On Thursday, October 17 in the THS Student Center Teaneck’s Zoning Board of Adjustment held its hearing on 189 The Plaza, the very controversial 15-story largely rental residential building that would dwarf virtually everything else in Town.
There was no other agenda item  (click here).
The video of the entire hearing is available – just cllck the arrow on the screen below – and then to see it full screen click the dashed box on the lower right corner.

To read Bill Orr’s summary of the meeting,  click here

Click here to see the revised (10/17) – much discussed – letter w/63 comments by the BofA’s own engineer (Hals/Schwanewede)

To read the transcript of the 1st Hearing  today the verbatim transcript of the first (9/19) hearing for this proposed project. 

Click here  

At the first hearing, the project’s architect gave a highly abstract presentation with very little technical info. (Of what will the building structure be made of, for example). There were unresolved questions about the relative height of this proposed building and the new, still incomplete 1475 Palisades building across State Street.  The architect did claim that his was a project the community wants. But none of the 13 residents who questioned the architect and the attorney agreed.
Tonight’s session will begin with an opportunity for more residents to ask additional questions of the architect. Expect the engineer to come next.
But precisely because the architect will be responding to us, the transcript we are attaching – even at this late date – will be an important resource.

Why does the project come to the Board of Adjustment?

Like all applications which come before the Board of Adjustment, this application for a new 15-story mixed use (mostly residential) building was denied because it did not meet the zone’s requirements – in this case because it involved variances from the B-2 Zone in which the project would sit if implemented. It was “denied” by the Township’s Zoning Enforcement Officer who sent the applicant a “refusal of permit” notice.
By clicking here  this Zoning officer refusal letter and the variances identified can be read.

Additionally find here on this Post:
1) An Information Packet and Flyer to help residents prepare for these Board of Adjustment hearings on 189 The Plaza; and
2) 7 new reports on how Teaneck’s Town’s own experts evaluate the application for the 15-story building at 189 The Plaza and
3) one report by the developer’s Traffic expert which reaches different conclusions than does the Town’s traffic expert’s 2 reports.

To see the Resident’s Information Packet prepared for the first hearing click here

To see the reports of the Town”s expert planner, its construction official and the Board’s engineer click here
(because of conflicts, this town planning expert is not the usual one)

To see the 2 different Traffic Engineers’ Reports – the Developer’s & the Town’s click here
Just in – there is a brand new -& important  ( September 17) – report on traffic and parking  click here  –

To see the Police, Fire and Health Department Reports click here

What happened to the first Hearing in August?

On August 15, more than 70 residents waited 40 minutes before the Board of Adjustment’s substitute Attorney announced that the special meeting’s sole agenda item – a hearing on the 189 The Plaza application – could not begin for lack of a quorum – since only 3 of the 4 members/alternates present were eligible to “hear” the testimony.  The attorney said that the few Board members in attendance did have the power to re-schedule the opening of the hearing to Thursday September 19 at 7 pm in Council Chambers – and that the public and neighbors would not need to be – and would not be –  re-noticed about the schedule and location change (??).

A video of much of the aborted (no quorum) August 189 Plaza heating is found below