Ex-Governors Join Effort Against Englewood Cliffs LG Project

Four former New Jersey governors are urging LG Electronics to scrap its plan to build a 143-foot corporate headquarters along the Palisades and instead use a low-rise design for the planned office complex.

Ex-Governors Brendan Byrne, Thomas Kean, James Florio and Christine Todd Whitman sent a letter to LG CEO Bon-Joon Koo this week echoing concerns shared by preservationist groups that say the high-rise building would tarnish the Palisades. The LG complex would be the only high-rise building north of the George Washington Bridge visible above the Palisades tree line from across the Hudson River.

“We are concerned that this tower would not only interrupt the historic, natural vista enjoyed by millions, but would also set a precedent for greater building heights stretching northward along these iconic cliffs, eroding the unique American landmark of the Palisades,” the letter said. “Given your generously sized 27-acre site, it is our hope that a beneficial resolution can be reached through a low-rise design that fully accommodates the company’s needs for new office space while ensuring the integrity of the Palisades ridgeline and park.”

The New Jersey Conservation Foundation has links to the four governors and recruited them to get involved in the LG effort, NorthJersey.com reported.

Englewood Cliffs approved LG’s proposal after a series of public hearings that brought little public opposition.

“This has statewide impact, even beyond that,” Florio said in the report.

LG spokesman John Taylor would not comment on the letter, citing an ongoing court-ordered mediation involving the company and preservationist groups.

“LG is currently participating in good faith in the court-supervised mediation process in which all parties are exploring a way forward. It was agreed that there would be no public comment about the building project while the mediation process unfolds. It seems that some are not observing the spirit of that agreement, and it’s not helpful to publicly comment without knowing all the facts,” Taylor said in a statement Thursday.

A judge ordered all sides into mediation after groups including Scenic Hudson, the New Jersey State Federation for Women's Clubs, filed suit over the project, along with two Englewood Cliffs residents. The New Jersey Conservation Foundation is not part of the mediation process.

The project has drawn opposition from across the Hudson River as well. New York-based cultural organizations, including the Manhattan-based Cloisters, have taken issue with the building’s height.

Supporters of the LG plan have said it would create much-needed jobs in the region and provide $1.3 million in tax revenue to Englewood Cliffs. More than 300 union workers rallied to support the project in April. Bergen County Executive Kathleen Donovan has also thrown her support behind LG’s plan, calling the project a boon to the regional economy.