Englewood Cliffs Democrats Recommend Moving Forward with Appeal to Fight Sylvan Avenue Court Ruling

Mayor Kranjac Agrees to Work with Democratic Councilmembers to Fight Against Overdevelopment after Judge’s Decision

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. — The Englewoods Cliffs Democratic Council majority is moving forward with a plan to appeal Superior Court Judge Christine Farrington’s ruling against the Borough that could potentially force the construction of 800+ dense multifamily housing units at the 800 Sylvan Avenue property and other sites throughout the community. The premise of the appeal centers on Judge Farrington’s decision to not accept the recommendation of the court appointed master that would allow the Borough to meet the need of its affordable housing requirement. Englewood Cliffs Democrats are confident that the judge’s ruling is flawed and will do everything within their power to fight for a better outcome for the Borough.

“The residents of Englewood Cliffs have made their concerns clear about the scope of this project and the impact it will have on our Borough,” said Council President Gloria Oh. “Now, we must work in good faith to fight against this unfair and misinformed ruling that puts a tremendous strain on our municipal services and an imbalanced burden on local taxpayers. Mayor Kranjac promised he would prevent this project from moving forward, but he has so far failed to deliver on that. After discussing the ruling this morning, it appears the Mayor is ready to work with us to achieve the best possible outcome for our community.”

Last week’s ruling has given the green light for Normandy Real Estate Group to build its proposed development at the 800 Sylvan Avenue site, despite massive community opposition. The lawsuit stems from a disastrous decision made by members of the Planning Board appointed by Mayor Kranjac in November 2017 to deny the company’s application to build a commercial development at the site of the former Unilever headquarters. By denying the application, Kranjac’s appointees opened the borough up to the builder’s remedy lawsuit.

“Preventing this out of place and oversized development from coming to our community is the most pressing issue for the residents of Englewood Cliffs,” said Councilman Ed Aversa. “We cannot sit idly by as the Mayor fails to deliver on his promise to stop the project. Our decision to move forward with an appeal in court will give us the resources to protect the best interests of our constituents. The Council majority is looking forward to having the cooperation of the Mayor throughout this process.”

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