Good News on the Marriott Front!

Marriott, through its lawyer, has now informed the City (according to our city manager) that the company is exploring the possibility of building town homes instead of an assisted living facility on its 1.2 acre site at 170 East Palisade Avenue.

The EHOA joined the East Hill Alliance in 1998 in its steadfast opposition and along with Marriott’s intransigence to zoning requirements, has combined to delay construction of the assisted living project for the past 5 years. Our reading of Marriott’s current move is that the company now finds itself in a time zone where overbuilding of assisted living centers (well publicized in the NY Times and elsewhere) is making them unprofitable. Town houses, on the other hand, are in demand in this area and are bringing hefty prices.

Given this situation and Marriott’s inability to recoup its investment or even to end the legal battle after 5 years, it seems likely that the company will abandon the assisted living project.

After intense research, the EHOA Board has been predicting for a year in our News Bulletin the market saturation on assisted living facilities across the country after intense research. The EHOA Co-President, Eugenia Vogel visited six assisted living facilities in Bergen County and the State of Florida. She was a witness for the City of Englewood at the Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ against the Marriott Corporation. During her testimony she was able to introduce numerous photos of Marriott’s assisted living facilities and their parking lots. These parking lots were consumed with heavy traffic from large refrigerated trucks, linen trucks, supply trucks and hundreds of vehicles driven by employees and visitors. All of these facilities were located next to a major highway. The EHOA Co-President Ruth Baum, helped fund four separate mailings to the homeowners in the first and second wards. Eugenia Vogel generously contributed to the legal fund and through our news bulletin we asked our membership to contribute as well. Our efforts have helped delay the building of this gigantic assisted living facility in the heart of a residential zone.

The ENDGAME has yet to be played, however. It is believed that Marriott will soon apply to the Zoning Board of Adjustment for a use variance to build 14 "multifamily dwelling" units on its 1.2 acres. The designation "multi-family dwelling" enables a developer to build as many as 12 units per acre instead of the 6 units permitted for town houses. At Palisades Place, the much-criticized new development on E. Palisade Avenue opposite the Dwight Place intersection, the builder took advantage of the density permitted for multi-family dwellings and then shoehorned in what are essentially town houses, which can be sold at a much higher price. Apparently Marriott will aggressively seek to replicate this scenario, pressing the Zoning Board for multi-family designation at 170 E. Palisade Avenue, where just last year the Board opted for townhouse zoning.

After fighting the assisted living project for so long -- and at high expense -- most of us would probably not like to see a twin of Palisades Place appear at the intersection of East Palisade and Lydecker. Doubtless, we would also oppose any plan that threatens to increase traffic danger on Dwight Place or Lydecker and any vehicular use of the neighboring Presbyterian Church driveways as a connecting link to Dwight Place. Other questions may come to light when Marriott fully reveals its plans, but overall the issues are fewer and far less complex than they were in the assisted living bout.

The Zoning Board has the power to approve or deny Marriott’s application, to determine what density is desirable for the site, and to offer an alternative to the applicant’s plan. The best strategy for protecting our neighborhood now is the same strategy we used successfully before: hire an attorney who is a zoning expert to represent us before the Zoning Board of Adjustment, and support him/her with a neighborhood presence. If we have strong financial support from Sutton Place Condominium and Dwight Place residents (as we had in the 1995 - 2000 assisted living struggle) and help from other neighbors (also as before), we will be able to put this plan into action. IF WE ACT, WE CAN WIN.

The EHOA welcomes townhouses on that site because it complies with our zoning laws. Lets make sure that they are well planned and with the proper green buffers.

We will keep you informed. We would like to hear your Views or questions. Please call:

Marshal Hagen
Sutton Place
567-3105

Frances Hoffman
Dwight Place
569-6035

Valerie Finkel,
Dwight Place
541-0280

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