Imam's Union City building still has violations, city inspectors testify at trial to take it over

Wednesday, October 20, 2010
By JEAN-PIERRE MESTANZA
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Union City housing and health inspectors spent more than 60 minutes on the witness stand yesterday, testifying in Hudson County Superior Court in Jersey City that some violations still exist at the Central Avenue building owned by the imam who wants to build a mosque near Ground Zero.

The city wants to collect the rent and make sure that 2206 Central Ave. is properly maintained.

"From the city's perspective, a custodial receiver is still necessary on this property to make sure the violations are abated," city attorney Christine Vanek said.

The owner, Feisal Abdul Rauf, was cited with more than 200 housing and health code violations over the past two months.

Tomas Espinosa, the lawyer for the imam, urged Judge Thomas Olivieri to reject the city's plan to take over the 16-unit building, saying the violations have been remedied.

Alejandro Velazquez, Ana Mansilla, Yordi Mesa and Don Montesano, all inspectors with Union City, testified that repairs have not been completed.

Union City contends that there are several sewer pipes that have not been not capped and an abandoned water heater in the basement that could lead to a buildup of carbon monoxide in the building. The city also contends that the bedbug infestation was not properly exterminated and is likely to return.

"The proper way to do it is to exterminate the whole building three times, once every two weeks ," Mansilla, a health inspector, said.

The city also told the judge it is seeking an additional $6,840 as compensation for a fire watch at the building from Oct. 8 to Oct. 13. According to officials, the city had to assign police officers to watch the building around the clock during this period because sections of the fire escape were missing.

The court ruled last month that the imam had to pay the city over $12,000 for an earlier 10-day fire watch.

"We are hopeful that when all the facts are laid out, the court will rule in our favor," city spokesman Mark Albiez said.

The judge adjourned the hearing until this morning at 9 a.m. Rauf did not attend the hearing.

Plans to build a mosque and Islamic cultural center a few blocks from where nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 have sparked a national controversy.

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Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Landlord is due in court today

Feisal Abdul Rauf, the imam proposing to build an Islamic cultural center and mosque near Ground Zero, is due back in court today, hoping that improvements he's made at a Union City building he owns will be enough to convince a Hudson County judge that the property should not be put into receivership.

The city has cited more than 200 health and fire code violations at 2206 Central Ave. during inspections conducted in the past two months.

The city is seeking to put the building into receivership, which would put an independent entity in charge of collecting rent and maintaining repairs.

Today's hearing is at 10 a.m. in front of Judge Thomas Olivieri in Hudson County Superior Court in Jersey City.

JEAN-PIERRE MESTANZA