Teterboro Airport

One of the most heated concerns amongst residents in and around Carlstadt is and has historically been the detrimental effects exerted by the operations at Teterboro Airport, whether it is runway safety, aircraft noise or pollution. It has been a concern of Rothman’s too…lobbying for flight reductions at the airport much of his 12 years in office, yet some residents don’t think it’s proving effective.

Brian Carriere said that from approximately 8 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. the night before coming to approach Rothman, he heard planes flying overhead every 30 to 60 seconds. He said his concern now is that although environmental tests have been conducted at the airport, certain large jets have been banned and money is set aside to offset the impacts for communities, it just doesn’t seem as any of it is helping.

"It seems like they are using the money that goes to that airport from the Port Authority to soundproof our schools and churches and maybe build ball fields in Moonachie, but yet it affects a dozen communities around here," said a frustrated Carriere. "I know you're trying to help us, but we're at a loss here, they [Teterboro Airport] have not given us an inch."

However, heeding to resident concerns, Rothman said if the concessions agreed upon by the Port Authority are not adhered to, whether past or present, there are options out there to close the airport.

Flooding

When the floods of the April 2007 Nor’easter hit Southern Bergen County, the matter not only became a local issue, but a federal issue as well when the county was put under a state of emergency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency stepped in to help. One of the most affected areas was the low-lying industrial section of Carlstadt on the fringe of the now preserved Richard P. Kane Natural Area, formerly the Empire Tract.

That’s where Brian Kindergan told Rothman he owns a business and represented the interests of several other business owners in the area that still experience severe flooding due to flood measure repairs that were never made in the aftermath of the storm. Kindergan said to the best of his knowledge three sections of the levee, all on privately owned Transco property, is to blame.

"Those breaches to this day have not been repaired and a number of businesses continue to experience flooding on a regular basis," said Kindergan. "We’re talking about flooded parking lots and flooded buildings in some instances. To the best of my knowledge no government agency nor the property owner have taken responsibility for repairing these breaches that remain open."

Rothman said he would have his staff reach out to the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) to check on the status of any plans to repair the levees as the agency has already undertaken the task on a levee breach on the Richard P. Kane Natural Area. The NJMC claims it has been negotiating with Transco to resolve the problem.

Blue Laws

Ann Clayton, citing recent newspaper reports on the Bergen County law that prohibits shopping on Sundays nervously asked Rothman what his views were on the matter in hopes he would continue to support it. Many of the residents at the town hall before Rothman soon followed, echoing Clayton’s sentiment as well.

It was just in recent weeks that the subject of the Bergen County Blue Laws came back into the limelight as State Senator Paul Sarlo has introduced a bill that would relax the laws. The bill would permit towns to enact two exemptions of the prohibition per year for street festivals and other special events. Residents like Clayton think it’s the first step to rescinding the Blue Laws altogether. Rothman said he would fight for them to stay.

"I'm born and raised in Bergen County...we have all of these highways and it's a madhouse, so Sunday is a little piece of relief," said Rothman. "If you want to go shop, go to another county. It’s inconvenient sometimes on a Sunday if you want to do something or go buy something, but I’d rather live that way rather than having seven days a week of this traffic."