Bergen County Real Estate News November 2005

Bergen County News

Bergen county news with an emphasis on aspects affecting real estate, residency and community issues.

Purchasing property in Elmwood Park

Elmwood Park is now emerging as a good locality for purchasing real estate in Bergen County. The area has a population of approximately 18,961 and is spread over 2.7 square miles. The median sale prices of houses in Elmwood Park have seen a rise over the year. Today these prices are at $345,000 with an average property tax of $5,467 for 2004-05. Schools in the area include the Elmwood Park Memorial School that is run for Grades 6-12. K-5 students can attend Gantner Avenue, Gilbert Avenue and Sixteenth Avenue schools. The Elmwood Park Houses are currently listed on 160 Palsa Ave. and 112 Elmwood Dr.

Leonia Schools Modernize

In Leonia of Bergen County, the ten-year plan to expand and modernize every school building has now been finished. The final development project included the construction of a new wing and gymnasium for the Leonia Middle School that completed in the last week of October 2005. The expansion cost $15.5 million and provided for middle school to accommodate increasing enrollments. Previous development projects included a new wing at the Anna C. Scott elementary school and new classrooms, music rooms, and laboratories at both the Scott school and the high school. As per sources, the total overhaul of the district facilities has cost taxpayers about $26.5 million.

Communication tower for Glen Rock

The borough at Glen Rock and officials at Ridgewood officials are in the process of discussing the possibility of an agreement to build a cellular tower on sewage treatment plant property that is in the borough but owned by Ridgewood. The project is still in the initial stages of development and the height of the tower; specific communications carriers and other details have not been worked out. While such projects have been on the cards for the towns for some time now, no resolutions have been passed on the same. The proposed tower will be discussed about on November 9, 2005 at the Glen Rock council work session.

Residents in Paramus are protected from eminent domain

As per a new law in Paramus, borough officials are now prohibited from taking private property for economic development. This ordinance that restricts the borough's powers of eminent domain has been put in place to protect residents and their homes. The new law prohibits the borough from taking owner-occupied private property. On the other hand, property can still be taken for public use, which includes the construction of a road, hospital, sewer, water line, open space or erosion control.

Shopping becomes easier with the Internet

For those residing in Edgewater and Middletown shopping and life has become a lot easier. Pathmark, has now emerged as the newest supermarket to offer online shopping with the launch of a program that allows shoppers in Edgewater and Middletown to place orders over the Internet and pick up their bagged groceries at the store. The program was launched on Monday, October 31, 2005. Once the success of the program is monitored, the store plans to roll out the plan of online ordering to other stores phase by phase.