NA SENIORS CONCERNED ABOUT MASSIVE OVERDEVELOPMENT, GENTRIFICATION!
Candidate Balwierczak sees little enthusiasm for 650 square foot units!
Seniors want to remain in their own homes, not “shoe box” apartments!
How does 40 units satisfy the need for thousands of seniors?
The problem is gentrification thanks to massive overdevelopment by Fitzhenry and Sheedy!
NORTH ARLINGTON – Walking door to door on a sunny Sunday afternoon, North Arlington seniors are hardly enthusiastic about the notion of 650 square foot apartments with no application process in place.
“Who will decide who is accepted? Will residents receive a preference? Will this be a process we can trust? These were the concerns we heard today,” offered John Balwierczak, candidate for council.
The former Republican was suspicious of the entire timeline and process, which has a huge cloud of partisanship and politics that delegitimizes the entire proposal.
“The lawyer for the applicant recently donated $1,000 to the Fitzhenry/Sheedy campaign. He was the head of the Young Republicans. He is an unabashed partisan and isn’t Mr. Gilson the attorney to the Zoning Board of Adjustment? Bob Ceberio also donated $2,000 to the incumbents, yet he serves in this important advisory capacity on senior housing? These are partisan Republicans who do not live here, but fuel this all-Republican majority. It is insulting that anyone take this process seriously, and where is local senior input, advice or support? It doesn’t exist,” offered the lifelong resident and graduate of North Arlington High School. 
The two Democrats say the lack of responsible two-party government has GOP political donors benefiting from a process they believe to be highly partisan that leaves seniors silent and not engaged in the process.
“We have active Republican donors who don’t even live here, but are driving the senior housing conversation. It’s laughable. Seniors want to remain in their homes, not these shoe box apartments. They want to stay in their homes, but are being driven out thanks to gentrification and urbanization. Forty shoe box apartments are not solving anything. This is a last minute diversion to the massive overdevelopment housing schemes of Fitzhenry and Sheedy,” offered both Balwierczak and Yampaglia.
“It’s all partisan politics disguised as responsible public policy. So-called private senior housing is a joke. It’s a license for Pronti, Fitzhenry and Sheedy to make the rules as they go along, no real standards. Why are these people unable or unwilling to work with our county, state and federal partners to offer residents and specifically seniors a serious plan and not this political slop? We desperately need serious two-party government that will protect seniors from this process no one trusts,” offered the challengers. 
“If you can construct hundreds of apartments no one supports, why can’t Pronti, Fitzhenry and Sheedy propose a serious and thoughtful proposal for our seniors? Massive overdevelopment is driving seniors out of their homes and raising property taxes all at the same time. These are individuals with limited financial means with fixed incomes. Pronti, Fitzhenry and Sheedy have no understanding of credible senior housing so they created this slop two weeks before an election to preserve an all-Republican Mayor and Council so they can keep a majority of residents in the dark. It’s a disgrace. This is an administration that will use any means necessary to eliminate two-party government and if they win again this will forever change North Arlington into an extension of Belleville or Hudson County, and being the gateway to Bergen County will cease to exist.” 
Balwierczak and Yampaglia will be available to chat with voters on Wednesday, October 30th at the Arlington Diner beginning at 7:00 PM. All supportive residents are invited and light refreshments will be served.
For details, contact (201) 655-8497.