Teaneck—A large crowd turned out at Teaneck’s latest town council meeting on Tuesday evening, September 8, to protest the proposed rezoning of the World of Wings property as a residential complex, which is currently pending purchase, contingent on its rezoning, by AvalonBay Communities. Before opening the floor to resident statements, Councilman/Deputy Mayor Elie Katz, who chaired the meeting, reminded the public that the resolution to rezone the property for residential development does not have any bearing on the owner’s choice of the proposed buyer, AvalonBay.
The residents’ concerns appeared to be multi-layered. First, residents shared worries about AvalonBay specifically, having repeatedly mentioned fire safety issues raised in regard to other company properties. “They have a reputation for building fire-unsafe buildings,” said one resident. Second, residents mentioned the unnecessary risk of building a residential complex in close proximity to the CSX Rail Line, which regularly idles and parks their trains in the vicinity. Third, resident Daniel Rosenbloom stated that AvalonBay has a history of boasting to its investors that it keeps its returns to its investors high by aggressively pursuing property tax appeals, indicating that the perceived boost in tax revenue by the town may in fact not ever be realized.
Wearing orange stickers, Teaneck residents spoke in three-minute increments about their strong opposition to the proposed project by AvalonBay. Combined with the proximity that the property has to the CSX railroad, residents admonished the council members for considering such a “dangerous, large construction project. Why are we selling our safety, which is priceless, for what may be a pittance?” asked one resident.
“Oil and people don’t mix,” said Howard Rose, a Teaneck resident and Cedar Lane business owner.
A representative from the Coalition to Ban Unsafe Oil Trains said a recent resolution by their organization called for a ban on the idling and parking of trains on the oil lines. “We are very concerned about the exhaust, which is carcinogenic. Bakken Crude Oil, which is transported on this line, is dangerous.” The representative reminded the council that 47 people were killed in a Bakken Crude Oil accident in the Midwest just two years ago.
“I am calling for a moratorium on everything to do with AvalonBay,” said the coalition representative. “They have a record of fires. That area by World of Wings, where one track becomes three in Teaneck? That’s where they idle, that’s where they sit, day and night. It makes no sense to allow that kind of a building complex in our town,” she said.
“The only people who are going to make any money on this are lawyers,” said Naomi Kramer, a Teaneck resident.
Teaneck Town Council Member Alan Sohn said he is also extremely concerned with the security of the CSX tracks, and said that in regard to potential tax dealings with AvalonBay, with whatever income that comes in, “We have to ensure that we keep that,” he said.
“I would encourage everyone wearing an orange sticker to reach out to the World of Wings owners, because they ultimately have the power of selling their property to whoever they want to sell it too,” said Teaneck Town Council Member Jason Castle. Castle added that the council can encourage the owners to consider certain approaches or do certain things, but the actual power to sell lies in the hands of the sellers.
“The revitalization and reincarnation of Word of Wings from its current stage is vital for the tax base of the Township,” said Mark Schwartz, a Teaneck Town Council Member who is also JLNJ’s co-publisher. “We are diligently working on cutting expenses and must continue to raise revenue as well. More importantly, this type of housing is sorely needed in our township. While I fully support the train coalition’s push to ban the hazardous activities of CSX, not constructing along the railroad tracks is not practical. There are hundreds of thousands of Americans, if not more, that neighbor railroad tracks. Life needs to go on.”
By Elizabeth Kratz
