With Traffic Nightmare Looming, New Jersey Mayor Threatens To Sue Over American Dream Mall Plans
SECAUCUS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) – A mayor in New Jersey is threatening to file a lawsuit over the opening of a new mall and entertainment center in his town.
When American Dream mega-mall opens this fall, Mayor Mike Gonnelli of Secaucus says it will create a traffic nightmare for the people who live there.
"My biggest concerns are traffic. My second biggest concern is how it's going to look," Gonnelli said.
A rendering of the project shows a sprawling retail city, complete with an amusement park, a water park, Ferris wheel, and massive digital billboards.
"It's going to impact them drastically, unless they like looking at amusement parks and water parks."
It's a far cry from the original plan drafted in 2004, when mall developer Triple Five negotiated a lease with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to pay surrounding towns a so-called "impact fee."
"We're getting $100,000 for the first two years, then $200,000 for as long as we're here… It's not nearly enough," Gonnelli told CBS2's Jessica Moore.
Mayor Gonnelli says the impact to Secaucus is being grossly underestimated – with hundreds of thousands of visitors expected every year – many of whom will access the mall by driving on Route 3.
"It will increase the traffic insanely, especially on Route 3 going to the river," resident Karing Gohil said.
"It's already packed in the morning. It's going to be tough especially somebody going eastbound toward New York in the morning," Ravi Patil added.
Gonnelli pleaded with the NJSEA to give Secaucus more money for police, EMS, and traffic control. He added if they don't reconsider the city's current "impact fee," he'll consider taking legal action against the project.
