Community Corner

Proposed Sober Home, Kinderkamack Strip Mall Hearing This Week

Here's a look at the week ahead.

Some Hillsdale residents are concerned about the safety of local children because of a proposed sober living home near George G. White Middle School.

The Hillsdale Council is scheduled to discuss the property during their meeting this week.

Donna Lally, the home's owner, previously told Patch that she understood the concerns, but believed there would not be any problems. She plans to have as many as four "executive men" living in the upstairs portion of the home. The residents would have already completed rehab programs. There would be no court-ordered residents and they would voluntarily pay to stay in the home.

Find out what's happening in Westwood-Hillsdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The location is ideal for a home like this because it is within walking distance for residents to run errands and use ublic transportation, Lally said.

Borough officials said they had been surprised to learn about the facility after a resident brought them a brochure. Mayor Max Arnowitz said the proximity to the middle school warranted a review.

Find out what's happening in Westwood-Hillsdalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Hillsdale Council meets Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Borough Hall.

Kinderkamack Road Strip Mall Hearing

The Westwood Zoning Board is scheduled to continue hearing an application this week for a five-store strip mall at the site of the former Chevy dealer on Kinderkamack Road.

Possible tenants for the site include a 7-Eleven and a hair salon.

The new application is almost identical to one rejected by the board earlier this year. Board members had said they were concerned about a proposed "general retail" use variance that was requested as part of the plan.

The applicant appealed the rejection and filed a second application without a the "general retail" request, creating a potential conflict between the two plans for the same site.

Last month, attorneys for the board and the applicant came to an agreement to hold off the appeal so that the new application could continue. The new application requests specific use variances for some of the planned businesses in the mall.

The applicant also has plans for a similar retail space across the street at another part of the former Chevy dealer.

The Westwood Zoning Board meets Monday at 8 p.m. in the Municipal Complex.

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.


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