Controversial Waterview Development Decision Delayed

A couple hundred people filed into the Parsippany Hills High School Auditorium Tuesday night for the council meeting's discussion, presentation, public hearing and vote on the controversial ordinance, which rezones a tract of land in the Waterview complex. 


However, it was made clear that the public hearing would close at 10:30 p.m. and if there were still people who wanted to speak, the issue would be postponed until the Oct. 1 meeting; and that's what happened after about 30 people spoke, most against the rezoning ordinance.

The public hearing will be continued at the next council meeting, which will take place at Parsippany Hills HS at 7 p.m. 

At Tuesday night's meeting, there were presentations from:

Ed Snieckus, of Burgis Associates, Inc., on the inconsistencies/consistencies of the proposal with the township's master plan. In summary, he said that the proposed overlay can be found to effectuate several objectives of the Master Plan.

Gordon Meth, director of traffic engineering with the RBA Group, Inc., on the traffic impacts. Ultimately, he said that “Overall the traffic impacts are wide-ranged, large scale, really non-existent."

Joseph Burgis, Principal of Burgis Associates, on the fiscal impacts. In his presentation, he said that the estimated annual tax revenues would total $1,137,259, the total per capita retail trade expenditure would be $1.47 million and total site development fees would be $1.4 million. 

Check back with Patch for more on the presentations, reactions from the council and the public.