A hero walks among us in the form of former Mayor Thomas Wanner who has filed a lawsuit against the borough, the mayor and council, and the planning board. Wanner could have just walked away from business in Westwood and let it all go to hell, which it will certainly do, with or without him.
But Wanner knows that nobody on the borough council has the best interests of Westwood as a sole motivation for action. That’s what you get when you elect realtors, developers, and inexperienced weaklings to the council. Instead, Wanner seems intent on fighting for our desire, or rather our legal mandate via the Master Plan, to be a town and NOT a city.
Oh, you think that won’t happen, do you? It’s already begun. Just look at the subtle traces of city all around you. Does the phrase “Tree City U.S.A.” ring a bell? Oh, the council has touted that glory for years. Why not “Tree Town” or “Tree Borough”?
Remember the phrase “transit village”? Just because you forgot about it, doesn’t mean it isn’t being rammed down your throat by the borough council. The council is devious, it carries out discussion in closed session and then just rubber stamps the discreet deal in open session.
What about this medical college idea for the former Pascack Valley Hospital site? The powers that be have used the old stand-by of emotional blackmail to ramrod the ordinances and rezoning of that site to include a college in opposition to the Master Plan. They told you that they would give you back your precious hospital, so in return you can forsake everything you ever wanted for our tiny little borough, and you gave them a college.
Have you ever seen cities where colleges are located? New York, Newark, New Brunswick, Boston … the list of cities you don’t live in for a big reason goes on and on.
With colleges arrive college bookstores, increased traffic, overcrowding, more rental units, increased demand for parking, all-night cafes and eateries, parties, transient out-of-towners who don’t contribute locally in a positive way…
And for all of this to be possible, further dismantling of the Master Plan must continue. It is already happening right before your eyes. What are you doing to ensure that we remain a town and NOT a city? Clearly it’s not enough, so thanks to our hero Thomas Wanner, somebody has taken a stand. But you’re not saved yet; Wanner’s stand is as superficial as the good intentions of the Westwood mayor, council, and planning board. In the end, the Borough will win because abusive politicians are far more dangerous than a lone hero.
by Mr. Westwood
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