Should lawyers' opposition stop downtown progress?

An attractive property at Main and Bridge streets in Hackensack, not far from a planned open-air performance space that is being opposed by prominent members of the legal community.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Hackensack residents and visitors overwhelmingly prefer a downtown green and open-air venue for entertainment and community events over a city owned parking lot with meters.

But lawyers in firms lining Atlantic and Warren streets want to keep the lot for their convenience and the convenience of clients and visiting lawyers and stenographers.

This week, The Record reported an October groundbreaking is set -- in order to qualify for a county grant -- but the paper has been strangely silent on the conflict between the legal community and the city.

In May, Staff Writer Christopher Maag of The Record claimed the debate over what was then called the Atlantic Street Park "comes down to an age-old fight: parks versus potholes."

At the May 6 City Council meeting, attorney Arthur P. Zucker threatened to file suit against the city, comparing elimination of the parking lot to taking away the driveway of his home.

Maag's story never mentioned Zucker or attorney Seymour Chase, who at that time claimed inadequate parking is hurting his business.

Threat to sue

The lawyers threaten to sue to maintain the status quo -- even though there is ample parking across the street from their offices in an under-utilized city owned parking garage.

In an Anonymous comment, a foul-mouthed reader of Eye on The Record noted Hackensack "is not in a communist part of the world," and asserted the issue is "property rights."

Again, the City Council has approved financing to convert one of the city's own parking lots into an open-air venue near a planned performing arts center.

Of course, lawyers will say anything to win.

Today's paper

Editor Martin Gottlieb picks a new National Football League domestic violence policy to lead the paper today, and Columnist Tara Sullivan praises the league commissioner's "long-overdue veracity" (A-1).

Gottlieb's other bewildering choices for Page 1 of our local newspaper:

The Ebola outbreak, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, mourning in the Orthodox Jewish community in Lakewood and Bergen County's use of military vehicles.

Are you kidding? 

I am sure when Mylyn Liego agreed to talk to a reporter about an alleged brothel across the street from her North Farview Avenue home in Paramus, she didn't think her photo on the Local front today would be run much larger than the suspects' images or the actual house of prostitution (L-1).

And I am sure she was horrified to see her photo under a huge headline:

Alleged brothel raided

Did head Assignment Editor Deirdre Sykes or her her deputy, Dan Sforza, approve the layout?

Did Production Editor Liz Houlton go home early in time to spend some of her hefty earnings at the mall?

Didn't they think a reader who just glanced at the headline and photos might get the wrong idea about Liego, an innocent bystander?

Holiday blitz

Why is Road Warrior John Cichowski satisfied with a holiday crackdown on drunken drivers and other unsafe behavior behind the wheel (L-1)?

Instead, shouldn't he be calling for year-round enforcement of drunk driving, speeding, and aggressive and distracted driving?

On a diet?

Did Restaurant Reviewer Elisa Ung go on a diet or have the editors cut her eating-out budget?

Today, she recaps "North Jersey's top-rated restaurants," even though there are four more months left in 2014 (BL-18).

Lawyers have told the Hackensack City Council they prefer this city owned parking lot in front of their offices over an open-air performing arts venue that would replace it, and they won't hesitate to sue to stop the project.

Critics say attorney Seymour Chase faces loss of a handicapped parking spot for his white Mercedes-Benz sedan only a hop, skip and a jump from his office door at 1 Atlantic St. in Hackensack.

Planned Hackensack park now called 'open-air venue'

A controversial plan to convert this parking lot, between Atlantic and Warren streets, into a downtown park has been discussed at meetings of the Hackensack City Council, which last week approved a $650,000 bond to help pay for it. Now, The Record reports, the plan is called "an open-air venue" that will complement the city's planned Performing Arts Center (old Masonic Hall, rear right).

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

An outdoor stage and a green; a groundbreaking set for the end of October, and, eventually, a 300-seat performing arts center.

New details of what has been called the Atlantic Street Park in downtown Hackensack were reported today in The Record (L-1).

The space -- to replace a parking lot used mainly by law firms lining Atlantic and Warren streets -- is now being called an "open-air venue for entertainment and community events."

A $650,000 bond approved by the City Council last week and a $268,085 Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund grant will pay for the work.

Renovation of the old Masonic Hall the city acquired in 2010 is estimated to cost $1.3 million, but it hasn't been funded yet.

Bad headline

The story makes clear groundbreaking for the new green space must take place by the end of October or the city risks losing the county grant, but the headlines refer incorrectly to Hackensack starting work "on art center," presumably meaning the Masonic Hall.

Where was Production Editor Liz Houlton, who gets paid six figures to keep such errors out of the paper.

Real estate and business interests, including prominent members of the Main Street Business Alliance, pushed for the new green space to make downtown Hackensack more attractive for redevelopment.

Still, the group has refused to pay for it.

First the Shell station on Cedar Lane and River Road in Teaneck went out of business, and now the Cedar Lane Grill next to it has closed, above and below.

The shuttered gas station has been an eyesore for years. 

This is local?

A Page 1 story today reports New Jersey colleges are enrolling many more foreign students (A-1).

But the editors of our daily local paper decided to use a photo from Rutgers University in New Brunswick on the front page instead of one from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck (A-1).

More than once, the story makes it a point of reporting the wealthy international students chose Rutgers and Fairleigh because they are "close to New York."

So, Fairleigh students likely won't even notice the sad condition of Teaneck's main business district, including the double eyesore of a long-shuttered gas station and diner at Cedar Lane and River Road, less than a block from the campus.

Where is Starbucks Coffee when you really need them? The nearest company store is on Essex Street in Hackensack.

Sad state of TV

The sad state of television is exposed in today's coverage of the Emmy Awards (A-1 and BL-1).

The awards for top drama and best actor in a drama went to "Breaking Bad," described as the tale of a "cancer-stricken high school science teacher who turned into a crystal meth kingpin" (A-1).

Julia Louis-Dreyfus won for best actress in a comedy for "Veep," one of the un-funniest shows I have ever had the misfortune to watch (one or two episodes) -- especially in view of the paralysis in Washington.

Wake up, Marty

Editor Martin Gottlieb, the former editor of The New York Times' international edition, seems to forget he no longer works in Paris.

Gottlieb keeps on putting international news on Page 1 and burying local stories, such as the terrific interview with one of the last farmers in Bergen and Passaic counties (L-9).

Todd Kuehm, the fourth generation at the 120-year-old Farms View in Wayne, refuses to sell out to developers, and has "turned down huge numbers that would boggle most people's mind, but I don't care."

Neither does Marty, who probably lives in Manhattan and could care less about the Garden State.

What a poor choice Gottlieb was to replace the incompetent Francis "Frank" Scandale.

Local-news assignment editors miss big Hackensack story

Critics say attorney Seymour Chase is upset that an Atlantic Street Park will eliminate a reserved space where he parks his Mercedes-Benz sedan with his firm's motto on the license plate, "TAKE US TO COURT," below.

On Monday night, Chase reminded city officials that his law firm has been in Hackensack for 55 years. Was he stating his undying loyalty to the city or saying his decision to buy a building near the Bergen County Courthouse has made him wealthier than anyone can imagine?

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The Hackensack City Council on Monday night voted, 4-1, to adopt a bond ordinance appropriating $650,000 to build a park on a city owned parking lot downtown.

Now, the 44 parking spaces are used mostly by clients of law firms along Atlantic and Warren streets, as well as visiting attorneys and stenographers.

Attorney Seymour Chase, who owns 1 Atlantic St., called the park plan "ill-conceived," and reminded council members that many other lawyers on the two streets oppose it, raising the specter of litigation.

Other speakers denounced Chase for putting his selfish private interests ahead of the public interest as the city seeks to revive its moribund downtown with new apartments and a new park.

Those in favor of the park, including Jerry Lombardo and members of the Main Street Business Alliance he heads, noted the park plan includes 43 new parking spaces elsewhere.

"We need a central green space like the park," said an owner of Brothers Carpet at 392 Main St.

Chase & Chase is at 1 Atlantic St., at the corner of Main Street, above and below.

Where was The Record?

In May, Staff Writer Christopher Maag of The Record reported the debate over the park "comes down to an age-old fight: parks versus potholes."

At that May 6 meeting, attorney Arthur Zucker threatened to file suit against the city, comparing elimination of the parking lot (in favor of a park) to taking away the driveway of his home.

Maag's story never mentioned Zucker or Chase, who at that time claimed inadequate parking is hurting his business.

Maag was nowhere to be seen at Monday night's meeting, and today's paper doesn't carry a word about final approval of the park bond ordinance.

The park would be built on this triangular, 44-space parking lot between Atlantic and Warren streets. At left rear, a 222-unit apartment building is scheduled to be completed in May 2015. The city's planned performing arts center is at right rear.

Before the fireworks over the downtown park, Genesis Liu, left, and members of Kids' Safety Awareness Program (KSAP) asked Mayor John Labrosse and council members questions about how they do their jobs.

Today's paper

A bike path on a narrow and dangerous 9-mile stretch of Route 9W is no closer to reality, despite the photos and thousands of words in a story that takes up a quarter of the front page today (A-1).

What is the point of the story? To bring readers up to date? On what exactly?

Marty's rabbi

In 2009, The Record gave unprecedented coverage to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who bought an East Hill mansion next door to a Libyan-owned estate in Englewood, then complained about the planned visit of Moammar Gaddafi.

Boteach is back on the front page today, again giving a bad name to Jews (A-1).

Local news

Much of today's Local section is ripped from the police and court blotters.

McDonald's scam

A story on the first Business page today says "reporters and bloggers" ate a free McDonald's dinner "prepared by celebrity chefs using ingredients from the chain's menu" (L-8).

None of them were aware you can't polish a turd.

Cost cutting

To save money, the Borg publishing family has hired a couple of talent-less freelancers to write about food in Better Living, including Rita Cookson.

Today, Cookson tries to persuade readers they should drink certain beers with certain food, in yet another colossal waste of space (B-1).

Footnote

Even though Mike Kelly's column on Monday amounted to little more than a rewrite of all of the stories published on Robert Lintner, the burned-out reporter managed to screw up the man's first name twice on Page 1.

Lintner, you may remember, is the 65-year-old Saddle Brook man who was stabbed in the neck by his wife, leading police to find hundreds of guns and lots of ammunition in his home.

On Monday, Kelly called him "Richard," according to a correction on A-2 today.

Lawyer threatens suit to stop Hackensack park

On Tuesday night, a consultant told the Hackensack City Council that building the Atlantic Street Park downtown would add 137 parking spaces and more than triple parking revenue to $64,000 a year from $19,000 in 2013. The Record's story on the meeting didn't include the consultant's profit projections.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

Four-letter words flew during Tuesday night's Hackensack City Council meeting, including "park" and "suit."

Two prominent Hackensack lawyers spoke against building an Atlantic Street Park downtown on a city owned parking lot at Atlantic and Warren streets -- spaces now used by their clients and visiting attorneys and stenographers.

The attorneys made it clear their firms' considerable profits come before a quality of life improvement, including lunchtime concerts, that can be enjoyed by residents, visitors, jurors and people who work downtown. 

Property owners

Arthur P. Zucker said his law office occupies more than 8,000 square feet in a condominium building a 27 Warren St., and that inadequate parking is hurting his business, a claim echoed by attorney Seymour Chase. 

Zucker threatened to file a lawsuit against the city, comparing elimination of the parking lot to taking away the driveway of his home.  

Chase claimed a bank vacated the ground floor of the building he owns at 1 Atlantic St. due "to a lack of parking."

Many spaces nearby

Neither Chase nor Zucker explained why their clients and visitors -- or bank customers -- couldn't use the hundreds of parking spaces available for $5 a day at The Record's old headquarters on River Street, two to three short blocks from their offices.

The Record's story today claims the debate over the park "comes down to an age-old fight: parks versus potholes" (Local front).

The story by Staff Writer Christopher Maag doesn't report any of the comments by Zucker or Chase, including the former's threat to sue.

Maag, the new Hackensack reporter, also doesn't back up the central, preposterous premise of his story: 

That parks and potholes have competed for municipal dollars for many, many years.

Let developers pay

One resident (yours truly) urged the council to negotiate harder with developers and get them to finance the park, other amenities and the estimated $1 million cost of returning Main Street to two-way traffic.

The Upper Main Alliance, a public-private partnership that includes downtown business and property owners, has been pushing hard for the park, but Chairman Jerry Lombardo hasn't expressed a willingness to help finance it.

Lombardo and other property owners will profit greatly from the downtown redevelopment they have been promoting for the past decade. 

No vote scheduled

A vote on the park wasn't scheduled Tuesday night, and in any case, two council members were absent.

Mayor John Labrosse asked for a moment of silence after telling audience members the mother of Councilman Leo Battaglia had died the night before.

Also absent were Councilwoman Rose Greenman and acting City Manager Anthony Rottino. 

With two council members out on Tuesday night, there was no discussion of making Rottino permanent, which some residents strongly opposed at Monday night's work session.

"This guy is not city manager material," resident Rich Gelber of Clinton Place said during Tuesday's public comment period, echoing son Steven, editor of the Hackensack Scoop.com blog.

At the request of  Hackensack Councilman Leo Battaglia, a crew roughly patched potholes on Euclid Avenue, between Prospect and Summit avenues, on Monday afternoon, but didn't complete the job, below.

Bridgegate stalemate

The big news on Page 1 today is the outrageous $1.1 million legal bill taxpayers may get stuck with thanks to Governor Christie's nasty politics.

The law firm that produced the whitewash clearing the GOP bully of any involvement in the George Washington Bridge lane closures last September presumably charged for the time attorneys spent on toilet seats, mulling how they could help the governor save his reputation (A-1).

A second story related to the scandal reports hours of testimony by Christine Renna, a former member of Christie's staff.

But her appearance before a state legislative panel didn't bring investigators or readers any closer to the truth or whether Christie used traffic and threats to withhold aid to get back at Democrats who refused to endorse him for a second term last November (A-1 and A-6).

Second look

The entire premise of Saturday's Road Warrior column on Page 1 was false.

Staff Writer John Cichowski gathered moronic alternatives to spending $68 million in toll money to switch Route 17 exits to the right side of the Garden State Parkway.

The exits are now on the left and cause fatalities and injuries in crashes when traffic backs up onto the parkway.

But Cichowski didn't tell readers it is illegal to use toll money for projects on non-toll roads, including patching potholes on one reader's street.

How embarrassing for Editor Marty Gottlieb, who doesn't realize putting the addled Road Warrior on Page 1 only exposes the hundreds of errors he has made and keeps on making.

See the Facebook page for Road Warrior Bloopers:

Never mind, the Road Warrior says