History of the Emerson Redevelopment: Part I

I will be posting a series of historical background facts over the next few days on the history of redevelopment in Emerson. I am hoping that by sharing these events people can understand what is presently happening in the Borough. This will help to illustrate the long path that our elected officials have had to follow in their efforts to comply with our Constitutional mandates.

The issues of redevelopment, affordable housing and eminent domain are presently of great interest throughout the State and especially Bergen County. The Borough of Emerson has been involved with these issues since March 2000, when the Borough was sued by a developer seeking to construct a 16 unit housing development on Emerson Plaza East. In that decision, the Judge wrote “Emerson New Jersey persists as a bastion of exclusionary zoning" and follows with "the New Jersey Constitution shall not be permitted to merely remain a vague rumor in Emerson". At that point, the Borough had to begin to take its obligations to expand its housing options seriously, as we became known as a “court town”.

The Borough of Emerson started their efforts in 1999, where the reexamination of the Borough’s Master Plan recommended that the Borough “prepare a central business district plan for the study area”. A Central Business District (CBD) Plan was adopted in 2003. That Plan provided “a comprehensive, integrated plan for an upgraded and integrated CBD”. (See the Borough’s 2004 Redevelopment Area Study Report, page 8) That Plan was subsequently developed into the Redevelopment Plan adopted by the Mayor and Council in 2006. 

When I initially took office in 2007, I proceeded to implement this plan that was put in place by my predecessor and his council. His council that adopted the plan the prior year was the same council that was serving with me in 2007. I will detail those efforts in my next posting. It is important to note that this should not be a partisan political issue, but rather a matter of elected officials upholding their oath to enforce the Constitution of the State of New Jersey. As an example, the Borough’s 2004 redevelopment area study was commissioned by a bi-partisan council, consisting of five Republicans, one Democrat and a Republican Mayor. Then, the actual Redevelopment Plan, adopted in 2006, was adopted by the same political affiliations of elected officials, five Republicans, one Democrat and a Republican Mayor. The current Governing Body, consisting of five Democrats, one Republican and a Democratic Mayor, is simply trying to implement a small part of the far reaching Redevelopment Plan previously adopted by the 2006 Council.

As usual, please feel from to reach out with any questions to mayor@emersonnj.org. I will pick up with our efforts from 2007 through 2010 in my next posting. Below are links to Judge Harris’s 2001 decision, the Borough’s 2004 Redevelopment Area study and the 2006 Redevelopment Plan.

http://www.emersonnj.org/…/Judge_Harris_Decision_Affordable…

http://www.emersonnj.org/…/Burgis_Planning_Report_Area_in_N…

http://www.emersonnj.org/…/Redevelopment_Plan_Burgis_2006.p…