Controversial Self Storage Hearing Gets Special Meeting Date

A special meeting date has been set for testimony about a proposed self storage facility which has some Fair Lawn residents worried it could worsen chronic flooding in their neighborhood.

The Saddle Brook Zoning Board tentatively set the date for September 24 during their meeting Monday, at which they had been scheduled to continue the hearing. Whether or not the meeting actually occurs that day will depend on the availability of Mark Madaio, the applicant's attorney, who may already have a meeting he must attend as a board attorney in Dumont that night. Patch will have more information closer to the date.

The plan calls for a 121,275-square-foot Lackland Self Storage facility and a smaller truck rental office to be built on Midland Avenue next to the Quik Chek. A rendering of the planned development can be viewed here.

Residents of Arcadia Road in Fair Lawn, a neighborhood which borders the property for the proposed facility, have said they're worried the project could worsen flooding in their homes because it would cover a large area which is currently undeveloped rolling fields.

The building, which would stand nearly 40 feet tall, would also be an eyesore next to their homes, which top out at 28 feet, some residents said.

Hearings for the application were delayed several times this summer, and some attendees at Monday's meeting appeared disgruntled by the additional wait. 

"I understand that you've been here several times, but we can't send you notice again," board Vice Chairman Tony Gatto said.

The extra time between Monday's meeting and the special meeting date will allow Bruce Rosenberg, the Fair Lawn Zoning Board attorney who the borough has asked to represent their interests in the matter, to review the plans and prepare his case. It will also give the developer time to meet with the county, which could result in some changes to the plan.

According to Madaio, the talks with the county could reduce flooding for Fair Lawn residents because of a proposal to have the borough's drainage system, which ends in that area, extend across their property and use a drainage ditch planned to be dug as part of the development.

That would be "a tremendous benefit to Fair Lawn," Madaio said.