Development proposed for ex-Kodak Site
From NorthJersey.com
BY Stephanie Akin
FAIR LAWN -- The vacant site of the former Kodak factory is one step closer to becoming what some call the gateway to smart growth in Fair Lawn.
A developer is seeking town approval for a long-awaited proposal that proponents say will transform the 10-acre property to a green, pedestrian-friendly area where people can live, work and shop.But town officials and local open-space advocates say the plan could introduce traffic problems and too many new residents to an area already beset with daily traffic jams."It's too open-ended," Councilwoman Jeanne Baratta said of the proposal. "Anything can go in there."Developers for Wilf Garden Homes, owned by New Jersey shopping-mall magnate Zygmunt Wilf, started the process of requesting special permission to build a mix of town houses, offices and stores on the site, which is currently zoned for industrial use.
Artist's renderings show a row of business and retail buildings facing Route 208 and along a landscaped driveway into the development. The preliminary proposal also calls for up to 150 residential units in the eastern portion of the lot, along Pollitt Drive. A traffic circle with a fountain and park benches would join the two sections.
The developers said they planned one retail building large enough for a grocery store.The Borough Council has asked them to shop the proposal to town boards for about a month before the council votes on the zoning change.
If approved, the development would be the first to follow an ambitious plan to transform the former Route 208 industrial park in Fair Lawn and Glen Rock to a mixed-use development.The developers say their success will draw other investors to the 210-acre park. The developers said they would also be willing to contribute to a study to improve traffic in the area if occupancy in the rest of the park grows, according to Wilf attorney Stuart Liebman.
"We can kick off the redevelopment and the improvements to those properties in a very visible way," Liebman said. "It's a good opportunity for the town as well as for the property owner."Critics said the proposed new road connections from Croucher Lane to the south and Pollitt Drive to the north, as well as the road from Route 208, can not adequately disperse the traffic the development will attract. They said the proposal, which lists almost 20 categories of potential retail and service-industry tenants, is too vague about what kinds of businesses can move into the space. They also worried the residential units will overwhelm the schools and introduce more expenses to the town than new residents can contribute in taxes.
"It's inappropriate for that area," said Michael Roney, who ran for council in November. Roney, one of three open-space advocates who criticized the proposal at a recent council meeting, said he would prefer to limit development in the area to businesses, hotels and light industrial office buildings.
E-mail: akin@northjersey.com