DEP: Proposed CVS Site Owner Violated State Law
Work done to the Pascack Road site in Washington Township violated the state Flood Hazard Area Control Act.
The owner of a Washington Township property being considered for use as a CVS violated New Jersey's Flood Hazard Area Control Act, according to officials from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
In a February 4 letter to 660 Pascack Realty, LLC, the owner of the properties, Bureau of Coastal and Land Use Compliance and Enforcement Regional Supervisor Armand Perez wrote that the violations included the removal of vegetation, placement of fill and construction of a retaining wall.
The DEP previously found that the stream which passes behind the site is a Category One waterway, meaning that any major developments to the site require their permission.
The letter gave the property owner 15 days to submit a plan to correct the problem and 30 days to restore the property or apply for a permit.
Carmine Alampi, the attorney representing applicants First Hartford Realty and CVS in their application to the township Zoning Board, was not immediately available for comment.
The plan calls for a new 14,500-square-foot CVS with a drive-thru to be built on the corner of Pascack Road and Washington Avenue on properties currently occupied by a few houses. If the plan is approved by the Zoning Board, the applicants have agreed to donate a portion of the site to the county for a proposed intersection improvement.
Hearings for the plan have continued since the DEP found that the stream was a Category One waterway, but the plan may require state approval even if the board gives it the go-ahead.
DEP rep Bob Considine told Patch that the property owner had requested a 90-day extension to apply to their Division of Land Use Regulation.
Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Jim Leggate at Jim.Leggate@patch.com, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Not GZ
8:43 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Do these.houses have led paint? If so the white one was scraped and painted with no proper remedeation protection.
kdkins
10:13 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Lead is only one of the problems. Ask the people who own the houses BEHIND the site, as they have definitely been impacted. Or the condo owners on the side of the site - how much are they going to appreciate a DRIVE THRU right next to their very highly taxed condos. Do the taxpayers have no say in this? We still haven't answered the question as to why we need a drive-thru CVS, when there is a BRAND NEW CVS a couple of miles over the hill in Westwood, while at the same time there is a RITE AID in the WT strip. Do we really need another mega drug store? When are the meetings for the public's input? Not necessary, right? Enjoy people. Hey - maybe they'll get the right zoning for a 24-hour drive thru?
Jim Leggate
10:17 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Regarding your question on the public input: anyone can question the witnesses who testify during the hearings (next one is March 19) and there's always a public comment portion toward the end of an application. I will post a heads-up when the board plans to hold the public comment time so anyone interested knows.
B@B
1:10 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
I think the zoning board and our local government has demonstrated quite clearly that they do not feel that people who actually live in town have any say on anything; the only thing that matters is corporate interests from outside the community. THAT is who their constituency is.
kdkins
11:21 am on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Thanks Jim - appreciate the "head up"!
ddubs
1:08 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
this is stupid! just pure stupid! NO ONE needs another rite aid, when there are two within less than 5 miles of our town! If the public is allowed at the meeting, I may or may not drop by then and speak, til then, my thoughts are it's a stupid. THINK OF THE PEOPLE, NOT YOURSELVES!
Janice
2:34 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
The residents of Twp of Washington DO NOT WANT another drug store, when CVS is less than 3 miles away, and rite aid is a mile down the road.
Dana Egbert
7:48 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
I'm a resident, and I have no problem with a CVS. It's much better than the two eyesores there now.
B@B
10:37 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Dana, I hope you realize what the owner of these properties has done here. He has let his properties fall to neglect and made them eyesores so that people will prefer ANYTHING be put there. This is how he has held a proverbial gun to the Township's head -- "Give my my CVS or I'll burn down the village", is essentially what he's saying. And when you say that you'd rather have a CVS there because it's better than his decrepit properties, you're giving him exactly what he wants, whether it's good for the Township or not (and it clearly is NOT).
Steve Sass
7:48 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Using the logic that this town does not need two drug stores, the why would we need two pizza stores either. I guess this means I won’t be seeing any of the you in Originals when they open. I wouldn’t want to be seen as a hypocrite.
It is not up to anyone of us to decide whether or not the town “needs” a second drug store. It is up to the free market, that is the American way.
Rite Aid does not accept all prescription plans, mine is one of them, which one of you will volunteer to drop off my prescriptions and then drive back and pick it up in Westwood for me?
Westwood Mom
11:51 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Sreve - the new CVS in Westwood has a drive-thru and parking just in case you want to drop off a prescription and then go for pizza at one of our 3 pizza parlors (just down the street - within walking distance) while you wait... Just a thought :)
Westwood Mom
11:51 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Correction - Steve (sorry for the typo)
Steve Sass
8:05 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Westwood Mom - thanks for the great idea if only time was an unlimited resource. My time is very valuable, I have very little time between work and commuting, there is not much time left over for my family, volunteer work and fixing things at the house. Perhaps you can arrange for some stay at home moms with extra time on their hands to run some trips back and forth to CVS to pick up their prescriptions.
Ouija
1:46 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Local pizza joints, Starbucks, and even the omnipresent nail salons at least have a small footprint. I have never seen a CVS store that fit in with its surroundings...they are all huge, hulking, grotesque monoliths that dwarf everything near them. Prescriptions are a small part...most of the stores are just endless aisles devoted to shampoo, snacks, face creams and candy bars. I have nothing against CVS (aside from their hit-or-miss pharmacies) but they could at least make an effort to try and enhance their environment rather than dominate it.
Westwood Mom
3:00 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Steve - again... the NEW CVS in Westwood HAS A DRIVE-THRU! OMG!!! All of our time is valuable & I'd like to inform you there aren't that many stay-at-home Moms theses days - no one can afford it. I commute (work) & volunteer just like you, my comment was meant as a helpful hint with a bit of levity. I have to say to you though, the stay-at-home moms I know volunteer SO much (because so many moms have regular jobs) it's like working BUT not getting paid for it. Take care of the kids, school & all that goes with it these days and you'd realize that: ALL MOMS ARE WORKING MOTHERS! Maybe on your day off, you could take your family & check out the NEW CVS in WW, then go see a movie - go for pizza, ice cream or dinner with them... you seem to need to use some of your "valuable" time to relax instead of blog.
Pauline
10:37 pm on Wednesday, March 13, 2013
I agree with Dana, a CVS in that corner will vastly improve the appearance of the area. Also, I agree with Steve, let the free market decide whether we need a second drug store or not. My Mom's prescription plan is not accepted at Rite Aid either.
B@B
8:05 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Pauline, it is not a free market when the business interests hold all the marbles and when a business interest with no stake in the community deliberately turns his properties into eyesores to force the town into accepting a nonconforming use for said properties. The owner of the properties has been holding the town hostage for years. Why should we reward such behavior? If you or I maintained our properties like this (or rather, didn't maintain them), we would be cited and fined...and yet this guy will be rewarded with a giant nonconforming traffic jamming monstrosity. Please tell me why you regard this as acceptable behavior and why businessmen should be exempt from good community citizenship.
Chris Cortazzo
11:20 am on Thursday, March 14, 2013
I'm always amazed at the unlimited demand for drug stores... That being said, if land can be donated to add turning lanes on Pascack, the store could be a win-win for the land owner and the community.
Newsflash
9:44 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
Chris, you hit on something that some of these writers do not know. The County has already stated that this intersection must be improved which will cost the town millions of dollars. This cost is being passed on to the CVS and the gas station. Unfortunately we live next door to where they are erecting the cell tower and although we fought it, it is going there anyway. People want it just like there is a need to fix the intersection.
kdkins
1:06 pm on Thursday, March 14, 2013
Well, I guess driving less than three miles to patronize the CVS in Westwood is just too much for some people to fill their prescriptions --- AND the huge RITE AID in the strip mall doesn't have the "right" prescription plan - then by all means, let's construct a duplicate mega-drugstore on a critical corner in our town to save the two mile drive to Westwood for the few whose prescription plans don't "work" at the Rite Aid. And, regarding the pizza parlors - I'm actually quite excited that Original is coming back to the strip -- as they were there when I moved here over 30 years ago. As was the small pharmacy/gift shop next door "the Winding Ridge Pharmacy". Yes, we have multiple pizza parlors, but last time I checked they didn't require major acreage -- a new traffic system/ traffic light, and an impact study of what the car/bus situation will be (have you seen the policeman checking his clipboard at SEASONS in the morning checking bus/car traffic). The eyesore you speak of was "created" by the current owners who took liberties in developing a commercial property without taking into consideration water issues and easement issues for starters. Let's ask the taxpaying residents on Meisten and in the condo complex how they feel about a mega CVS on that corner. I'm guessing they feel their property values will greatly diminish by being bordered by a commercial strip.
Newsflash
9:44 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
You know the owner could turn around and put low income housing in there!
Joe Soccodato
9:45 am on Friday, March 15, 2013
Big Pharma .
George Parowski
1:18 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
I think it would be a blight for the Township of Washington and an eyesore.
Pascack Road is rather picturesque the whole length from Paramus up through Park Ridge.
Ouija
11:53 am on Saturday, March 16, 2013
I agree. It's a little thing, but the twinkling trees that surround Seasons Restaurant will be dwarfed by the blinding lights of CVS.
payanks00
5:28 pm on Sunday, March 17, 2013
Let's not forget the potential blessing in disguise. They will hopefully FIX the intersection and widen the intersection. That is the real problem with that corner.
Jeffrey Tammen
6:43 pm on Tuesday, March 19, 2013
If seasons really cared about our community he would rethink the type of construction and down size it and put some town homes or condos or even rebuild and put 3 new homes which we will still be able to collect taxes.but please do not get blinded by the smoke and mirrors by seasons he needs more parking for his hall plus needs more room to store his goods off site.we do not need anymore buss since half the shopping center is vacant or close to it.some how he got approval by angus smith yrs ago to clear cut trees and put fill in .we do not know where that fill came from and they raised the grounds up like five feet next to a c1 stream. Go figure I cut down 6 over grown shrubs and re planted 16 new shrubs and I got a summons had to go to court and harassed by angus smith who in my opinion is a Hippocrate and the reasons why our town is paying the price for all these problems that were never addressed.thank goodness she is gone.
kdkins
8:35 am on Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The question remains - what is the zoning board doing approving another huge mega drugstore in our town, when we already have one (RITE AID) in a strip mall that has empty businesses? And, then ........there is a duplicate megastore not even three miles away? Anyone familiar with what happened in Park Ridge across from the diner? First, it was a successful restaurant. Then, it was sold and rebuilt as a huge mega drugstore. Nobody went there (too many super drugstores in the area, perhaps) so it sat vacant. Then, it was a dollar store! Come on people ... let's use our voices, and our heads -- our elected officials do not have our best interests at heart. Right now the only argument about the property in question is the SIGNS ---- really? When's the town going to hold a meeting for the townspeople to attend and voice their opinion? How about a town hall meeting where the taxpayers get to have an impact on the decisions being made that affect their property's value. Go to the WT tax collector and demand a re-evaluation of your property. It's the only language that this town understands. After all, many of Westwood's residents did, and it added up to almost $17 million in re-evaluation. Now, municipal jobs will have to be evaluated ---- that's what we need to do! Force the evaluation of several municipal positions - and whether they are effective - or needed.
Newsflash
9:53 am on Wednesday, March 20, 2013
There is much more to it then that. Westwood is trying to dictate what kind of business can be put where the Ford dealer was. It remains empty. You cannot force businesses to open nor do you have the right to tell a landowner what he can and cannot put on his land if it falls within the guidelines of the town ordinances. If not, then it certainly can be contested thru the proper channels. Unfortunately in Park Ridge, the town dictated what kind of restaurant it wanted to replace the successful restaurant and it failed.
B@B
10:37 am on Wednesday, March 20, 2013
kdkins: WT is doing a revaluation this year, but don't think it will reduce your taxes. When they do a revaluation, your assessment may be reduced, but the tax rate will go up to offset the difference. If you had a successful appeal in the last few years, your assessment will in all likelihood not be reduced, and may be raised because of a slight recovery in the housing market. So those of us who appealed successfully will get socked big-time. I anticipate my taxes going up in excess of $2000/year as a result of the revaluation and my successful appeal in 2011. And if you have a large house, you will get a much better break than owners of smaller houses because prices dropped by percentage far more on the large houses. The zoning board has meetings where public comment is accepted. The problem is not that there aren't meetings, it's that at least in WT, the public's concerns are never, ever heeded.