PILOT Approval Clinches Liberty Village Sale

Liberty Village residents packed Municipal Court Monday to witness the City Council vote that ensured 20 more years of rental assistance at the 96-unit complex in the West End.

The council's unanimous approval of a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) agreement sealed the sale by Liberty Community Associates to Liberty Village Estates Urban Renewal LLC and met a May 7 HUD deadline to renew a Section 8 contract. The deal had been explained several times in April, including the May 7 expiration of the HUD contract, but at another meeting Monday with Rep. Rush Holt, Assemblyman Jerry Green was seeking an extension until the end of June.

Before the council vote, Isaac Sassoon, an attorney for the purchaser, said the parent company owns and operates thousands of housing units and assured all that past problems at the complex will not happen in the future. He listed improvements including security cameras, a community room with computers, electrical upgrades and more that will come with the deal, in addition to an increase in the PILOT from 6.25 percent of the rent receipts to 10 percent for the city. He said he understood there had been issues including "political matters that I want to rise above" and said he hoped for a "yes" from the council.

The audience broke into applause after all seven council members voted "yes," with Councilman Cory Storch taking part by telephone.

The PILOT plan began 30 years ago and had 20 years to go. Liberty Community Associates had a 30-year management contract with the Housing Authority of Plainfield. But after the original owner's death, successors uncovered many problems at the complex and, according to heir Sam Perelman, had to sue the Housing Authority to regain control. The company hired a well-regarded management firm to make improvements and raise the complex's  HUD score to acceptable levels. The new owner will also manage the property.

Councilman Bill Reid lectured the Liberty Village residents on their responsibilities before the vote.

"You got to pay the rent," he said. "You got to keep it clean."

Reid said tenants must not let people stay with them if they are not on the lease, nor let drug dealers "run over you and take you over."

"There's a lot of responsibility on you," he said. "Pay the rent and become good citizens."

(Plaintalker covered the April 8 meeting where the PILOT was not moved to the agenda, the April 15 meeting where it was rejected as a new item,  the "Town Meeting" proposal and the Town Meeting itself (here and here). Believe it or not, there is even more to this story, but I am signing off for now.)

--Bernice

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