"Government is supposed to be us. It is supposed to be the means to make our communities better places to live. But in New Jersey, too often government is a means to a single end: the improvement of life for those who possess power." 
- Larry J. Sabato, a national political science expert at the University of Virginia

In the 1990s, the City of Englewood amended its Zoning Ordinance to permit "Planned Unit Development" (PUD) in the City’s industrial area. The rationale was to permit denser development, reverse the declining proportion of tax revenues provided by the industrial area and, thereby, benefit residential taxpayers. The PUD concept combines residential, office and commercial development. From a tax revenue perspective, office construction is normally most beneficial, since additional costs to the municipality are lower.

To utilize the new zoning, the development firm S. Hekemian Kasparian Troast LLC (HKT) proposed some years ago to develop a major site in Englewood’s industrial area south of Route 4, and received the support of the City Council for their plan. The original plan for a large office, hotel and residential project received opposition from industrial property owners who objected to losing their land under eminent domain, and from citizens in neighboring Leonia, from which the property would have been accessed. In addition, there was concern in some quarters over the reappointment of Councilman Doug Bern as the lawyer for the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority, whose chairman was none other than Michael Kasparian of HKT. Concern also arose from the apparent relationship that some Englewood Council members enjoyed with Democratic County Chairman Joseph Ferriero, whose law firm represented HKT. However, this plan was eventually aborted after a judge ruled that legal procedures had been improperly followed.

More recently, HKT submitted an altered plan, no longer reliant on eminent domain, and with a new access road from the north to be constructed by the City. Known as Flatrock Square, it included an office building, an 8-story hotel, 399 residential units and a parking deck.

After numerous hearings before the Planning Board, during which HKT resisted the office building requirement, a sudden agreement was reached in August, 2005. Through the auspices of Mayor Michael Wildes, the Planning Board conducted a midnight vote, which allowed for an all-condo project. The Chairwoman of the Planning Board, Hillary Ballon, resigned over the episode (“Englewood planner resigns in protest,” The Bergen Record, 9/20/05).

The HKT drama continues in 2007, as the developers are appearing before Mr. Wildes’ Planning Board to get yet another change on the project. HKT has now requested that the all-condo requirement be waived, claiming the condo market is too weak, and has offered cash payments to the City instead.   The next planning board meeting to discuss the HKT proposal is scheduled for February 21, 8 p.m. in the Englewood municipal court, 75 S. Van Brunt Street.