An
NA Today Exclusive:
NJMC DECLARES ENCAP IN DEFAULT!
Could this be the end of the line for the embattled
developer?
NORTH
ARLINGTON - EnCap
Holdings, the
controversial and embattled developer who sought to construct 1,650 units of
housing in North Arlington while seeking to use eminent domain seizure was
apparently declared in default of the agreement with the New Jersey
Meadowlands Commission today according to NJMC sources.
If true,
North Arlington Mayor Pete Massa and the all-Democratic council will have proven
to be correct as to it's opposition to random development, eminent domain
seizure of Porete Avenue companies and the construction of low income housing.
Massa, who
defeated former Mayor Russ Pitman on a wave of anti-EnCap sentiment has held his ground and
challenged the viability of the agreement in place with a countersuit against
the controversial developer.
While
virtually every state, county and local official in the region embraced the
project as "smart growth," local Democrats led by Mayor Massa,
Council President Steve Tanelli and Councilman Al Granell led the charge to
put the brakes on the project.
Councilman
Sal DiBlasi, who led a revolt of Porete Avenue businessmen to stop the project
has also played a key role in putting the brakes to overdevelopment here in
North Arlington. Councilman Phil Spanola and Councilman Mark Yampaglia, who
originally supported the project changed sides and it was there votes that
prevented Pitman and his allies on the council from moving forward with
Arlington Valley in the summer of 2006.
While Democrats have been consistent and
diligent in this opposition to EnCap,
it has come at a political price.
Local
Democrats will be forced to raised property taxes this year because of the EnCap debacle and the millions held in
escrow that would have kept taxes virtually the same. Democrats have received
nothing but lip service from the state legislature in terms
of Extraordinary Aid when they received just $500,000 of the $1.5 million
dollar request.
A fight
for those escrow dollars is part of other litigation against the North
Carolina based company. While residents and taxpayers continue to oppose the
project, Republican candidates Joe Bianchi
and Rich Hughes still support the project despite the avalanche of bad
press and revelations about the very viability of the developer to actually
execute the agreement in place.
Massa and local officials continue to be the
only elected officials to take a firm stand against EnCap despite the political pressure to go
along with a project nobody wanted.
NA
Today will have more
information this week as this story continues to develop.
