NJMG, Bergen County are bad for Hackensack

Bergen County has agreed to lease 540 parking spaces at the former headquarters of The Record in Hackensack, above, from North Jersey Media Group, and provide shuttle buses to the courthouse. These dumpsters were still in place on Monday, nearly four years after the publishing company and its flagship newspaper moved out.

It isn't known whether any of the parking spaces near the U.S.S. Ling are included in the parking deal, which might further delay development of the property in tax-poor Hackensack.

Lots of equipment has been staged in The Record's parking lot in recent months, but the wealthy Borg family haven't disclosed their plans for the 20 acres they own along River Street or whether their landmark newspaper building will be torn down.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

It's bad enough that North Jersey Media Group and The Record abandoned Hackensack in 2009, sending Main Street merchants into a tail-spin from which they still haven't recovered.

But the selfish Borg family -- NJMG's owners -- still haven't announced plans for development of their 20 acres along River Street -- property that could generate much-need revenue for tax-poor Hackensack.

Now, according to a story on today's Local front, Bergen County will begin construction on a new Justice Center on Court Street, and lease 540 parking spaces in the parking lot of the old Record building for more than $777,000.

These developments are really bad news for Hackensack residents and the reform slate of City Council members who will be sworn in on July 1 after campaigning against a 65% property tax hike under successive Zisa family administrations.

Borgs get richer

The wealthy Borgs will cash in on their eyesore, but Hackensack won't see any additional tax revenue from NJMG or tax-exempt Bergen County.

The tax-exempt Justice Center will pile on hundreds of millions of dollars of tax-free property owned by Hackensack University Medical Center and Fairleigh Dickinson University -- two of The Record's media darlings.

And the 2-year parking-space lease with the county may prevent development of 150 River Street and nearby acres through July 2015 and beyond.

Rumors of a new Walmart on the Borg's River Street property have evaporated, and now Walmart will be opening a new store in Teterboro.

Is Costco leaving?

And Costco Wholesale reportedly will close its store opposite the Bergen County Courthouse complex, and build a larger store in Teterboro next to Walmart, depriving Hackensack of more tax revenue.

It's unclear why the Borgs didn't offer their 20 acres to Costco or to the developer of a proposed 19-story acute-care hospital who has been battling the city of Hackensack and Prospect Avenue residents for close to 4 years.

Today's L-1 story on the new Justice Center makes a mysterious reference to revenue from "the metered parking lot" offsetting the cost of the county's parking lease with NJMG, and "the county's existing metered lot" (L-6).

Christie's lap dogs

The Record continues to talk up Governor Christie's chances for winning a second term and to discount the challenge from Democrat Barbara Buono (A-1 and A-8).

All this wasted space on politics -- without any discussion of Christie's many policy failures and mismanagement of state finances -- is what we've come to expect from Editor Marty Gottlieb, Columnist Charles Stile and the paper's robotic Trenton reporters.

Hackensack news?

Coverage of Hackensack is going  to the dogs -- with the byline of Hackensack reporter Hannan Adely appearing for a second day today on a story about a pit bull that attacked two 12-year-old boys in Lyndhurst (L-1).

On Tuesday, Adlely reported police news from Clifton and fire news from Rutherford.

More crumbs

Esther Davidowitz is listed as the new food editor in the "CONTACT US" box on BL-2 today, but her byline on the Better Living front identifies her as "STAFF WRITER."

Readers looking for guidance on preparing healthy meals at home can turn the page: 

Davidowtiz promotes a new, expensive cooking school in Englewood.

Borg family remains mum on 20 acres in Hackensack

There are signs of renewal in Hackensack, but not at the old headquarters of North Jersey Media Group and The Record, above and below. In 2009, they abandoned the city where the newspaper prospered for more than 110 years, and the pullout of hundreds of employees hurt an already struggling Main Street.

Today's Page 1 story on possible anchor stores for a 55-acre project in Teterboro appears to end speculation that the Borg family was courting Walmart for the 20 Hackensack acres once occupied by The Record.

Many residents of Hackensack reacted negatively to the Walmart rumors, fearing traffic jams.

But given the newspaper's low quality of local journalism in recent years, a retailer that offers low prices and low quality might be appropriate for the land on River Street.

Discussions with city

City Manager Stephen Lo Iacono has said officials have had discussions with the Borgs about their plans, but he wasn't at liberty to discuss them.

Today's story on Walmart and Costco Wholesale doesn't mention North Jersey Media Group's Hackensack property, which has become an eyesore.

The stores wouldn't open in Teterboro until October 2016, The Record reported.

How about a land swap? 

Many residents of Prospect Avenue would like to see the Borgs negotiate a land swap with the developer of a controversial, 19-story Long Term Acute Care Hospital proposed for a small parcel between Prospect and Summit avenues, near Golf Place.

Residents have been fighting the plan, which was rejected by the city's zoning board, 5-0, in 2012 after 3 years of hearings, but the developer has appealed the denial to Superior Court. 

Tonight, the Prospect Avenue Coalition is sponsoring a third forum for the 11 candidates in the May 14 City Council election, all of whom support the residents.

Well-traveled

On the front of Local, The Record's Hannan Adely  reports the Hackensack City Council on Tuesday voted to amend the city code to allow Class II police officers, "who have the power" of regular cops, "but make a fraction of the pay" (L-1).

The byline of Adely, who is assigned to cover Hackensack, also appears today on a front-page story about a walking tour of Paterson's Great Falls "that you can download to your smart phone" (A-1).

But I question the accuracy of the headline:

 "Historic tour goes high tech"

The tour, according to the story, is new, not "historic." 
 

The Borgs and LTACH: Perfect together

Teaneck police stopped the driver of this Porsche on Main Street in Hackensack, in front of the Sears Auto Center, on Wednesday. Two other Teaneck police cars responded, below. As for traffic stops in Hackensack, they are not that common, and drivers seem to speed and roll through stop signs with abandon. This morning, a young woman in a Toyota Corolla crossed the double-yellow lines to pass my car on Spring Valley Avenue near the Maywood border.

 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

At a forum in a Prospect Avenue high-rise on Wednesday night, all 11 candidates for Hackensack City Council pledged to stop a developer who is fighting a zoning-board decision that rejected his plan for a 19-story hospital.

The long-term, acute-care center -- known as Bergen Passaic LTACH -- would be built between Prospect and Summit avenues, near Golf Place, outside the city's hospital zone.

A coalition of Prospect Avenue residents fought the plan for about three years before the zoning board decided the matter in January 2012.

In a basement meeting room at The Whitehall luxury co-op, independent candidate Victor E. Sasson, editor of Eye on The Record, was seated between his opponents -- two 5-member slates that call themselves Hackensack Citizens for Change and Hackensack Coalition for Open Government.

Sasson felt like he was being asked to part the Dead Sea.

Where was The Record?

No reporter for The Record covered the forum, the first of four planned at Prospect Avenue high-rises near the proposed site, which is zoned residential.

Citing the tax-exempt status of Hackensack University Medical Center, Sasson said there is no way of knowing whether developer Richard Peneles would apply for non-profit status after his hospital was built and stop paying property taxes.

Go to the river

An appropriate place for such a hospital is the 20-acre River Street parcel owned by the Borg family's North Jersey Media Group, publisher of  The Record, which abandoned Hackenack in 2009.

The property has become an eyesore. Now, wire is being stripped from the four-story building in anticipation of its demolition.

Sasson urges Pineles and the Borg family to get together and work out a land and money swap that would pave the way for construction of LTACH in a commercial zone with access to highways.

Because NJMG's land is in a flood zone, LTACH could take the form of a dry docked hospital ship -- with parking below decks -- and be dubbed Borg's Ark. 

Then, when the next Sandy hits, LTACH would be able to ride out the storm.

Another appropriate place for the 19-story hospital is also on River Street, at Kansas Street, land occupied by Costco Wholesale, which is rumored to be leaving Hackensack in about a year.

Today's paper

Superstorm Sandy unleashed unprecedented coverage of the Jersey shore, as two stories on today's front page show.

Now, head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes and her deputy, Dan Sforza, have an excuse for not covering Hackensack and many other towns.

Paramus officials seem blind to the possibility that merchants who allow their sign lights to burn after 11 p.m. are contributing to public safety and deterring burglaries (A-1).

Big local news

Readers will find major Hackensack news on L-2, where a photo shows a street-light and solar-panel pole that was knocked down by a bus in front of police headquarters.    

The photo caption says only the pole fell "on State Street."

Was the NJ Transit driver cited? Readers have no clue.