Bergen County Real Estate News: March 29, 2005

Fort Lee Improves Downtown

Fort Lee is all set to improve downtown through a huge development project. For this the borough council awarded a contract to a Connecticut architectural firm in the first week of March. The firm will create design guidelines for improving the downtown business district. Councilman Mark Sokolich is spearheading the council’s efforts and is stressing the importance on improving main street. Do H. Chung and Partners of Stamford have been authorized by the council to complete the design guidelines at a fee of $150 per hour, not to exceed $15,000.

Low-income Housing in Englewood

Englewood held a ceremony on March 13, 2005 to celebrate the commencement of Bergen County’s Habitat for Humanity project. Under this project four duplexes and a single-story house will be sold to nine low-income working families. Each home will cost approximately $115,000 to build, and will be sold at below market rates with a no-interest mortgage. Each family buying a house will spend 400 hours helping to build their homes. The entire project is slated to be over in eighteen months. These homes will replace ramshackle and abandoned homes in Third Street, that neighbors said had become haven for drug dealers and prostitutes.

Environment Friendly Bergen County

Bergen County Utilities Authority brings eco-friendliness to the neighborhood with its free collection site. Residents with ID can avail of free collection, while a disposal fee will be charged for businesses. Toxic household wastes such as paint, motor oil and fluorescent lights can be dumped at the site. The first collection of toxic wastes was made on Saturday, March 19, 2005 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the foot of Empire Boulevard in Moonachie. Another collection will be held on April 10 at Bergen County Community College in Paramus. Five more collections will be held at three sites from May through October.

High End Real Estate in Bergen County

Home sales in Bergen County in the $1 million-plus range have become common in 2005. Common examples include the 60,000 sq ft mansion at Alpine that sold for $40 million and Eddie Murphy’s seven-bedroom Englewood estate that has an asking price of $30 million. The asking price for an eleven room house in Tenafly is over $1 million in the lower price range. However on an average Bergen County homes are usually listed below $15 million and few sell for more than $6 million. The clients who purchase these houses are normally heads of companies who entertain on corporate levels.

Placida Park in Englewood gets a facelift

Work will soon begin on Placida park in Englewood. Since 1999, the Placida Rotary Club has been raising money to build a nature park along Coral Creek in Placida. On Wednesday, 22nd March, 05, the project was commemorated at a ceremony that also celebrates the centennial of Rotary International. The park spread over an acre is situated close to the Coral Creek fishing pier. It will include a picnic area with tables, benches, bike racks, kayak and canoe launch. The club also hopes to use the old schoolhouse in the area as a museum.

North Jersey Anti-Authoritarian Anti-Capitalist Gathering

The North Jersey Anti-Authoritarian Anti-Capitalist Gathering has come together to achieve multiple goals. This year has seen the emergence of at least 5 such groups. The individuals involved in organizing the gathering represent a variety of activist organizations like Anti-Racist Action of North Jersey, Bergen Action Network, Anarchist Black Cross of New Jersey, Bergen County Bike Collective, Critical Resistance, Ever Reviled Records, and One Peoples Project. This gathering will be held on Saturday March 26th 2005 from 9AM – 7PM at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Essex County, 35/47 Cleveland Street, Orange, NJ. A pre-gathering will be held at Grounds in Jersey City (530 Jersey Ave.) on the night of Friday, March 25, 2005.

Large Homes in Bergen County

Township residents in Teaneck and other parts of Bergen County are calling for stricter zoning regulations. This is being asked to curb the development of large homes that extend much further than neighborhood homes. Mostly located in West Englewood and northwest Teaneck, township residents feel that such structures erode the small-town feel and quality of life of their habitat. Also they may have serious impact on the environment, as many trees need to be cut to make big houses. Various recommendations have thus been made in the zoning regulations.

In Alpine, Cresskill, Ridgefield and Wood-Ridge ordinances aim to limit home sizes. Cresskill uses a floor-area ratio formula, which limits a home’s square footage to a percentage of the lot size. A Teaneck committee consisting of Township Council, Planning Board and Board of Adjustment members was formed two years ago to address the large-home issue and recently made several zoning code recommendations.

Find out more about Bergen County homes available for sale. Anat Eisenberg can help you find your dream real estate property. Anat is no ordinary real estate agent. In short, she is professional, honest and dedicated. Call: 201-750-6232 or email here.