By ALLISON PRIES
STAFF WRITER
Bergen Record December 8, 2007
ALLENDALE -- The borough finalized the purchase of a 3-acre parcel, known as Orchard Commons, on Friday.
Located at West Orchard Street and Franklin Turnpike, the property had been approved for 24 town houses. It had been clear cut and construction was imminent when in July, Mayor Vince Barra negotiated a deal with the developer to sell the land to the town for $4.8 million. The sale became final this week.
"It's an incredible day for the borough of Allendale," Barra said in a phone interview Friday as he was stepping into the closing.
"I get Thanksgiving and holiday cards from people I don't even know telling me how great they feel that we could save that property," he said. "This closes one page but opens up another as to what's going to be there."
Harold P. Cook III, an attorney for landowner Ray Alvarez, credited the mayor.
"Both parties benefited because of the persistence of the mayor," he said. "He moved mountains. ... If it weren't for him, it would not have happened."
The borough plans to keep most of the property as open space. A $72,500 matching funds community development grant from the county will help pay for landscaping, streetlights and sidewalks. Some of Allendale's portion of the $72,500 will come from donations. Officials hope businesses will sponsor 10 streetlights for $2,000 each, Barra said. The rest, he said, will come from the 2008 budget.
A citizens group, along with the mayor and council, will oversee the project.
"We want to create a very passive, beautiful, natural-looking piece of land," said Beth Fylstra, chairwoman of the yet-unnamed citizens group.
The group will meet in the next few weeks, she said, to decide exactly what will go on the land.
Some ideas include growing a flower garden, replacing the original pond, planting indigenous trees and putting a meadow at the top of the site.
The group also hopes to reach out to the schools to make this an educational experience for local children. "What we want is for it to be a true community project," Fylstra said.
About a half-acre of the land will be built upon. The borough hopes to construct two small buildings -- with eight to 10 units for seniors or the disabled -- to help satisfy its affordable housing requirements, Barra said.
The mayor will travel to Trenton next week to see what funding may be available. "They love the concept and are in complete support," Barra said. Whether they are in the position to offer money remains to be seen, he said.