Sustaining Responsible Growth and Stabilizing Taxes
When it comes to taxes, an important aspect is to grow revenue through smart development and ensure that the Town grows with the residents. One way to accomplish this is to prepare and clearly chart the type of growth we wish to create. Teaneck has several projects that are currently being developed.
- A new dual brand hotel in the Glenpointe area will bring with it an additional $1,000,000+ in revenue (on what was an old parking lot)
- On Palisades Avenue, Windsor Road, Teaneck Road and State Street, new residential facilities will create updated options for apartments and bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars in new revenue
Growth is important for stabilizing taxes. Targeted and planned growth is essential.
As the Vice-Chair of the Teaneck Planning Board, Keith Kaplan has been an outspoken advocate of changing the way we handle development within the Township. Keith and Jim will focus on a mixed use model that creates communities and options for our residents. A community that strengthens our retail shopping districts while benefiting those that choose to live here and make Teaneck their home.
Renters want shopping and restaurant options
In residential units being built in or near our existing business districts, projects should include a model similar to this one:
- Retail shopping on the first floor, with a zero foot setback so those walking on the sidewalks can go into shops
- Optional office space on the second floor (eliminating the need for banks / tax prep services in prime first floor retail locations)
- 3 or 4 floors of apartments above the retail / office space
Strategic Thinking For Development Projects
Here’s the crux of the issue – as much as a neighborhood needs retail space, retail needs a neighborhood. We need to start thinking strategically about how to:
- Create a cycle of development that benefits our residents
- Provides foot traffic for our business districts
- Encourages turnover and investment in our buildings for the future
Affordable Housing
On the Planning Board, Keith Kaplan voted to mandate that all rental units in the Township include an affordable housing component and voted to reject a developers request for payment in lieu of providing affordable housing. Keith and Jim firmly believe that our rental facilities should reflect our makeup. In accordance with our views on the need for transparency, the lottery for affordable housing will take place in public at Town Hall.
A Comprehensive Approach
We also must stop neglecting aspects of the township like road repair and streetscapes. A Teaneck Road streetscape is not merely a project to make it look nicer. The streetscape (and new mixed use facilities) create a tangible benefit for those living nearby. We must remain focused on the needs of our residents. It is also part of an indispensable cycle that promotes foot traffic to shops which encourages stores to open, which in turn, encourages new renters, which promotes foot traffic.
If elected we will hold listening sessions with members of the community to see exactly what your vision of the Township entails. Together, we can plot a course and strategically plan the next steps to create the future in which we wish to live.
Keith Kaplan: A forward looking view to addressing parking in Teaneck