BOE to Appoint Superintendent, ‘Hudson Lights’ Memorialization, More

The Week Ahead: a look at just some of what’s coming up this week in Fort Lee.

The Fort Lee Board of Education will hold a special public business meeting Tuesday at which appointment of a superintendent and an assistant superintendent are expected, bringing to an end months of speculation as to who would be in charge of the district once Interim Superintendent Steven Engravalle’s interim status expires at the end of June. The board’s choices are to appoint a permanent superintendent—whether Engravalle or the one other finalist—or extend Engravalle’s interim status. At a meeting on June 11, the board announced that the search for a permanent superintendent was down to two finalists for the position. School board member and chair of the personnel committee Peter Suh said the board had interviewed one of the finalists …

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William Mays

11:04 pm on Monday, June 25, 2012

Yay, this week we get to see Engravalle's coronation ceremony.   more ›

Week Ahead: BOE Special, Graduation, Summer Events Begin

A look at just some of what’s coming up this week in Fort Lee.

The Fort Lee Board of Education Monday kicks off a busy week for the local school system with a special meeting at Fort Lee High School. During a private session, the board will discuss personnel issues and the appointment of a superintendent, and although the agenda for the public session doesn’t currently include resolutions appointing a superintendent or renewing the contracts of previously non-renewed teachers like seventh grade Language Arts teacher Christina Martelo or seventh grade Science teacher Ian Zellman, walk-in resolutions are always possible. At the BOE’s meeting last week, school board officials said the superintendent search was down to two finalists, and students and others have been speaking out at meetings since May 7 …

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Affordable Housing Advocates Challenge Board Approval of 'Area 5' East Plan

The Fair Share Housing Center filed a complaint regarding FLRA’s approval for the eastern half of Redevelopment Area 5, saying Fort Lee did not provide “a realistic opportunity for affordable housing,” but borough officials say the case should be dismisse

A group that advocates for affordable housing filed a complaint challenging the Fort Lee Planning Board’s approval of Fort Lee Redevelopment Associates (FLRA)’s plan for the eastern half of Redevelopment Area 5 on the 45th day of the 45-day appeal period, borough officials said. But Fort Lee’s borough attorney and other officials also say they believe the complaint is “without merit” and are hopeful it won’t delay groundbreaking on the project. At Thursday’s Mayor and Council meeting, Fort Lee Councilman and Planning Board member Armand Pohan said the board “accomplished a major step” over the past few months by approving FLRA’s plan for the East parcel and Tucker Development Corporation’s plan for the western half “of the vacant property …

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Billy Mays

9:25 pm on Saturday, June 30, 2012

But Daniel, you are still talking through your hat. Don't blame me for being superior to you in everything.   more ›

Mayor ‘Guardedly Confident’ Area 5 West Project Will Be Built

The Fort Lee Planning Board approved the “Hudson Lights” project for the western half of Redevelopment Area 5 Monday, which now sets in motion a process Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich says could end with a groundbreaking by the end of September.

The Fort Lee Planning Board Monday unanimously approved Tucker Development Corporation’s mixed-use site plan for the roughly eight-acre West parcel of Redevelopment Area 5, but Fort Lee Mark Sokolich says groundbreaking on the long-vacant 16 acres of land just south of the George Washington Bridge is still months away, and that he has “guarded confidence that it will be constructed.” “It’s never been closer in its 46-year, tattered past,” Sokolich said Tuesday morning. “It’s never been vetted more; it’s never been analyzed more.” Tucker was seeking final approval of its plan, known as Hudson Lights, for more than 165,000 square feet of retail space, a 175-room hotel, about 477 residential units and parking for an estimated 1,200 cars. In …

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Area 5 West Parcel Developer to Continue Making Case Monday

The Fort Lee Planning Board’s fourth meeting on Tucker Development’s site plan application was rescheduled from May 21 after the board and the developer mutually agreed to do so in order to allow Tucker to get its plans in order.

On Monday evening, the Fort Lee Planning Board will reconvene to consider Tucker Development Corporation’s mixed-use site plan for the West parcel of Redevelopment Area 5 after postponing the meeting originally scheduled for May 21. At the third of four scheduled meetings on May 14, one member of the Planning Board called Tucker’s architectural plans “discombobulated,” and Tucker’s attorney, William F. Harrison, said the architect’s presentation had to be rushed, according to NorthJersey.com. Later that week, Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich told Patch that the developer was “barely halfway” to approval, and that while he was viewing the application with “guarded optimism,” he made no guarantees that it would be approved. “Sometimes, …

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Official: Developer’s Plans ‘Discombobulated,’ Tucker Attorney: Meetings Rushed

The Fort Lee Planning Board held the third of four scheduled public hearings Monday on Tucker Development Corporation’s site plan for the western half of Redevelopment Area 5.

Area 5 West Developer to Move a Step Closer to Approval Monday

Officials will continue to scrutinize the mixed-use site plan Monday for the western half of Redevelopment Area 5, including its commercial space, hotel, residential and parking. We want to know how you feel about the hearings so far.

The Fort Lee Planning Board will hold the third of four scheduled special meetings Monday on Tucker Development Corporation’s site plan for the roughly eight-acre West parcel of Redevelopment Area 5, otherwise known as “Hudson Lights at Fort Lee.” Tucker is seeking final approval of its plan for more than 165,000 square feet of retail space—enough for about 20 stores and a few restaurants—a 175-room hotel, about 477 residential units and parking for an estimated 1,200 cars. The previous two meetings—one on April 23, and another on May 7—have largely focused on signage and traffic, respectively. Tucker has estimated that the “Hudson Lights” project would add 560 to 1,200 “car trips” during peak weekday hours and as many as 1,500 such trips …

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Hearings to Begin Monday on Western Half Of 'Area 5'

The Fort Lee Planning Board meets Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the Fort Lee Community Center.

The Fort Lee Planning Board will hold the first of at least four special meetings Monday at the Jack Alter Fort Lee Community Center on Tucker Development Corporation’s mixed-use plan for the roughly eight-acre West parcel of Redevelopment Area 5. The board unanimously approved the “completeness” of the developer’s application on April 9, the first step in the approval process. Tucker’s application for the western portion of the property includes a 475-unit residential high-rise, a hotel and about 175,000 square feet of retail space. The series of public meetings comes about a month after the Planning Board approved Fort Lee Redevelopment Associates (FLRA)’s plan for the East parcel—a plan that includes two 47-story towers with 902 luxury …

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Board Accepts Development Plans For Western Half Of 'Area 5'

Next up: more public hearings. The Fort Lee Planning Board approved Monday the “completeness” of Tucker Development Corporation’s mixed-use application for residential, office, retail and hotel.

It will be another two weeks before Tucker Development Corporation’s site plan for the western half of Redevelopment Area 5 begins to be fully scrutinized, but the developer successfully completed the necessary first step Monday, as the Fort Lee Planning Board unanimously accepted its mixed-use plan for the roughly eight-acre parcel, or Phase 2 of the project. The Planning Board also set three public hearing dates, in addition to a tentative fourth. “We’re ready as soon as you’re ready,” said William F. Harrison, the attorney for Tucker. “Ideally we’d like to start on April 23.” Janet Cooney, who served as acting board chairwoman Monday in the absence of chairman Herbert Greenberg and vice chairman Steven Sakin, told Harrison to have his …

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Planning Board’s April 2 Special Meeting Cancelled

The next public meeting will be Monday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Fort Lee Community Center.

After approving Fort Lee Redevelopment Associates (FLRA)’s site plan for the East parcel of Redevelopment Area 5 on Monday, March 26, the Fort Lee Planning Board has cancelled its special meeting originally scheduled for Monday, April 2 at the Fort Lee Community Center, officials said. The meeting was cancelled “due to lack of agenda,” according to an announcement posted on the Borough of Fort Lee’s website. The next public meeting will be April 9, when one of the matters on the agenda will be Memorialization of the FLRA application for the East parcel. The April 9 meeting, which was originally scheduled to take place at Borough Hall, will in fact take place at the community center, according to Planning Board Administrator and Secretary …

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