Englewood Cliffs Would Become 'Fort Lee North' if LG Builds Tower, Record Says

Yet another institution has condemned LG's proposed eight-story tower overlooking the Palisades.

In an editorial published Sunday, The Record says Englewood Cliffs residents must act to avoid the borough becoming "Fort Lee North."

"The chairman of the Palisades Interstate Park Citizens' Advisory Council raised concerns about the building's height before variances were granted, but those concerns were ignored by zoning officials," the paper's editorial board wrote. 

"The borough is no longer a steward of the Palisades; it has other priorities. Not enough residents were paying attention or were troubled by LG's variances and the additional rezoning. If Englewood Cliffs' residents do not want their borough to become 'Fort Lee North,' they must wake up, get involved and exert their power in the next municipal election cycle."

Englewood Cliffs approved LG’s proposal after a series of public hearings that brought little public opposition.

The Korean electronics giant says its consolidation project—measuring 143 feet—will bring desperately-needed jobs to the area. County Executive Kathleen Donovan has staunchly supported LG's efforts. A new headquarters would yield an additional $1.3 million in tax revenue to Englewood Cliffs (10 percent of its municipal budget,) according to officials. The design of the tower would also be among the greenest in the country.

Those benefits haven't stopped cultural institutions like The Cloisters, four former New Jersey governors, NYC borough presidents, The New York Times, environmentalists and others from slamming the project. 

Views of the pristine Palisades would be forever sullied should the tower be built, they've argued. Opponents of the proposal say the general public is widely against the construction plan.

Court mediation between LG and opposition parties (environmental groups and a pair of Englewood Cliffs residents) failed in June. 

In statements to the press, the electronics company says it's confident it will prevail in court, with a building potentially completed by 2016.