POLITICAL
SHOCKER:
KAISER, NJMC PUSHES FOR 5,000 LOW INCOME UNITS FOR
MEADOWLANDS!
When will Bianchi or Hughes take a position on low income
housing for North Arlington?
Spanola & Yampaglia condemn any plan to bring high
density housing to North Arlington, no Arlington Valley's please!
LYNDHURST
- A proposal by the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) to
construct as many as 5,000 low income housing units on 14 Meadowlands
communities has become a defining issue in the race for two council seats here
in North Arlington. Challengers Bianchi & Hughes support it while Democrats
Spanola and Yampaglia oppose any kind of housing as proposed by EnCap Holdings.
The plan
has the support of former North Arlington Mayor Len Kaiser, who was ousted
in 2002 for his initial support of EnCap and seven consecutive tax increases at
the local level. Since leaving office Kaiser was appointed executive director
of the Bergen County Utilities Authority (BCUA) as well as commissioner to
the NJMC by former Governor James McGreevey. Kaiser, who held a high
ranking position in the administration of former County Executive William
"Pat" Schuber is a longtime political insider and operative. His
wife, a longtime political operative and Republican strategist as
well also holds down a high paying patronage position in county
government.
Approved by a 5-0 vote, the new low income
housing guidelines would require that 20% of
all new housing be "set-aside" for low income families who do not
currently qualify financially to purchase a home. The NJMC's directive also
provides quotas of low income units to be built
when
commercial or industrial ratables come to North Arlington.
"These
guidelines will change how business is done here," said Robert Ceberio,
the agency's executive director and political ally of the former mayor.
Under
these new policies, all new development in the Meadowlands towns will now be subject to the scrutiny of the unelected,
politically appointed NJMC. This course of action will give the NJMC tremendous
land use powers and the ability to make long-term planning decisions
without the approval of local government. This policy will give Kaiser and the
NJMC virtual veto power over anything North Arlington may consider in it's
attempts to keep additional housing and urbanization out of North Arlington.
Democratic
Councilman Mark Yampaglia disagreed with the
NJMC's course of action.
"For
a state agency to have the power to overrule the local communities is dangerous
and a threat to home rule. Low income housing is neither wanted nor desired. The people of this community want to keep North
Arlington small, safe and suburban. Why can't the NJMC understand that
reality?"
It should
be noted that neither Republican challenger Joe Bianchi or Rich Hughes will take a stand on the critical issue of low
income housing.
"How
can you run for office, blame others for the tax increase you created and
remain silent on the issue of EnCap,
eminent domain seizure and low income housing? How do you build support when
you won't take a stand on the most important issues ever to face the community? It's pretty obvious to me there silence only
confirms the support for housing in the Meadowlands," observed Councilman
Phil Spanola.
Mayor Pete
Massa told NA
Today in an
interview that he is proud to have voided the EnCap agreement and kept housing out of the Meadowlands.
In 2006,
council candidate Joe Bianchi supported EnCap's Arlington Valley, eminent domain seizure and the construction of low income
housing. He was defeated in 10 of the borough's 12 election districts. A
local businessman himself, many other local companies are outraged by Bianchi's
support of EnCap and eminent domain seizure.
"How
do you run for public office calling for the seizure of private property? How
do you support private property seizure and then endorse a plan to build low
income housing?
What is Joe
Bianchi thinking?
