Originally Published: Wednesday, January 18, 2012, 3:00 AM

By John Heinis/The Jersey Journal The Jersey Journal 

The township Planning Board will have to reconsider safety issues raised by local residents about the proposed Appleview development on River Road, a judge has ruled.

The North Bergen Planning Board “had insufficient evidence to support a finding that the development’s benefits outweigh the detriments,” Hudson County Superior Court Judge Christine Farrington ruled on Dec. 22.

The North Bergen Planning Board approved construction of the five-story, 59-unit Appleview development in April and the Hudson County Planning Board voted 5-1 in favor of the project in October. The project would be located on the North Bergen/Guttenberg border at 7009 and 7101 River Road.

Residents at the nearby Galaxy Towers and others have raised concerns about an outer edge of the project being located 20 feet from the Transco Williams Gas Pipeline that provides New York City with 40 percent of its natural gas.

“Without direct testimony from qualified Transco personnel, the court is unable to find that the safety considerations required by the municipal land use law have been met,” Farrington stated in her decision.

Peggy Wong, president of the Coalition to Preserve Palisades Cliffs, applauded the court’s decision. “Both North Bergen and the county did the best they could to avoid the safety issues of the situation, and that was appalling,” Wong said.

North Bergen spokesman Phil Swibinski said township officials remain “confident that the Appleview project will be built.”

It is “completely safe” and “will be beneficial for the area,” he said. “One of the hallmarks of Mayor (Nicholas) Sacco’s administration is creating responsible, safe development throughout the community that adds to the ratable base and keeps property taxes stable for residents.”

In the meantime, Carmelo Spoleti, the Appleview developer, has submitted an application to the North Bergen Board of Adjustment for the construction of a seven-story, 24-unit residential building near the intersection of Church Hill Road and River Road, according to township officials.

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