ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS — After four years, the borough may soon go to trial in a lawsuit brought by a developer over prospective affordable housing on the former Unilever campus.

First filed in 2015, the suit could give Normandy Real Estate Partners the authority to intervene in the borough's affordable-housing negotiations and build 600 residential units at 800 Sylvan Ave. About 100 of those could be affordable units.

Mayor Mario Kranjac has strongly opposed residential development on the site, and this week the Republican mayor called New Jersey's affordable-housing laws "wrong and unconstitutional" and a "socialist scheme."

"I believe in home rule, and the residents of Englewood Cliffs and New Jersey have been cheated by our legislators and Supreme Court after the initial Mount Laurel decision in 1976, which was right and just, in that it ended discrimination," Kranjac said.

"What happened after that initial decision has been an anti-American socialistic land and vote grab by Democrats looking to take away property from taxpaying citizens and redistribute property and wealth under the color of 'law,' " he said.

Albert H. Wunsch III, borough counsel for the affordable-housing litigation, said the borough "recognizes and respects the law and the state's policies when it comes to fair housing."

He called Kranjac's comments "baseless, senseless and a waste of time."

Normandy, which owns the 28-acre property, initially proposed offices, but that application was rejected by the Planning Board. It would have required a subdivision and more than a dozen variances, and did not conform to the borough's campus-like vision for the site.

In 2017, Normandy came back with a proposal for 600 residential units, with 15 to 20 percent set aside for moderate- and low-income residents.

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Political debate

When housing plans were presented in 2017, borough officials suggested that Normandy had never actually intended to build offices, and that housing, which is more profitable, was its goal all along. Normandy strongly disputed those allegations.

The judge gave Normandy permission to weigh in on the borough's compliance with the constitutional mandate to provide affordable housing after questioning Englewood Cliffs' dedication to the effort.

Republican officials insisted they were working diligently to unravel past mistakes by the former Democratic-led administration. But the new Democratic majority argues that the Republican leadership was responsible for the ongoing issues.

Borough’s plan

The borough's Housing Element and Fair Share plan, dated Dec. 10, 2018, was filed with the court this year.

In addition to the plan, the council adopted a resolution to fund or bond for the construction of an affordable-housing project that would be an alternative to the Normandy plan. It calls for the borough to build “at least” 57 affordable units on about 2 acres of property where the borough complex, its parking lot and the Lions Club now sit.

Officials expect to pay about $7.125 million for the affordable-housing units, 29 low- and 28 moderate-income, if a developer does not secure the necessary tax credits. If the borough were to follow through with this plan, a new police station and a community center would be built as well.

Planning Board suit

Still to be resolved is separate litigation between Normandy and the Planning Board over the original commercial application. On March 13, Judge Christine Farrington reversed the denial of the subdivision and sent the application back to the Planning Board to decide whether variances will be granted for a proposed parking structure. The Planning Board has since appealed the court's decision.

Although the proposal now calls for housing, the outcome of the litigation could be relevant for some aspects of the project.