Developer Says Condemnation Not the Answer
Howard Haberman says he's "deeply disappointed" by Bloomfield township's decision to condemn his property and wants to work with the town to build near the train station.
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Developer Howard Haberman said this week that he is "deeply disappointed" by Bloomfield's decision to use eminent domain to condemn his part of Bloomfield train station. And he vowed to fight the decision in court.
Haberman said he was dismayed that Bloomfield "has chosen to condemn our company’s Block 220 train station property rather than work with us to develop a first class restaurant, retail and office complex consistent with my father’s vision."
However, the township countered that Haberman has had years to rehab the property – which is covered in graffiti and has become an eyesore in the town.
“If he wanted to develop the property, and his father wanted to, why hasn’t he?” responded Glenn Domenick, Bloomfield’s Director of Community Development, who spoke to Patch on Tuesday. “You can see the current state of that structure. It’s been that way for 20-25 years.”
Domenick said he expects the issue will go to the court, especially in light of the fact that Haberman has previously sought legal action against the township multiple times.
“He’s been in and out of court for years, for graffiti, litter, deterioration of the walkways, snow removal, you name it,” he said.
Haberman said, rather than condemnation, he prefers that his company, Daval Corporation, to sit down with officials to develop a "workable strategy to renovate and revitalize Bloomfield Station." He added, "We are willing to start tomorrow on this effort. But unless this occurs, I have no viable option but to fight this condemnation in the appropriate legal channels.”
Domenick added that a potential lawsuit would not stop the forward motion of the town center redevelopment, “It won’t have an impact on the development,” he said. Still, he admitted, “It wouldn’t be good for the development project to have the station looking like that, in that state of disrepair.”
Currently the pavement of the walkway leading up the hill to the station is decaying, with graffiti marring the concrete walls. Earlier this summer, the front of the structure was blocked off with yellow plastic “Caution” tape. Signs instructing the public not to park there are displayed on parking meters near the taped-off area.
Domenick says it is currently unclear what, if anything, the town will do with the property.
“The court will determine if the town can do anything to the property,” he said. “The town was hoping Mr. Haberman would develop it himself. The town gave him an ample opportunity to develop the property, and he was negligent in doing so.”
Mayor Raymond McCarthy said he had no comment, citing the possibility of future litigation.
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Pat Gilleran
6:24 am on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Yep- No good deed goes unpunished. Bloomfield bites the hand that fed it. That property is valuable. Did you know that in a town where ABC licences can be counted on one hand that this site can apply to NJ transit and be granted a liquor licence. Worth it's weight in gold.
Eminent Domain - yet again. How many lawsuits has Bloomfield lost under McCarthy because of eminent domain. It's not like the town needed the property for a train station or township business - they want to give it to a developer at Mr. Haberman's expsense.
Nicole C
9:14 am on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Isn't it funny how now all of a sudden Mr Haberman wants
To "sit down and talk about it" to the town. How many years did his property sit there in disrepair. Its a shame he let it get to this point. I hope the town wins this, yet another battle to get this redevelopment done. His lack of regard for the community and for those who take the train daily has caused it to get this point. My husband and I take the train daily and I am embarrassed that I have to walk past this property. You deserve to lose Mr Haberman. Shame on you
Meghan Collins
9:49 am on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Please re-read the timeline. Haberman has been waiting for the town. I feel for him and think that he has a case. McCarthy is a boob and needs to be taken down. What is the town going to do with it. Spend more of our Tax Dollars on something that the town need not be involved in? Let Haberman develop his property.
John Lee
7:24 pm on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Halberman reminds me of the three big mac a day smoker who is shocked when his doctor says he's got heart disease.
william horan
1:26 pm on Wednesday, August 15, 2012
I could not agree more Mr haberman is a disgrace to humanity
Uncle Stevie
9:36 am on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
All this bickering is costing me money. This Township has no idea as to how to make money and not spend it. Shame on these politicals in control
jfc
5:33 pm on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Condemn it but sell it to someone else. It's an eyesore. It's a shame the building was let to waste this way. Shame on the railroad systems!
Nicole C
6:05 pm on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
@jfc forget the railroad systems, blame haberman for letting his property look the way it does
John Lee
7:25 pm on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
the train station building is owned by a private individual, NJ Transit has nothing to do with the building.
fxja
6:14 pm on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Once again, thank you to Bloomfield's elected leaders for doing something that's in the right direction. The status of quo of waiting for something to happen is over! If anything, this will surely get this owner off of his behind and at least put a plan on paper that shows the site hasn't been abandoned.
G. Lombardi
7:06 pm on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
I've lived in Bloomfield about 22 years and my wife is a lifelong Bloomfielder. I was initially unaware of where the borders of our Town lie or what the neighboring towns were for that matter. When I first drove past this eyesore many moons ago I naively asked my wife "What town we are in now Honey?" When she told me that spot was still in Bloomfield, I was shocked and appalled. That is still exists is a disgrace on every level!
Pat Gilleran
8:58 am on Wednesday, August 15, 2012
This is NOT the same article that I commented on Yesterday. The entire scope of the article has changed. I guess Patch is not really journalsim at all!
william horan
9:41 am on Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The town need to get going asap and get the train station paved and fixed
william horan
9:46 am on Wednesday, August 15, 2012
The train station should be a welcoming gateway to the town of bloomfield. If you were
to get off the train and walk down the potholed filled walkway you would wish you were back on the train. the of montclair 2 towns over had has a few of theie train stops why not bloomfield. we are closer to nyc and are not taking advantage of it.The biggest attraction near the train station is the go go bar heartbreakers.
Pat Gilleran
12:09 pm on Wednesday, August 15, 2012
If that's the case why doesn't the town just fix it. Remember the property owner who had fixed her sidewalk and the town ripped it out and replaced it anyway
"I left for work in the morning and I had a sidewalk. When I came home, the sidewalk was gone," Rosemary Ceracchio says.
The Bloomfield, N.J. woman was shocked to find the sidewalk she'd paid $1,300 to fix was completely ripped up.
She called the mayor's office and said, "Someone stole my sidewalk."
http://www.myfoxny.com/story/17123026/homeowner-nj-town-stole-my-sidewalk
william horan
1:29 pm on Wednesday, August 15, 2012
How does the town of bloomfield let people pay for nj transit every day and let nj transit
not pay for improving the bloomfield station. they refuse to pave the walways in & out of the station and bloomfield citihall is not even aware of bad conditions at the station
Nicole C
9:30 pm on Wednesday, August 15, 2012
@Pat. Why should the town be responsible and pay to repair a propery owners' clear negligence? Your reference to the woman's sidewalk being ripped up has no bearing to this story at all. My guess is that if the town did decide to fix it up, you'd be blaming the town for spending money foolishly. Pick a side and stick with it.
Pat Gilleran
9:34 pm on Wednesday, August 15, 2012
the town would not be responsible. jut like when they mowed my neighbors yard- they could put a lien on the property to bring it up to code. I have picked a side and it is the side that says that government cannot take your property to give it to someone else.
Bert Jones
3:15 pm on Sunday, August 19, 2012
you people are forgetting one thing . When they started all this eminent domain talk they wanted to turn this into a transit type hub with all these vibrant shops ,and luxury condos and stores etc etc ,so now that the owner of this small property has let it go now the town wants to come in and all of the sudden claim eminent domain so they can build something there , i remember years ago they had a club /bar then they had a pizzeria they obviously since closed down.
Bert Jones
3:19 pm on Sunday, August 19, 2012
The town also wants to sell 192 Bloomfield Avenue once thats vacant
the old Hartz Mountain
There also gonna build condos at 225 bellvile avenue next to the parkway where all those factories used to be.
there also partially tearing down 5 lawrence street and i heard from some of the protestors that they are actually leaving the Asbestos in the building rather than knock the building down and get rid of the Asbestos .
Im curious what else they will claim as eminent domain.
Keith Jensen
11:05 pm on Friday, December 7, 2012
Even in Fort Lee, NJ our Mayor and Council are pushing out business owners for developers. Here, our town's leadership decided to purchase a $2Million piece of land to allow a major developement company to better occupy the land for a mixed use project.
Now our taxes increase because our town decided to buy a bank which occupies the land and to turn into a park for the developer to use as an entry to their site. Why isn't the developer buying this bank?
Your article here is so similar to our situation. Please comment if you see the similarities: http://fortlee.patch.com/articles/fort-lee-to-acquire-main-street-property-for-2m-to-build-park