Politics & Government

Two-Year Crossroads Testimony to Wrap Jan. 27

The public will be able to provide comments and give testimony on the proposed shopping center development that night. Then, the Board will vote on the Crossroads preliminary site plan application.

A two-year long preliminary hearing on the site plan application for the Crossroads Town Center, a 600,000 square foot shopping center proposed to surround the Sheraton Mahwah Hotel, will end in January.

At a hearing Monday night, representatives of the Crossroads Developer finished their years-long testimony about their application, which seeks preliminary approval from the township’s Planning Board. 

The Board scheduled the final Crossroads preliminary site plan hearing meeting for Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

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At that meeting, township officials said, Crossroads reps will present their closing remarks on the entire application, and residents will have the opportunity to make comments about the center, provide testimony for the board to consider, and even provide their own witnesses.

Planning Board attorney Peter Scandariato told residents Monday exactly what they could expect at the January meeting.

Find out what's happening in Mahwahwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“This is the end,” Scandariato said of the hearing.

“On the 27th, anyone who wants to present evidence, testimony, [or present witnesses can do it]…You will be sworn in, and [Crossroads attorney Jim] Jaworski will have the right to cross examine you,” he said.

Board Chairman Todd Sherer said the board will decide after the public comment section whether it will vote on the application that night, or carry the vote to a future meeting.

Though Sherer said he anticipates the public hearing will take “hours” he said he does not think it will attract an exhorbitant number of residents, as the initial hearing on the ordinances allowing for the development of the shopping center in March of 2011 did.

He estimated “maybe 50” people will attend the final hearing in January. Over 250 people attended the first one.

At their final testimony Monday night, Crossroads representatives discussed the proposed architectural look of the development, and the security plan that would be in place there. Check Patch in the coming days for details about both.


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