Dear Editor:
Why and how is Parsippany being sued for affordable housing, again?
So-called Affordable Housing Laws and mandates have caused many problems since their beginning in the Mount Laurel decision involving the gentrification of neighborhoods by corporate real estate. People require living space at a ratio to the economic realities available to the population workforce regarding wages and other expenses.
Misguided Misinformed past
Parsippany has again become involved as a defendant in another lawsuit, the exact details of which have not been transparent. In the past, Parsippany had been sued because of actions taken by Attorney John Inglesino and his misguided conflicts of interest, being a real estate developer’s attorney, and our Town Attorney. This caused the waterview landscape, last of the hills of Troy, to be unnecessarily lost and betrayed after a No Rezone grassroots outcome. By COAH’s policies, Waterview would never have been taken; however, another unwanted Mall resulted. Inglesino, while in the pay of Parsippany Taxpayers, dismissed RD developer without prejudice, rather than with prejudice, which allowed RD to return. This also resulted in an additional lawsuit by Affordable Housing against Parsippany, due to open advocacy against affordable housing.
Where is the Trickle Down when you need it?
Large significant developments must start at the state level and then trickle down to ensure good planning, not from the bottom up. How else can local and regional housing demands and needs be decided based on local needs? This local pressure may lead to corruption and unnecessary developments to avoid more housing, a form of corruption, as occurred at Waterview and other deals, using the ploy of minimum affordable units and the threat of a lawsuit.
The market will bear, but the economy won’t. Not Affordable
The bottom line is that most of these units are “not affordable”; they are marketed, and the market is detached from the economic realities of actual income, the methods of obtaining that income, and the fact that we are also subjected to other expenses. medical, for example, rising everything costs. These real estate corporations did not create the land, so they gain their power and wealth by rents and fees, not labor, so even if more, if not all, were made affordable, their only situation would be slower, steady profits nonetheless.
The system or market is some absurd fantasy, but exploitative by corporate real estate against the Middle and Working Class. It’s the failure of good government, government as intended, and corporate dominance over said government.
As citizens/taxpayers, we are denied even fundamental passive citizenship rights. 1. Health Care, including Dental, with w/taxes paid already 2. Affordable Housing is based on a set amount according to one’s income. 3. Meaningful work of actual need subsidized by government tax..Instead, we are subjected to private interest, making the advantaged class already beyond any economy even richer and more corrupt. The cult of the individual has subverted the collective sense of a Nation. 1/10th of the War as an economic budget alone can pay for all this, and more.
A huge part of the problem is the Jeffersonian notion that” the government that governs best is the one that governs least.” While this is true regarding individual liberties, it is absolutely dangerous to think that way regarding the economy.
One forgotten part of the story is when former Governor Christie dropped the ball and completely allowed developers to enter the equation. Without this remedy assuring that State Planning Criteria and Land Use Science were mandated, why are local planning boards saddled with these decisions? It became a threat or fear rather than a responsibility to work out the best outcome for all.
Stuck with rateable chase leftovers
With its overdeveloped landscapes in pursuit of the tax rateable chase, Parsippany has made itself an outlier of available developed idle properties now deemed needing redevelopment. However, Parsippany has the highest water deficit in the watershed and requires diversions. Parsippany Neighborhoods also have the right to maintain their character and prevent more land destruction. Ask: Why were 30-year PILOTs given for 2 warehouses, the hottest in the new economy, and not PILOTs for more affordable Housing, say 100%-70%. Parsippany suddenly went from the rateable chase to PILOT deals with billionaire developers, which makes little sense, other than something fishy.
Transparency lacking
Finally, in this present lawsuit, we must ask: Parsippany is in Highlands Regional Conformance (though 100% in the Planning Area), which shields municipalities from developers’ lawsuits. Upping the bar, developers would then require suing the State. So, what is being kept from the public?
Nick Homyak
