the zone from four stories to six. Knowing that the area is zoned for four stories, yet designing the project for six stories is a self-created hardship by the developer. Therefore, the Clinton Inn redevelopment should be redesigned to fit the existing four-story zoning
guidelines. And why And why did the developers design the project at six stories when they please indulge me for one one more moment when they knew it was only zoned for four? Did they know something the rest of us didn't know? Did they consider it a foregone conclusion that Tennifly's
council would approve unchallenged their redevelopment plan to increase the height of their structure by 50%. In addition, Tenniflyy's local officials history of cowering to developers threats of economic unviability if their demands for variances aren't met needs
to come to an end. There is >> we need to wrap it up. >> There is a mechanism to go after those who don't pay their taxes on property. So Tenniflies leaders should not be bullied into accepting bad deals for its citizens by rubber stamping whatever finds its way onto their desks. A
perfect example of this is the former Charlie Brown's restaurant, also known as the Valley Hotel, years ago where Susan Banthony and Elizabeth Katy Stanton, whose home I grew up in, tried to vote before it was legal for women and were arrested. Unfortunately, that location was never preserved and so was
demolished when a child care chain came to the powers that be and basically uh Tannify'sly leaders bowed to pressure from the daycare chain bestowing six variances on the project. That's six variances which eventually saw the Valley Hotel aka Charlie Brown's
demolished. I'm almost up. Sorry. There were so many hopes for that historic space, bringing out so many to keep that beautiful Victorian building standing, including the great great granddaughter of Elizabeth Katie Stanton, as well as my late mother Joy. But it fell on deaf
ears because Tanniflies leaders ran scared and gave into the developers demands. What sits there now has no charm, no history. It's a new building that's come back. Other people have their opportunity, too. Okay, I'll give you my last paragraph. Go ahead. Okay. Sorry.
Some might ask why this matters to me as my neighborhood in Tennifly isn't near the Clinton Inn. Here is my background. My family moved to Tennifly when I was a young girl. I attended mom's school, Tennifly Middle and graduated from Tennifly High School. During elementary school, my parents bought the Elizabeth
Katie Stampton house on Highwood Avenue and finding it in disrepair. Spent a full year renovating it back to its original form before we could move in. eventually applying for and receiving placement, as Carol mentioned, on the National Historic Registry as a National Historic Landmark with a special
ceremony and a bronze plaque which was placed on the outside of the home for all to see. My parents instilled in me the importance of history and being true to the historic periods of structure and the character of the surrounding community. >> Okay, sorry.
The Clinton Inns neighbors on Dean Drive, Franklin, and George Street should not have to endure a monstrosity in their midst. I'm here advocating for them as well as for all of Tennify's residents. They bought and moved to Tennifly for its charm and quiet way of life. If they had wanted to move to a city with sixtory towering structures and elevated outside swimming pools,
they would have done so. The extra two stories from four to six that are being proposed, a 50% height increase clashes with the single family neighborhood. >> Okay, Nina, we got to come on other people. very much want to thank the mayor and council for in the last couple of years when in my own backyard in
Tennifi the city of Englewood um where my property is adjacent to tried to um some developers tried to erect a huge apartment building there the mayor and council came to my family's defense and I want to thank them very much for doing that and all I wanted to say is that I hope very much that they will also
defend the citizens in this town for in the same way and I just want to close with this one thoughtful quote if you will indulge Sorry. >> Come on, Nina. It's other people's turn. Let's go. >> And desirable, but destruction of community character is not. The question
is not whether your part of the world is going to change. The question is how. >> Next person. >> Who wants to speak next from this side over here? Anyone? No. Over on this side. Anyone come on up to the microphone?
Hi, my name is Ha Santosh and I have two questions. One is factbased and one is what happened here in town when spring cafe was running. Um, one question is this is a this is a study done by uh one of the top three design companies and
they say that urban hotel design company um urban hotels normally are um not not they don't um sorry let me come back in cities where hotels genuinely
energize downtown they are usually plugged into the existing web of offices entertainment transit and dense retail outlets. We don't have any of that in our downtown. We are talking about vibrancy in our downtown. But the that should be
other way around. The vi the vibrant downtown brings the successful hotels and this is not my study is done by one of the top three design companies in the in the country. And the second question is about uh traffic. Um the hotel will
have convention center and the convention center will have guest and those guest will use the valley services. When spring cafe was running this the valley service which was deployed there they used to park on
Cameroon road. I have a very good friend living there. We went around and complained about it but they didn't say anything. They were unapologetic about those valet services, valet cars being parked there. So what is going to happen with current situation? Where
will the overflow of traffic or the cars will be parked? That's it. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Anyone else who hasn't spoken for the first time would like to speak? Come up.
Sharma, resident of Tennifly. I'm here to say that I am not against development at all, but like many people have said, this is an overwhelming development for our downtown. Absolutely, we need to change what's
happening at the Clinton Inn. It needs to be redeveloped. It needs to be modernized. We need we need the apartments there. We need to do whatever we have to do to make that a livable, usable space. But what is being proposed
is twice of what is permitted, 50% more than what is permitted. And I don't see the reasoning behind it. And the hotel, I am extremely concerned about the hotel because can can our town
actually support a 200 room hotel in the long term? It's great when you're thinking, oh, there's going to be a convention. It'll be used in those days, but in the long term, day after day, are the rooms all going to be occupied? Is the occupancy going to support
keeping the hotel in place? And then somebody raised a really good question that sometimes midstream these things can change once they realize that market conditions are not the same. And that worries me even more that somewhere along the line they will realize that the hotel is not going to be feasible
anymore. Let's change it back to apartments. These are large considerations. I I know mayor that and council that you have said this has been going on for 6 years but the residents have not been in tune with it for 6 years. Most of us have started hearing
more and more in the last few months. So I don't know why we have to rush into it until everybody's affairs I mean majority of affairs are allayed because this is going to create a big big change in our town visa v traffic visa v
children visav services everything and again I welcome the change I welcome that area being developed it needs to be developed I know there's a lot of other apartments going up nobody's against that nobody wants the a static now but
at the same time let's keep this in mind we don't need to rush into it tonight tomorrow and also we need to feel we we need to make this feel as part of our town and not something brought in and plonked over there it should meld with
the rest of the town thank you I think changes are Good. Uh, one of the things I'm going to ask I'm I'm very the council in the last couple of years have done a great job fixing the downtown,
but there is one more thing that we need. What about open more liquor license? So, restaurants such as we're going to open a hotel. They're probably going to be a good
restaurant there. uh how can defoil and the mayor can work with the state of New Jersey to open up those liquor license so our downtown will come back. I think that's extremely important
for any business in New York in New York State. Anybody can have a legal license as long as you have a clean record and I believe that if we open liquor license in Tennifly, Tennifly will come back.
Thank you. >> Yes. Yeah, good. >> Hi. Uh, Norman Dorf here. I've been a uh involved with Tennifly for my entire life. Uh, >> okay. Hi, Norman Dorf here.
>> I've been in Tenn. I've been involved uh in Tennifly my entire life. I grew up here. Uh, my family's been in the town for about 130 years. I've owned a continuous operating business for 94 years. Um, I
want to uh I want to thank the the mayor and the council for do for allowing something like this to be brought to the town. I think that you know when you walk around this for the the amount of
people that are what are there 16,000 people in town and how many people is this going to bring? I think percentage-wise it's not very big. I think there's a lot of hysteria and understandably because people are scared about taxes. I'm scared about taxes. I still I own quite a bit of property in
the town and the taxes scare me a lot. But when you look around the town, is it what you think it should be for the jewel of demographic that the town is? I don't think it is. I don't think it's got it, you know, and the way you get better at things is, you know, you build
as you build things, they become better. And as you build things, you know, people people will come. So, I think it's a great project. Who knows what we'll get in the future? I think it, you know, it's not like what the count council and mayor want. It's, you know,
what is economically can somebody do? And the only reason there's a money interest in it, which again, I don't have any financial interest, but there's a money interest, and if people can't make money, they're not going to do it. So, you know, sometimes be careful what you wish for. Um, regarding, you know, if this doesn't happen, who knows what
we're going to get. So, to me, I think that this would be a great thing for the town. I think it would it's not going to change the town that much because there's a lot of other change that needs to happen, but I do think it's a step in the right direction and I think the town absolutely needs it. Thank you.
AIT tibly. Of course, Tennly. Um, so I'm just trying to um, you know, I was here last time and I'm here again. I'm just trying to think of, uh, you know, some of the things people said in the community, um, about, um, you know, having a vibrant downtown, having a
hotel for kids to go, kids to hang out. I mean, first and foremost, I'm not sure the hotel is going to keep its doors open for kids to come and hang out. Secondly, if there are a lot of people in this room or in the community who want our town to be like Closter, the
last I heard, Closter has several listings open to go and stay. They're happy to buy a house there. I don't think keeping a Starbucks in Closter or, you know, restaurants in Closter or opening a hotel in closer has picked up the real estate in closer, right? The
real estate inlo in Tennerfly remains tight, remains high, remains prestigious for a school system, for the peace and quiet that the town has. So if people want the noise, they can go to Manhattan, they can go to Florida, they can go to Miami, they can go to Bora
Bora, but we don't need this humongous monster because they ruin the character of the town. We really don't. And since the council is going to comment or make a comment on all the questions people have, I would request the council to
think about since this is such a I mean such an emotional issue for the town. But again, I have no financial interest with any developer here, with any of the individuals here, but I do have financial interest in the town. I do have interest in the future of my children and in my future if I'm going
to stay here for another 20, 30, 40 years. You know what this place will do for us is very emotionally tied to the people. Why not put this to a vote on the ballot? Why not? Is this something we can do? Is this something that time can
do for the community? If you really think that you are doing right by the town, put it to a vote. We'll all accept it just like we accepted the referendum for the schools. No problem at all. Hello everybody. Joe Halajan. I've only lived here for 13 years, so I'm kind of
new. But uh I just want to approach this in the most simple way, and that is looking at the pictures, considering what the actual heights are. Um, if I uh assuming that the other buildings in the area are not going to change at the same
time and you're going to have this new structure at the intersection, if I walk through there and I look on one side and I see a building that should be expected in an urban area and I look everywhere else in
the entire area and I see single family homes, small businesses, the I think the other biggest building is the church across the street, right? And correct me if I'm wrong, this is about twice as tall as the church. Is that correct? Twice? >> No, I don't think so. >> No.
>> No. The steeple? No. >> No. Okay. Not the spire, but the structure. So, that's part one. This it seems like something was completely out of place in this community just from the visual physical uh aspect of it. The other
thing is what seems obvious to me and no one else has mentioned this is that if you put this one here well what's the stop the next one the next development will have you'll you'll have to approve it if you approve this
>> wherever where thank you wherever in town that may be and I can't predict but it surely will be because we know the pressures the economic pressures of any place that is this proximate to New York City. So
totally in my opinion out of scale and I can't see how you it would stop the entire town from being changed to this sort of enormous development. So forget what Tannerly is now. It would be completely different and that's the
choice that you're making. Very very straightforward. Thank you. >> Thanks. >> Hi. Uh, my name is Jade Oliver. I am eight months at Intennifly. So, I must be the youngest one here, right? I moved
here from Atoria, Queens because I wanted a a slower pace of life. And I was sick of seeing Queens destroyed by big corporate developers. They keep building higher and higher and higher.
And I wanted to come to a place that was beautiful. It's beautiful here. and it's small and I appreciate that and I don't want to live in New York. If I wanted to live in New York, I would move back to
New York. This is not New York. It can apply or or one of the bigger there are so many bigger places in Jersey. Like, and also, who is renting a hotel here? like I'm new here and everything, but
200 rooms, come on. That is not necessary. I I live I live in Mar the Marro, which I love. Um, and it's a beautiful little community, and it's so nice, and I love
the people here in Tennifly. It's nice to be able to go out and say hi to your neighbors. That's not something that we're going to get when you build 900. What is it? What is it? 90 95 new residences. Okay.
And what is that going to do to the flooding? I can't even tell you how much flooding we already have, y'all. Come on. So, like what I just worry that the that the uh the uh structure of our I
guess the word is our support system for this this city is not enough. infrastructure. >> The infrastructure, thank you, is not enough to support this many new people all at once. And I just feel like, you know, y'all, come on.
This is silly. But I do think it's a really pretty building, I will say. But but I also count floors and that's one, two, three, four, five. That's a lot of floors. if we could do like half that. I
think that's and that's what I wasn't even I just honestly I wasn't even going to come here tonight. I was watching it at home. My boyfriend's here. I was watching it at home and just got all riled up. So, I drove my car here to come and talk. But if we could just like
half of that would be great. You know, having a meeting place for people and stuff. I think that's it's a wonderful idea. I just think it's way too big for our infrastructure. Thank you. Um Max Bos um first of all uh just uh it's going to take about 3 minutes and
40 seconds. So I mean 40 seconds extra. Um first of all I want to just go through a small history. What this place is basically zoned right now is 75 apartments, four stories and that includes the hotel all that zone. Uh what we have right now is uh 95
apartments plus 200 units for the hotel all together 295. Thank you. Thank you. Okay. So um there is no other hotel or structure uh north of uh Fort Lee over here. Even in uh uh
uh Angu cliffs when they build the LG building $40 billion corporation they kept it at four stories the council over there stood up for whatever the zoning is. I applaud that. I applaud that. Now
the terrified people don't have to bail out developers because it doesn't make sense for them to build a smaller building. That's their business. They want to build. It's up to them. But what I want to do, everybody said over here, oh, the majority likes it. The majority
doesn't like it. Maybe yes, maybe no. So what I'm introducing right now is a request, a formal request for a townwide referendum on this building. Here is uh the statement of
>> Give it to the clerk, Max. >> Uh >> give it to the clerk. I said give it to the clerk, please. is uh this is just the first page which is a statement of purpose. We the unders under undersigned residents of the
boriply New Jersey hereby petition the municipal government body to submit a biding referendum to the voters. The proposed resolution will amend local zoning laws to strictly limit the height of all new construction within the burrow to a maximum four stories. We
request the question to be included in the ballot for the upcoming municipal elections. Now, if you trust that tenifi is on your side, you will approve that referendum because that's the only way
to know what tenifi really thinks. If you want to stick something to tennifly, you're going to vote tonight and say, "This is my opinion. I don't care what the people think." I hope that you really want to know what Tenny really
thinks. I hope you don't want to uh look at the people of Tennifly and say, "Hey, forget it. They don't know what they're doing." I hope that you will represent the people of Tennifly and they will approve to have a binding referendum. The referendum that we are requesting
requests 357 signatures which is 10% of the actual voting people in the last general elections 3576 or so. Okay. And if we want to introduce a new ordinance which I am introducing right now it will require 10% of the
people that voted to basically have the signatures. We will raise the signatures if you do not want the people in Tennifly to really tell you what they think. I really hope that you work with us and put this on the referendum not to
yes or double sync or trying to basically stick one to the people in Tennifly right now. Uh Omar, I have here the uh statement of budget. I have the ordinance that will go
>> deadline for April 1 after it's been >> the study basically is which basically show that this ordinance complies with the uh master planning board of teni I didn't make this copy
for everybody because I didn't want to cut uh so many trees so my request for you today is to not to vote on this resolution and to give pen
a chance to say really what they think about this project and allow us to really have a democratic solutions for what is happening in tenn of life. Thank you. >> You want to speak sir?
Uh, I wasn't going to say anything. This is my first time at a council meeting in Tennifly. I've lived here for I was born and raised here, lived here for the first 22 years of my life. And uh, my wife is now pregnant and I moved back to this town to kind of give my future
child the life that I had in Tennifly. And this does not look like what I grew up with. I live on George Street. Be able to see this building from George Street. And I just think it's it's it's too much. It's a small quaint town and
that was the allure of bringing me back. And this seems to be more of a city feel. I would have moved to Hackinack or Fort Lee or plenty of places that have highrises and things like that. Um the beautiful building for Miami or New York like he said, but I I just don't think
it's Tennifly. Excuse Will from George Street. All right. Is there anyone who hasn't spoken for the first time that would like to speak because we're going to go to Zoom next online? Yeah, >> we're g right. We're going online now.
So, Omar, could you pick people online or >> Yes. So, Eugene, Mark Antonio like to speak? >> Yes. Hi. Hi, Mark. Um, how you doing? >> So, I was for many years on the planning board. I actually was on the planning board and sewing the pictures of the Clinton in basement which are a horror
show and I was involved in the initial redevelopment um aspects. So Joe Burgess made this plan but Joe Burgess also wrote the last version of the master plan in this town and I just want to read you a quote from the ma from Joe
Burges's uh master plan aspect in uh 2023 which is that the fully developed character of the burrow necessitates a planning response which focuses on maintaining the established character of the community. I'll just stop at that point. So I know that in order Mark you
said they was consistent with the master plan. You've forgotten your planning board lessons. The lawyers never let you say that. You say it's not inconsistent. >> Inconsistent with the master plan the the two double negatives. Yes. >> However, I would argue that this is
inconsistent with the master plan and the planning board did not do its job and that Joe Burgess of course who wrote the plan and who wrote this plan is of course going to say it's consistent with the master inconsist not inconsistent with the master plan. But I think it
does change the character. Now Clinton in is a horror show. I would agree. You need to redevelop this space and I do think you need to have this redevelopment plan and you need the housing units for the affordable housing and this place is in the overlay zone
that we created a number of years ago in order to avoid developments developer suits from fair share housing which is actually a developers agency by the way. Um, the second thing I want to tell you is that there can be by state law planning decisions cannot be made by
boards involving the school discussions which was rampant tonight and is a bad idea. It's a bad idea that it's in the minutes even. I would just say, but what I argue is I'm not against the development, but I do believe that this is too big a building. And I do believe
that if you really had to use this kind of building that you need to get more units so that you can avoid being handcuffed by affordable housing in the future. So that's my problem. My problem is I think that that it's fine to
redevelop this area. You need it and you need the units. says, "Mary Beth has told me, you definitely need the h the affordable housing units." I get that from a planning perspective. You don't want some developer suits coming in and tearing down the convent or the or the um the the the the the priest's home
there in by Smith School. You don't want any of that to happen. But what I would say is this this unit, this is too big a plan. And I don't like the underground parking either. I'm worried about that as well. But nonetheless, it's too big a plan. That's that's all I have to say
about it. >> Okay. Thanks, Jean. >> Ask Eugene back a question. >> Ask who? >> Eugene back a question. >> Go ahead. Ask one question if you want. >> All right. All right. Uh, who's next? Omar.
>> Arlene Yak Yakawitz has her hand raised. >> Arlene, you're online. >> Yes, I'm here. Thank you. Uh, my name is Arlene Yascowitz. I've lived in Tennifly for uh 12 years. Um I'll keep it really short. Uh I do want to thank um the
mayor and the council for all of the work that you've done over the years. I'm very proud to live here and appreciate everything. Um I think a lot of the decisions have been amazing. Um I just did want to state that I am in
favor of the redevelopment but against the scale of the project. um the aesthetics uh in including the height and I do have a lot of reservations about the effect it will have on our
community, the traffic and basically the character and the small town feel of the town that I've grown to love. So that's my um that's all I have to say. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Omar >> Lorraine Ferguson like to speak.
>> Hello. Can Can you hear me? >> Yes, Lorraine, we can hear you. >> Okay. For many years, Tennifly has had an ordinance prohibiting the construction of buildings over four stories high. There were good reasons for that ordinance, and it has served
Tennifly well, preserving the small town atmosphere that Tennifly is known for, and for which its residents are grateful. At present, the council is considering whether to allow a building of five or six depending on if you
consider the garage uh six stories to be constructed on the site of the present Clinton Inn. This action would require either a change to or a waiver of the present ordinance. Such a change or waiver would be a mistake. The proposed
construction would bring more traffic and more congestion into the heart of Tennifly near Dean Drive and Clinton Avenue. Tennifly's central area does not need more traffic and more congestion. Homeowners in the vicinity of the
present Clinton Inn would find the area near their homes busier and their yards less private. Not only would the height of this construction be problematic in itself, but it would establish a precedent. If this project goes through,
on what basis could other high buildings be rejected? Thus, the decision you are asked to make regarding this project should be considered as to whether or not we're making an irrevocable change to
Tennifly. We are at a crossroads now. And if the wrong decision is made, we may look back someday and regret it. Now, I've heard what people have said, and I agree that the proposed project has some good features, and I'm all for
affordable housing, but in its present form, the height of the proposed construction is clearly problematic. opinion on it seems to be very divided and and I agree with another speaker
made the same point. Max did. Um I would ask the council to consider submitting this question to a townwide referendum. I I hope this will be done because I think that would be fair to the town and
it would make the decision I think more just really whatever whichever way it goes. Thank you. Thank you, Lorraine. >> Who's next? Omar >> Ignasio has their hands raised.
>> Yep. Hi. >> Go ahead. >> So, uh, Bergen County resident for 25 years and I wasn't planning to speak, but someone mentioned, uh, a developer that had interest in Miami, and I just lived in Miami for 10 years and came
back to this area. I want to just say I don't know how many people on this in this room there tonight have lived and commuting 45 minutes across two miles but that sounds like something that you may not want to have. And honestly
development is a good thing. Development in the community like Tennify where I go to have business meetings. I've gone to the spring house many times when it was open and I want it to be a better place. I think this is idea is just not going to be profitable for everyone. It's going to ruin the town in ways that are not going to be a change because it's a once in a generation redevelopment. If
anyone remembers the Bergen Mall before it became Town Center, that's what I think will happen when things don't turn out the way we want them to. And I think it's important to consider that there's ways of making the town more vibrant that will bring business in that requires a little more strength on the
council. The partners that you have seem to be good people. They seem to be willing to do things there. They want to do the right thing by the town. It sounds like some of them live there. But you got to have some more backbone in what you need to do to make sure that it's the right answer for the sound because you're not going to be able to redevelop this property more than once in the
generation. That's it. Thanks. >> Y Thank you. >> See no other hands. Mayor, >> no more hands. >> Okay. Is there anybody else who would like to speak in here? There's no more hands. We're going to close public comment on Zoom. Anyone else want to
speak? Go ahead. Three minutes >> and you'll be the last speaker. >> Sha, I I just wanted to respond. I feel bad that Mr. Kger isn't in the room. Just spoke to me and I want to to respond. Um,
you know, I think it's important to ask that question of why. Again, yes, he he clarified the number of developers who have bid on this plot, but I want to point out he didn't challenge the other part of the argument about how our taxes
are calculated. Ask the question of why. It's a solid argument. It is how the taxes are calculated. It gives you a window into the potential implications. And so that's the argument in terms of taxation. This part I did
not see coming where Max introduced a call for representation. But it's an interesting juosition because if you're following the argument, if you listen to what we're arguing in tandem, we might end up in a situation
where we get taxation without representation. And look, I'm not going to give a history of, but I didn't expect this and it's an interesting way in which all this plays out. Uh, I won't take any more time. >> Thank you. Okay,
>> if there's no one else who wants to speak, last chance. We're going to close public. Come on up. Come on up, sir. >> Very last minute commentary. Uh, my name is Jesse. I live over here. Um, I am a marketer by trade. I don't
know anything about zoning ordinances. I don't know anything about flooding. I don't know anything about uh traffic studies or anything like that. Uh, what I do know about is brand identity. What is Tenniflyy's brand identity? If you were to get a postcard, we know
what a postcard is, right? uh that says, "Greetings from Tennifly." What's on that postcard? What do you see on it? Do you see the Roosevelt Common? Do you see the historic train station? Do you see the movie The Never mind, not
the movie theater. Uh yeah, think about what you see on it because if this is approved, it will be welcome to Tennifly. This is Tennifly's brand identity. This is Tennifly. It's the largest structure in town and it will define the town for the next 50 years or
however long it stands for. I love the concept. I think a lot of people love the concept of this. Um, a lot of people don't love the scale of the concept. Um, I think it's a wonderful idea. Everybody agrees that the Clinton in is awful. Yes, we can all agree on that. Like we
don't need to talk anymore about it. We can all joke forever about how bad it is. It needs to change. Um but to this scale I don't think is I don't think it's the right answer. Thank you. Uh just quick question now that Max has uh uh introduced and requested the
referend provided statement of purpose what is the procedure going forward now please? >> Uh respectfully I don't think it's allowed but I was not prepared for it. So I don't have the statute to say where it is not allowed. So you know that's something that I'd have to report back on. But I do not believe that a
referendum is allowed once the site has already been designated. >> Go ahead. >> That's all. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Thank you. Anybody else have a Anyone else have a final uh We're going to call here. Okay. We're going to close public. >> That makes whether there's a vote or
not, right? >> We're going to have a vote this evening. We'll see. That's all that he's entitled to his opinion. It's up to the council to He's gentleman's entitled to his opinion and the council to decide what they want to do tonight. >> Yeah. Go ahead, Lauren.
>> Okay. We're not taking legal questions from you, Max. I'm sorry. Go ahead, Lauren. You want to make a public comment, you can make a public comment, but we're not taking legal advice from you. >> You can apply the number of signatures
required for reference depends on the type of measure being proposed. Uh the one I'm talking about initiative to propose a new ordinance, which is the one I proposed, requires signatures equal to 10% of the total votes cast in the municipality in the last general
election. Thank you. >> Thank you. Okay, Laura, we close public comment time. Lauren, you have a question. >> Yeah, bring up David Novak. >> David, come on up. >> Um, first of all, before I start with you, David, I hope you don't mind. I
just want to say thank you to the public for being out here tonight. Thank you for asking good questions and sharing your opinions, those on Zoom as well. Um, and I just want to correct something. If we as a council still have questions, we can decide when we call a
vote. Just saying. Um, I just want to also say, you know, >> we are in a situation where the town does not own this piece of property. We have declared it an area need because all six of us and the mayor have said we
want change there. We are facing a situation where there's an expensive land purchase. you know this company cure has actually said we will put our money on the line and spend the money to purchase this property and develop it for the town. Um the town is not buying
this piece of property so keep that in mind. They are also facing an overlay that requires this hotel to be operable and open first. It needs a certificate of occupancy before any apartments could be built. Those are the parameters in
which all six of us are working and this developer is agreeing to come on board to try to make happen. So I just want to say that um I'm going to turn to David. So everyone, this is David Burgess. >> Before you do, I'm sorry. Um I just wanted to answer the other question because David actually helped me out
with the the citation. So under the local housing redevelopment law, you cannot put it to referendum. No ordinance or resolution would be adopted by referendum. So David actually wrote our redevelopment plan. That is what we are.
No >> debate. >> No, >> we are under the local housing redevelopment law. The site has already been designated years ago before this. Anybody on this council was sitting as a council member. I think you were might have I don't I don't actually I don't think >> you may have been. Yes, you were on
council. Once it's designated as an area, excuse me. Once it is designated as an area need of redevelopment, the redevelopment plan ordinance is prohibited to be put out to referendum by state law under the redevelopment law. It is separate from anything else
you're talking about, Max. This is specifically for sites that have been designated as an area need of redevelopment, which this site was when you were on council. >> Sorry, Lauren. I said that. >> That's fine. That's fine. So, again, the question before us here is we want to
have change. What does that change look like? Which is why it's a zoning question. And so the questions I'm going to start with are setbacks. That's the distance from this property to surrounding properties and the roads. So David, David and I also sit on planning board and got to discuss this.
>> See you tomorrow night as well. >> Yes. Um, so I wanted to talk about front yard setbacks here. And my question for you is we have right now a setback that is very close to Dean Drive, which we know has some storm water flooding issues. Um and the intention of course
is to put in the new storm water um ordinances onto this property which are very strict. Um we have a situation where the building is going to be digging down for two layers of underground parking. So we only have a 12oot setback between the front of this
property and the road. My question is can we all of the other multifamily housing that has been approved in Tennifly has a 35 foot setback that is in the MF zone. We are looking at a B2 zone for the hotel that can we can
decide the setback there that can be 12 feet. My question is can we split the zoning or the setbacks so that the hotel is 12 feet but the residential is set further back from the road so that the congestion or the
perception of height is not as dense to the surrounding neighbors. So can you split that? >> Theoretically yes. So >> this is a redevelopment plan. So essentially you get to craft the zoning for the site specifically. And we talked about the need for underground irre
irrigation systems and drainage systems which given the underground parking are going to be in that first frontal setback a good portion of them. So is 12 ft sufficient or should we be looking to give a little bit more leeway in a setback so that we ensure storm water is
captured on the property? >> When it gets the question to storm water, what I would do is defer to the burough's engineering consultant. I think they're here tonight. Um they would be much more versed than me. I know that water goes downhill mostly and that's about it.
>> Okay. But in terms of setback, we as a council can say, you know, the hotel can have this set back which is 50 ft from East Clinton, 12 feet from Dean, and there's a 40 foot setback in the back. We can then ask that the building shift the f set back for the apartment living
a little further from the street to give it a little bit more green space, landscaping, um areas for storm water. >> Yes. If as an example too in the last redevelopment plan that we prepared for the site, there's actually two different heights that were established. One for the hotel and another height for the assisted living. So that would be an
option. Yes. >> Okay. And again, we have six stories which technically is 72 feet at 12 feet story and we >> put 75. Why the three extra feet? >> I believe that was to account for some of the first floor amenity space.
Generally, I think you're going to have a higher floor to ceiling height there. Okay. Okay. >> Which would then push up the rest of the height. >> And is it possible that uh again as the council looks and considers what we need here um to get a different height for
you know the pool level, the hotel level, the um apartment living levels? >> Yes, you can establish different heights for those. >> Um I also want to ask you about the affordable housing. I know you and I sit on affordable housing. >> Yes. Um, our settlement with fair share
housing at this time has promised 20 units. >> That's correct. >> We on the affordable housing, uh, this is so important to our town, everybody. On affordable housing, we have an obligation to provide above that. Um, would it make sense to try to get additional affordable housing in this
project? >> So, technically, the settlement agreement establishes that we're going to allow for a maximum of 20 affordable units there. the pressure is off a little bit. Not as much as we would always like because we will be zoning for up to 100 units. It's just that
they're going to be only building 95. So that's going to leave us potentially a little bit short. If we can get another affordable unit, that'd be great. But typically that would require us to then do 100 units there. So we would have to increase the number of market rate units there. >> But in an area of need, I can ask for 20 units. This council can decide 20 units
are necessary. >> Theoretically, yes. Yes. >> Okay. Anyone else have questions? >> Any other questions, Lawrence? >> Uh, no. I I mean, I would like to see more landscaping. I know we discussed this where we I get the ability to go in the site review. >> In the site review for everyone to
understand the planning board, all of these questions will be fleshed out with with our professionals. But as this council decides the zoning and the setbacks, which is what we're doing here today, I wanted to you guys to understand we have flexibility there.
Okay, hold on. The council is asking questions among professionals here. >> What's the question? Howie? >> No, it's no, >> right? The six above two is from the the ground level. It's not from underneath.
you know that your basement in your house unless it's above ground partially the part underneath does not get counted towards the total height. >> That's how the portal code is. >> I wouldn't call it free. It's really expensive to construct but >> but it's underground so it doesn't count
against the overall height of the building. >> Okay. >> Any go ahead >> my overlay. So, um, we are able to create different, uh, zones for a business versus a hotel, a multif family versus a B2 business district zone. Um,
do you recommend, um, making one overlay zone or would it make more sense given the multif family density to have a multif family zone? >> I would keep everything as one overlay zone. You can in a redevelopment plan always dictate what uses can potentially
go where. Uh, but I always find it easier just to keep it as one overlay zone. That way if you're amending something you're amending the entirety of the project as opposed to different components which then can get lost in the shuffle. >> It was also I I just want to weigh in on that. The reason why it was also originally when it was assisted living a hotel done as one zone was to ensure
that the hotel got renovated before the assisted living could open. >> Right. But within the one zone you could still change setbacks as needed for different aspects of it. >> Yes. >> And would you because it's um the 95 units would you then zone it as multif family?
>> A sec. Can you repeat that question? >> That's okay. Please silence phones. Would you would your overlay zone then be a more appropriate as the multif family, the MF? >> Um, you would have to change the underlying zoning district there. Uh, this is still going to preserve the B2 district, >> right?
>> So, I think >> it's an overlay now. >> It It is an overlay now. We're changing that overlay zone. So, I would recommend keeping it as an overlay zone as opposed to eliminating the underlying zoning district. Um, one thing that the underlying zoning district does is still allow you to develop it, pardon me, uh,
pursuant to the underlying rights of that B2 district. So, hypothetically, say this site does not go forward with a redevelopment. Um, say there's a crash in the market next week. That underlying zoning would remain in effect and you would still have some viability there.
>> Okay. Thank you. And >> I'll see you tomorrow. >> Yeah, that's right. Anyone else for >> anyone else have questions? Go ahead, Julie. Um, so regarding the planning board, uh, we started the evening with a person who
brought up the Nickerbacher Country Club is going to come in front of the planning board tomorrow with a request for 192 trees to be removed. I have concerns about our planning board
and what they approve. Uh because I'm not sure if the vision of the town that that I live in is uh consistent with what the planning board seems to always be approving, whether it's the massive tree
removals or the massive amount of uh apartments being developed, height, space, all those things. So my question on this particular project is is very uh simple because this project borders two
county roads. Is the process going to be that it also h goes to the county planning board and the county officials for their feedback? >> I would imagine it would have to get some sort of county approval. Yes. So
typically if a planning board approves an application, it's usually approved based on a set of conditions, right? Sometimes that condition can be touching up landscaping. Sometimes that condition could be making sure all taxes are paid or escrow is paid. One of those other conditions is usually any and all
outside approval. So if there's an application in front of the planning board for a site plan and it requires a and all outside approvals, that could be the county, that could be the state DOT, which is Department of Transportation if it's a state road. Uh it could be the New Jersey Department of Environmental
Protection, bunch of different state agencies who typically get involved. So that would be uh generally treated as a condition of approval. >> Okay. So, go ahead. I'm wondering perhaps uh if we bring John Jo, we shouldn't bring John Gar up, our traffic uh expert.
John, >> yeah, of course you can. John, why don't you come up, please? Go ahead, Lauren. Ask your follow. >> I'm still on setback. So, while the building will be 50 feet on the East Clinton side, the parking lot setback is actually at zero. >> Yes. >> So, would you recommend a a landscape
buffer there? >> I believe that landscape buffer is going to be provided in a rightway. Um right now the parking goes right up to that property line. >> Yeah. >> Um this redevelopment plan would essentially keep that but require some additional landscaping improvements where they currently are. Just needs to be replaced.
>> I mean there's not much landscaping there to separate it out from neighboring properties. So we have zero uh foot setback from East Clinton and zero foot setback on the east on the westerly trail. And you know again I'm inc I'm looking to increase the landscape and the irrigation here.
>> Yeah. I actually would like to see maybe a little bit more of a setback in and around the parking. Um, is that something that's doable and still achieving the parking? Like how >> I guess you'd have to take a look of how much setback there is.
>> Well, that westerly setback along the uh the >> it's kind of it's a little difficult to do in the abstract. I mean, I'm just speaking developer, right? >> But again, understanding when we pass the zone tonight, we're creating the setback. So I'm just trying to see for
discussion >> with building circulation. It might be tough to increase that setback along there. I think the opportunity you do have to provide more green space is uh the state includes or requires an EVSSE which is electric vehicle service
equipment ready. That's a fancy word for electric car charging for all applications in New Jersey site >> which would reduce the required number of parking spaces. That's across the board for any site plan. um they would have the opportunity to take advantage of that. In fact, they would probably
have to um you get a two for one bonus. So, they would be able to reduce the number of parking potentially and I would recommend it be along that property there to increase some additional green space and that's something I've already communicated to the redeveloper. >> Great idea. Thank you, Dave.
>> Sorry for losing my voice. I will hope to get it back tomorrow. >> David, don't go too far. John, why don't you bring the other microphone? Go ahead. Go ahead. Ask the question. >> Hey John, how you doing? We've seen a lot of each other recently. Um, >> too much. >> Yeah. Mind who John is the public?
>> Yeah. So, John Jar, uh, the burrow's traffic engineer from Bright View Engineering. Um, one of the things that I failed to bring up in my report, mayor, was that we had a very positive call with the IBank uh of New Jersey who uh has funding for us for our application for the transportation uh
>> um improvements that will upgrade and improve all the traffic lights in town. So, that is a very good positive. But, John, on this uh we've heard a lot about traffic tonight. I was wondering if you could sort of give us an indication uh since you designed the traffic light
that's at East Clinton and Dean whether the um proposed traffic from this project uh uh whether the area can handle the traffic from this project um and you know how the traffic light itself has improved it
and what you would do to study the um the intersections around the general area so that people aren't cutting crew. I I'd be happy to offer some opinion regarding this. So, obviously working here for a little while and and just the the one traffic light, East Clinton and
Dean, is really only a small part of what I'm doing, right? We all we started over a year ago and did an overall study and improved the signal timings at all the traffic lights right in the downtown corridor significantly improving the circulation in the town. So, again, we we wrote a report with many many steps.
We've only taken step one and step two. I believe there's seven steps left in our report. With regard to the specifics of this development, I I would like to say that that that will that the real detail um which I think most people are concerned about does get vetted at the next step of this where they would
actually, you know, finalize the development plan. Then it's going to come to the planning board. I'm assuming I'll have an opportunity to review at that point and there may be impacts from the development. I I honestly feel there won't be. I think that that by the time they get there, we're going to probably have gone significantly further with our
traffic infrastructure improvements. But with regard to specifically at East Clinton and Dean, we you know, we started at a level of service F um about two years ago. Today, the level of services C with additional latent capacity that we would love that that we
would love to fill. And I I honestly expect that even with the inclusionist development, we're probably going to still have level service C. And if we do the other infrastructure improvements, I hope to do even better than that. So drilling right down to this, I honestly feel that the traffic from this
development is really kind of a drop in the Tennifly bucket. Tennly does have a very big drop bucket. The tra the traffic at the intersection of East Clinton and Dean is about 2,000 trips in the peak hour. All right. The traffic generated by this project, just a
general ballpark number without getting into the degree, probably less than 300 trips in the worst peak hour. All right, that's maybe 7% of what's there. It's very nominal and we definitely have more than 7% latent capacity now with our improvements. So, you know, drilling in
on this project, I would like the opportunity to review it in more detail. I would like the opportunity. So, if there are other pressure points, I think there may be other places in the corridor nearby on Franklin or Dean that may need some additional analysis when they do get more detailed information to
us. If there's mitigation measures necessary, rest assured I will find a way to make sure that they get done. And if they're directly related to this project, then we're going to expect that the project's going to going to and I believe the redevelopment plan calls for that. As a matter of fact, we were able to offer some comment with the planner
and there is a significant section in the redevelopment plan that they're going to have to comply with when they do do their study. So, um I hope that that that helps to clarify some of the traffic. >> Thank you. >> Yes. Just understand when we did the planning board discussion of this
traffic, we actually added numerous intersections in and around where this Dean Drive project would be so that all traffic is studied from all directions, the commuter bus. Um, one of the questions I had for you is actually the entrance and exits from the hotel and
the the living onto Dean and if you had any opinions whether they should be shifted in any way. And again, we're going to go through that a little bit. >> Too early to say. I I need to I need to know what the final development plan is going to be and how much traffic's going to be generated. And then I can take
that traffic and analyze it based on how our signal works and the coordination we have in our system. And that will and we also probably Westminster and and Dean, Westminster and Franklin. You know, one of the things we want to be really careful and sensitive to is if we do backups at the intersection because there are from time to time, no matter
how good I do it, there's going to be peak times. All right. What's going to happen? Will people try to cut around Franklin? Will they cut down, you know, down Dean and over to Westminster? I mean, we're going to want to look at all those things and make sure we cover every one of those bases with this from a traffic standpoint. Rest assured, I'm going to look for every little fly in
the ointment. So, >> John, that those particular things will also be looked at at the county giving that it's, you know, Kirk cuts on the county road. Correct. >> Correct. This will require county planning board approval and uh the county will definitely be looking at that and they'll be looking very
carefully at the traffic study that that they do and any comments or any any uh information that we generate on the township's part as well. I think it is really important again this is this is the beginning right this is just starting >> right >> it is next when our police chief makes
an assessment our fire chief makes an assessment when the DPW makes assessment when our hired burrow engineers and traffic engineers make an assessment >> this is just the beginning of of the process I think >> so there's not a shuffle in the ground tomorrow >> no >> not even close it's a very important
point >> long way to go >> so John can I just ask so When you say 7% latent capacity, which is good, we have space. Um, are you keeping in mind all the other um >> Yes, I'm keeping I I I um that that is
what's coming from a great relationship that I'm forging with David. He's he's keeping me involved and keep me apprised of some things that ordinarily wouldn't get to my desk. So, he's been telling me about the other plan board applications. We would like to continue to be apprised of that. It's very important that I know what's happening there. Uh as I I only
am reviewing one application right now for the playing board. hopefully in the future more. Um, but we need to keep track of that and I I need to keep track of all those developments because they will affect our overall plan. If we're going to invest in the town, let's I'm going to make sure every penny of that money that gets invested here gets gets
a maximum benefit to our residents. >> Numbers again, these are all ratios, right? Everyone loves talking about numbers. We want to learn more. We want to hear more of them, right? 95, you know, new apartments over 5,000 in town. >> 5,000 >> 2 What is that? 2%.
>> Yeah. >> Right. We're talking about >> 300 people out of 15,500 is about >> 2%. >> 2%. >> And again, but again, we're just beginning. We're just hearing these numbers. Again, >> this is not the final vote.
>> This is the first of many, many more votes that that need to come before any of this comes to fruition. >> Very true. And and but it's the public's nature to worry about some of the detail. We're a long way to getting to the detail. And should a a giant bump in
the road come along the way, you're going to be in the position to do something about it before it happens, before the shovel's in the ground. >> Okay. >> Providing we do a good job. >> Any more questions or discussion amongst the council? >> I mean, I would like to ask some questions amongst us.
>> Go ahead, ask your questions. >> So, I mean, I'm asking these questions for professionals. I would like to change the setback for the apartments. Is anybody else interested? So, I was just uh reviewing just to let you know, it looks like it has minimum setbacks. There's always the opportunity to work
in more. The plan just has the minimums that must be met, >> right? But I'm looking to actually make a larger minimum because we are going to need green space. We're going to need storm water management. We're going to need things that are put in the ground there that can't go two feet down where the parking is.
>> But Lauren, if you do more setback, then you're going to increase height. >> Right. Because They're saying they need the building amount of uh units. So we have at that site plan you can create site plan we can do. So that's
>> there's 40 ft behind the building. So I was looking to shift something. >> That is something that can be done when during the planning board application. Yeah. Listen, >> I'm going to be very self-aware here. I am not qualified to render an opinion on setbacks visa v water or other. That's
just a statement of self-awareness. So I can't I'm not capable of making that decision and I think we have qualified people that work for the bureau that are qualified. So I defer to qualified people because I recognize in myself I lack that qualification. >> So in the past our professionals have
advised us for any multifamily building every one that we've done the heights the tenplay road um the on Grove Street the brick town houses everything they're all 35 ft across the board consistently 35 ft. they'll have the opportunity to make that same recommendation. Right.
And this is not a a we're closing the door and saying I'm not qualified to do that. So I'm not >> No, this is this is this is really planning board though. Not because we're just doing it on the fly if we do it here. >> We're picking a zone tonight, right? We're picking a B2 zone. We're picking a multif family zone. And there's
different setbacks. And what I'm asking is we have the ability to craft whatever amount of setbacks or zones >> and I'm asking will that come back to this body after the capable people who evaluated make a recommendation. >> They're going to take what we decide
today what zone we have and use those setbacks >> or they may make a modification. They may make a suggestion. >> They can but they're going to look at our guidelines first. >> First I think it's a reasonable thing. I'll just not call John >> Lauren. Let me ask our planner for some
help with this. I think I think we I think you have some people here could actually help you out with this. >> No, Dan. >> Isn't it almost customary though that during the planning board process that there are some adjustments to setbacks and because there's going to be changes with regard to drainage and whatnot. So
this is just a framework that's being presented tonight that should in fact the planning board in their process decide based on site conditions um topography other issues that we aren't aware of tonight more detailed things that if the building needs to be set
back 10 ft 20 ft 30 ft that it that more appropriately happen and it'll be vetted out in detail then and it may end up getting back further it you know I I think that that it that that detail of where that is, but recognizing a note
that you're going to be reviewing this. I probably will too, and it's something we'll want to say to plan that that, you know, council wanted to see the building further back so that the, you know, the height wasn't so obtruse. Um, that would be something we would share with them. And I think that would be the normal process though. Um um uh Warren, I think
that you're you're right, but I think that that right now it's a little too detailed for where we are with the development. Are there any more questions amongst the council members? Anything >> is that helpful? >> It it is, but again, I've seen that when
things leave this table, a lot of times they are adhered to. So, I'd rather work some things out here with our professionals. Um, and we have the ability to do that in an area of re redevelopment. So, >> we hear you loud and clear and we'll be certain that, you know, we make sure
that opinion gets voiced through at the next stage probably like a year from now. So, >> I'm hearing a lot of residents today voice concerns about the height and density. I'm hearing significant feedback, not in this meeting, the last meeting privately, you know, directly
reaching out to me. And so, what I'm trying to do is offer some sort of alleviation of some of that um perception of that height and density on that road. And we could handle that here today. We could push it off to another board. I'm just giving us that option.
>> Okay. Any more questions amongst the council? No. >> Changing the height by changing the step. >> I'm not open to it. I'm just really unsure. I'm totally open to it. >> Doesn't change the height. It >> does not change. >> So, okay. So, I just feel like I'm not
without a visual. >> It just doesn't move it right up to the edge of the street. It moves a little back. >> Okay. >> All right. Councilman, >> I'm you have another question? >> I do. >> Go ahead. >> Um, you know, you've heard our residents loud and clear. There's anyone interested in changing the 75 ft back to
60, which is actually six stories. 72 feet. >> Well, that's what we have a vote for. >> We do, but I'd like to discuss it first. >> Sure, but that's not the plan on the table. >> But that's my question as a council woman. >> Okay. Any of you want to change the height arbitrarily?
>> Just on a whim? >> I I voted, right? >> No, I'm sorry, but numerous residents have asked us to to discuss this. I'm listening to our residents. I'd like to discuss it. >> Will the project go forward if the height is changed? If that
>> I have not seen any financials. I don't know what what is financially or not. >> Understand that because that's >> if we as if we as a council say this is too dense. This is too high and we say this is what is being offered here is an area you know 5T that's our limit which
by the way other towns have done. you know, this is not unheard of in an area of need. When the council says, "I'm sorry, that's too big." You heard our master our planning board president, you know, say, "Look, I do think this is inconsistent with our master plan." I
mean, that was a very strong opinion to me, you know, for someone who has done this for many, many years to find consistency with the surrounding neighborhood and building. So, I'm asking >> as as the sole no vote the first time.
Okay. This this is the ordinance that's that is being presented. >> So you can take a yes or a no vote. >> That's that's simple. >> I have one more. >> Go ahead. >> On the affordable housing, I would not pass this without our settle what we
have promised in our settlement is 20 units. >> I believe the plan has the 20 units in there. >> Had 19. >> Does it have the 20 units or no? Unlike the full zoning, we've only asked
for 95 total apartments. So 20% of 95 was 19. >> And I didn't put in an actual number. >> 20% but in our current plan. >> Now we can >> So David, what was the deal with that? >> We can ask for 20 in the 95. We don't
have to increase the number of apartments. We can ask for our 20. >> I I'm sorry, but handedly my battery has died on my laptop so I can't >> I can help out a little bit. >> But you have the the I asked David that question. >> Yes. So uh that everything that
everybody said so far is correct. Uh the zoning lines for 100 was 20 uh% set aside. Right now 95 units closed. If you multiply 2 * 95 that equals 19 on the button. So that's what they would be. If you were to require 20 units with the 95
proposed total units, that would increase the set aside to about 21%. >> But now this is something that you can require in your negotiation of a redevelopment agreement. >> Yes. >> So you don't want the council to vote on that now, Wendy? >> Oh, I'm I'm going to push for the 20
regardless of what is in the plan. >> You know me. When I can get the units, I want the units. >> Absolutely. you know, it we want everything that's being built to give the maximum give back on your affordable housing obligation. Um, but we can we certainly intend to make sure that that
is a component of the redevelopment agreement >> and that would be something that we could incorporate into this redevelopment plan in one of two ways. Uh, we actually we'd probably do both. We would require a 21% set aside to generate 20 affordable
units. >> Okay. Thank you, David. If if Wendy and David are comfortable with that, I'm comfortable with that. >> Any more questions? >> I do. >> Go ahead, John. >> I'd like for I think this is very important that we understand exactly what it is we're voting on this year. As
Council President Michaels points out, there's, you know, a long road to go and a year before we have another conversation about other things. This is not a vote to say go dig to This is not a vote to say 100% we're all in. This is
a vote again as it was last time that we've had preceding votes to say let's extend this conversation. We like what we hear. We have setbacks and things to consider respectfully and affordable housing and all of that makes
a ton of sense. And none of this gets done without an appropriate water plan or traffic study or anything else. And those are all part of a process. This is not a vote to say go do it. This is not a vote where the town changes forever
tomorrow. This is a vote to continue a conversation and say, "Let's do this and explore it together. Let's continue to have these meetings and listen and let's figure out the best path forward to come to the best outcome. Not the perfect
outcome, but the best outcome." I think that's a very reasonable thing. I'm going to ask Wendy to clarify for us exactly what it is that we're voting on this evening and exactly maybe not exactly what the further steps will be but exactly what we're voting on tonight so people don't feel like the world has
changed the mood is down and the sun will not rise. >> Can you do that? >> I can certainly give it a try. >> I would love to. So on the agenda tonight is an ordinance which essentially would adopt if it's passed a an amendment to the existing
redevelopment plan. The existing redevelopment plan is an overlay zone over the existing B2 zone that provides for a hotel along with a sixstory above ground. Nothing relegated on the below
ground but six stories coming up of an assisted living facility. This is what is on the books today. >> Okay. Thank you. >> What you're voting on tonight is whether to amend that to allow the hotel to be knocked down and rebuilt rather than
just renovated as well as an additional 95 residential units uh with still a height of six stories above ground. So, it's a change in use and there's a change to the renovation of the hotel versus new structure of the hotel. So I
want I want to clarify that and I appreciate that. But I want to clarify is a previous council agreed to build a sixstory building on the exact site we're discussing and agreed to permit under a developers agreement the renovation of the existing clinic.
Correct. >> I just want to correct that we never got to the point of executing the redevelopers agreement. This was under the redevelopment plan. >> But a previous council came to selection point with the same size scope and scale that's being discussed this evening. True or false? Correct. >> Thank you.
>> Can I just >> go ahead to clear up the confusion? >> It's already with both. So no, the six the the plan where the original >> the original plan and tonight's vote is
about this project, not a different project, >> right? So there is an existing redevelopment plan that had an assisted that had zoned for an assisted living facility to be six stories in height. This is an amendment to that plan to
change the use from assisted living to residential. >> Yeah. Then then they vote no. No, it's not. Then we No. No. It's either yes or no. So, >> so the project, >> the council has the power tonight to decide whether to amend the
redevelopment plan that is currently in existence that allows for the six-story assisted living and the renovation of the hotel to allow for a new hotel and residential units. Should this ordinance not be passed tonight, the existing
zoning for this six-story assisted living is still on the books. So, it's not changing what's on the books today other than it's I'm sorry. >> Yeah. No, you can't do this. We're not having a debate here.
>> There were a lot of people up. >> We've listened for many hours and greatly appreciate the debate and and respectfully, I'm trying to understand exactly what it is that's currently on the books as somebody who's going to render an opinion on that. >> So, what's currently on the books is an approval for a sixtory building. Let's
just call it a building. the zoning >> the zoning for a sixtory building and the hotel this was currently on the >> stories for the hotel. >> So just just just to just to keep things in a normal working order for a meeting.
We cannot take comments from the the gallery not only because it's not proper time but because the recording may not pick it up and it won't be made part of the public record. So that's why public comment was already closed and now you know on the microphones the people up here are talking. I understand that
there's questions and um quite frankly I think part of the reason the councilman is asking these questions is because he knows that there's some misunderstandings in the public. Um I think he's very well aware of what he's doing but he's asking these as a member
as a resident to make sure the public is understanding. So, I get that there's a lot of fear and anxiety and angst from all the different information and misinformation that has been spoken tonight, but please don't call out from the gallery because it's inappropriate and it won't get picked up on the record. I'm sorry, mayor.
>> It's okay. Go ahead. Very clear. Go ahead, John. Finish. >> Size of this >> has been previously approved by a council of which I was not a part. There was not nearly the degree of anxiety
around a six-story building when it was used for a different purpose. The change here is in purpose and the change here is in a new structure inherent in the Clinton and hotel as opposed to renovation of the old one. Is that a true statement? That's all we care about. >> I would I would respectfully say no. And
I want to just tweak that. And here's why. The six stories became the six stories because it had limited traffic associated with it. So we were willing and I >> that's that's a reason why and that's okay. But I want to understand objectively
>> objectively that was a different project. We are not confined nor are we bound to those stories at this table. If four four of us or a majority of us right now said this project should be limited at four stories which by the way many communities do especially here's a
great one. Greenwich Connecticut. Everyone's talking about Greenwich Connecticut on their socials. They have a fourstory ordinance. They do not go above it. They do not allow exceptions to it. >> Yeah, there you go. It's three and a half. >> I'm just saying if we if we as a council
decide that we think this project should be more in moderation or something, we can decide that and we are not bound by a sixstory building. However, I don't think I have the votes to move that. So, I'm just going to >> just to clarify what Councilwoman Dayton
is saying, you are not required to approve a six-story residential use, but what the councilman is saying that does not negate then the existing redevelopment plan that has a six-story assisted living. You would have to take future action to change that. As of
right now, that is on already in the books. >> I fully understand that. And I >> um and then the one other difference is in this rendering with the new hotel being built, the it is specifically
changed in the um in the plan. And David knows this because we went back and forth on this to to make sure the amenities have been changed to be available to the public so that it's benefiting the residents and not just hotel guests. >> Just a quick history lesson though. I
was here when the discussions around the sixstory building were were in assisted living and and the room was packed and it was highly controversial and a lot of people spoke about it. It's >> okay. >> Yes. >> All right. Any more questions from the
council? >> Okay. Uh Council President Michaels, would you like to make a motion, please? >> Yes, Mr. Mayor. I move to pass and adopt on second and final reading ordinance 26-14. and that notice of same shall be published according to law.
>> I have a second, please. >> Second. >> Omar, could you please conduct a roll call? >> Council member Corsair. >> Yes. >> Council member De. >> I sit on an affordable housing committee and we must satisfy that settlement and
therefore we need these 20 units. So I have to be a yes. >> Council member Jackson. >> Yes. >> Council member Michaels. >> Yes. >> Council member Dr. Okconor. So with my vote on this sixstory proposal, uh I do struggle to see the benefits for the
people who live here because we will carry the burden of the increased school taxes, traffic congestion, and the invasion of privacy of the neighbors that live there with such a tall building. So I vote no. Council member
given >> given the applause I'd like to address the fact that I grew up here. I've spent 50 years in this town and 40 years ago this town had a much higher degree of vibrancy than it does today. I was here for those that have just moved here. We've had a Charlie Browns, a Dairy
Queen, a Christis in the middle of town, a Tennifly department store, a consumer distributing among numerous other things that made the town a more vibrant place that it is today. I went to brunches at the Clinton in. We stayed at the Clinton in. We hosted family at the Clinton in. I believe in this community. I believe
in this body and I believe in our expert bodies to make the right decisions in terms of setbacks, in terms of water, in terms of fire, police and everything else. And on the basis of the fact that we should very much be building community and moving forward and I believe that this is not a vote to say
go put a shovel on the ground tomorrow. I am absolutely a yes. I'm in favor of this and I'd like to see this go forward and I respectfully appreciate all the opinions we listen to tonight and the last time and I believe we'll have more forums of this kind. So, I think that this body and the bodies that will come after us in making informed intelligence
decisions. I trust in them and I trust that this building will be a beautiful addition to our town. >> Thank you. >> Are you done with the roll call? >> Yes. >> Okay. All right. Thank you everyone. Thank you everyone for member of the public and residents for coming tonight. Can >> we have a five minute break?
>> Take a break. Go ahead. Take a five minute break while people u exit. Praise the Lord. >> Okay. Larry. >> Yes. >> All right. Ordinance 26-16 uh multi-purpose bond ordinance. Omar,
could you please read the confirmation of publication of the ordinance and the title of the ordinance? >> Ordinance number 20 24-6 26-16. It was published on the bur website on Wednesday, April 8th. It's a bond
ordinance to authorize the making of various public improvements and the acquisition of new additional or replacement equipment and machinery, new information technology equipment, new communication and signal system equipment, new additional furnishing and new automative automative oh good
automotive vehicles including original apparatus and equipment in by and for the burough tennifly in the county of Bergen state of New Jersey to appropriate the sum of 4 million $89,950 to pay for to pay the cost thereof to
make a down payment to authorize the issuance of bonds to finance such appropriation and to provide for such issuance of bond appropri appreciation notes and appreciation anticipation notes in anticipation of the issuance of
such bonds. Sorry, it's a long >> that's okay. Okay, I'm going to open the floor for public comments on new ordinance 26-16 only. Anyone in the chambers here would like to comment? Seeing no hands, I'll close. Anyone on Zoom would like to comment on ordinance 26-16 only? Any hands, Omar?
>> No hands, mayor. >> Okay. Um Lauren, would you like to make a motion, please, on 26-16? >> Fame shall be published according to law. >> Could I have a second, please? >> Second. >> Please call the role. Council member Corser,
>> yes. Council member Dayton, >> yes. >> Council member Jackson, >> yes. >> Council member Michaels, >> yes. >> Council member Dr. Okconor, >> yes. >> Council member Roeri, >> yes. >> Okay. The Bergen County Open Space Application, the resolution 26-174.
David, would you like to give us a brief overview of this application, please? >> Yeah. So, we are applying for um lighting of the pickle ball courts and the um West End tennis courts. Uh the project total cost is anticipated to be
about $500,000. We are seeking $250,000 in grant funding uh from the Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund. >> Okay, great. Uh I'm going to open the floor for any public comments on the uh this open space grant application for Roosevelt common lighting improvements.
Any comments from members of the public in the chambers? No. with with the lighting. Does it close? Um >> there's a public >> you have a comment. >> Come to the mic. Sorry. >> She's right there.
>> Yeah. You have to speak it to the >> No, no, no. You need to honestly, you have to speak it to the mic or the recording won't pick it up. >> I'm sorry. You can you can take that seat if you want. >> I understand. >> No, no. I'm saying in general if you wanted to. >> Okay. Go ahead.
courts and all those things. >> So, so to the extent there's no membership required, like they would only have access to the pool for instance, if they board a membership, but they can go to the basketball courts. >> Right. Right. >> Pickle ball and tennis require
reservation. >> Right. Right. >> Pickle ball and tennis. >> Okay. All right. >> So, >> any uh questions? Any uh anyone on Zoom interested in making a public comment about the Bergen County open space application? >> See no hands. Mayor,
>> no hands. Okay. Uh Councilman Rolaryi, would you like to make a motion, please? >> Question about this one, Mayor. >> Oh, Julie has a question. Sorry, Julie. >> No worries. Um, so about the lighting, um, since this is going to be by the, uh, pickle ball courts and the tennis
courts, what's our rules on lighting? Like what time of the day do they go off? I because I know people live around there. I just curious. >> I I I I'll tell you off. I'll find out from Jamie. I think it's 10 o'clock. >> 10 o'clock, >> I believe. So, yes, we're on a time.
>> And do we have other lighting in the area that does like, you know, the same timers? I just wanted >> I think the >> Yeah, I can't speak for the >> resolution. >> Yeah, I can't speak for what the school's timing is. I can just just the tennis courts that we like are they go
off at 10 o'clock. >> 10 o'clock. Okay. >> Well, they would be the same timer. Yeah. >> All right. I just wanted to make sure. Yeah. >> Okay. Could I get a motion? Councilman, could you please make the motion? I move to adopt resolution
26-174. >> Let me see if I can do this for memory. Can I have the second, please? >> Omar, please call the role. >> Council member Corsair, >> yes. >> Council member Dayton, >> yes. >> Council member Jackson, >> yes. >> Council member Michaels, >> yes. >> Council member Donor, >> yes.
>> Council member Roer, >> yes. >> Sorry, can I just confirm with David, we're going to have make sure that our lighting has all the proper shielding for the surrounding properties and everything, right? >> Or if the project could Yes. Yeah. would be engineered and yes. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Could I get a motion to approve
resolutions R26-175 through R26187? >> I have a second. >> Can you hear about the change order in 186? >> Sure. >> Sure. >> Okay. So, this actually takes us back a number of years. So, 185 and 186 sort of
go together. Um uh so as you can see this is amending resolution from 2021 uh that had a it was that was apparently passed on an estimate from the burough engineer. >> That's the DOT grant.
>> Yeah. So and it added the paving of a parking lot at the nature center, >> but the engineer estimated it to be $30,000 and it actually came in at $8,600 and some uh dollars. So, this uh
resolution is actually amending that to uh cite the correct uh change order amount. And then 186 is actually a deduct change order of reducing the project cost by $55,000 and change. >> Right. >> We have a motion, right? Omar, do we
have a second? >> We don't have a second. >> Second. >> Second. Okay. Please call the RO. >> Council member Corsair. >> Yes. >> Council member Dayton. >> Yes. >> Council member Jackson. >> Yes. >> Council member Michaels. >> Yes. >> Council member Dr. Okconor. Yeah, >> that's a roar. >> Yes.
>> Could I get approached motion to approve the minutes from February 10th, 2026, the mayor and council meeting and the April 7th, 2026 mayor and council meeting? >> Can I get a motion? Can I get a second? Second. >> All in favor? Any opposed?
>> Okay. I think uh it's in everyone's best interest to skip the committee reports tonight and the mayor's remarks and uh what is it about Arbor Day? I mean, uh, Sunday >> trash. >> So, this Sunday is Trash Athon in Hila Park from 1 to 4:00 p.m. Okay.
>> Thank you. >> Can I get a motion to adjurnn? Can >> I get a second? All in favor? Any opposed? Okay. Good night, everyone. >> Thank you.