Where's a ripe tomato when you need one?

Hmmm…  I smell a ruse. 

Maybe this is obvious to everyone, but did anyone who attended Tuesday’s Zoning Board meeting believe Hekemian’s pug-nosed attorney Del Vecchio when he sternly said:  “I want to get this hearing back on track”? Color me skeptical, but his words rang false to me since his actions seemed to express another desire altogether. 

Let’s see, we have Hekemian, the billion dollar tycoon -- or as someone has so colorfully described him in a recent blog post: the "community-wrecking commercial landlord."  Then we have Del Vecchio the lawyer, Kinsey the affordable housing expert, and Dibble the engineer, who have all attached themselves to this big money client's teat.

Behaviors.  They generally exist because they yield benefits.  Even the worst behaviors, like boring your audience to tears with the monotone technical droning on about the inherently beneficial use of this multi-level monstrosity’s 15% set aside for affordable housing. Omg, if I had to hear that one more time I think I would have had to shout:  We got your message already dude, now relinquish the podium to the public! 

And therein lies the point, the hidden motive -- well maybe not so hidden since I believe we're all coming to the same conclusion. Could it be that they don’t want to relinquish the podium to the public?

When there’s big money like this involved, do we for one minute believe that Del Vecchio would allow his expert witness to eat up hours and hours of the time he is claiming to value, by expounding on the same material over and over again -- listing three uses that are integrated, listing four criteria for inherently beneficial use, listing two components…. Snore…Zzzz…

Phase two.  Once Del Vecchio has wrung out all the testimony he can from the witness, and the public thinks they’re finally going to get their chance to talk, they bring on yet another attorney – a stammering one.  Please don’t get me wrong here folks, I will be the first to choke and stutter when it comes to public speaking, which is why you won’t see me doing it.  But when they pulled this maneuver my eyebrows went up ¼ of an inch.

It was almost comical to me when he got up there, and started questioning the witness with his hesitant mannerism mildly reminiscent of My Cousin Vinny.  It wasn't the stammering that was comical, but the ploy. Did anyone count how many “Ums” this most likely highly-paid attorney uttered in the space of time he spoke? Does anyone believe that the ruler of a billion dollar empire would employ these tactics if they weren't in some way “inherently beneficial” to his case, or cause? Does anyone even understand what the need was to have this second attorney go over this material, yet AGAIN?  Excepting for the fact that it was nearing time for the public to speak?

Because of the level of sophistication of this “DEVELOPER,” I find it very hard to believe that every single thing that is transpiring is not completely and strategically planned.

For instance, could it be there’s a reason why we expected Dibble to return last night, but we got Kinsey.  I mean if you had a billion dollar client, would you say, "Sorry I can’t make it to the meeting Tuesday night, I have other plans, can’t you get Kinsey to do it?"  Yes, it’s possible something horrible happened preventing Dibble from appearing, God forbid.  But it’s also possible that this is yet another one of Hekemian’s curve balls.  Keep changing it up so we’re never entirely prepared. And more to the strategical point, wear us down with testimony so that the crowd loses steam and thins out.  Clever. 

The New Milford residents groaned through another tedious evening and went home frustrated yet again. And I bet the Hekemian team giggled themselves into fits all the way back to their mansions over it.  It's all so predictable to them by now, I'm fairly sure.

Our shadows are their rays of sunshine. 

And conversely our rays of sunshine are their shadows. Like when NM Planner Paul Grygiel pointed out that NM submitted a plan and never heard back from COAH, and asked Kinsey if he would expect New Milford to go beyond its obligation having felt that it had already met its obligation.

And when Joe Loonam called Kinsey on his speculation that the old ShopRite might be demolished mitigating the growth-share created by the new development. Kinsey admitted to having no special knowledge.

And when Sproviero said that there has been no official determination that NM is not in compliance, right? Kinsey answered, "Correct," bringing applause from NM residents.

Or when Ronald Stokes asked what our obligation would be afterward, to which the verbose Kinsey blathered on about rental bonus credits and other factors -- never, ever giving a clear answer.

Mainly because there is no clear answer.  The whole affordable housing scheme is a sticky thicket. One that Hekemian and his posse are capitalizing on as they strive to set New Milford up for a builder’s remedy lawsuit through their seemingly altruistic desire to see that New Milford maintains a social conscience, as if that is somehow in question.

New Milford doesn't lack a social conscience. Our opposition to this project is not based on the affordable housing aspect, but on the development of that property period because of the negative impact it will have on our town. 

I think Hekemian and his henchmen who are getting rich off of these developments, despite the THOUSANDS of people they are hurting, are the ones who need to take a look at themselves. And if there is anything that needs to be developed perhaps it would be their consciences.

On Hekemian's website it says that their "superior financing abilities" from having "aggregated a portfolio of some of the highest quality assets in NJ" allow them "to pursue complicated, drawn-out development projects that are typically capital intensive during the pre-development and development stages."

We’re being hustled people, Hekemian-style, by a couple of slick hucksters who seem to be intentionally drawing out the process. They are depending on the fact that you will tire out, and lose your ire.

Frederick Douglass's realization comes to mind, when his "master" warned his wife of the dangers of teaching a slave how to read. The "master" exposed his weakness in making this statement, and Frederick spotted the key to his freedom. The Hekemians in their virulent quest to own property regardless of the impact to the neighborhoods they're invading will do the same.  Every argument they lay out presents the weaknesses they perceive.  In the words of Longfellow: …the word that floats on the surface is as the tossing buoy that betrays where the anchor is hidden. We just have to look for it.  That knowledge will be our key.

In the meantime I am putting my faith in SOD, the Zoning Board, the Planning Board, the Town Council and the current Mayor. I truly believe they are doing everything within their power to protect us, and I am grateful we have them on our side.