Medical Weight Loss in Parsippany, NJ

An official opening date was announced for the new Paramus Chick-fil-A, which replaced the beloved Fireplace restaurant on Route 17.

The fast-food outlet will start serving customers in Paramus on May 2, the same day the new Chick-fil-A in Parsippany is also scheduled to open. The chain has over 3,000 locations across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, including 61 in New Jersey.

Dine-in, drive-thru, carry-out and third-party delivery will be available at the Paramus location from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, according to a statement released Thursday by the company. It will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant will operate as drive-thru only from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

It's expected to create 110 jobs in the community, according to the release. The owner of the Paramus location, Ray Cowan, is a local to northern New Jersey and will continue to run the chain’s Ramsey location as well, Chick-fil-A said.

“Paramus has been incredibly welcoming to both Chick-fil-A and, personally, to my family and me,” Cowan said in the statement. “It’s my pleasure to now welcome the community to Chick-fil-A Paramus.”

The Parsippany site, located on Route 46 in the Morris County township, will be open for pick-up, dine-in, drive-thru and carry-out from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and drive-thru until 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

Dining:Survey reveals NJ's favorite bagels and toppings. Is your order in the results?

Donation to Feeding America

In celebration of the two New Jersey openings, Chick-fil-A has donated a combined $50,000 to Feeding America to support the hunger relief efforts of the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, the company said. The new North Jersey branches will also participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, which redirects surplus food from the restaurant to local soup kitchens, shelters, food banks and nonprofits.

The chain also plans to recognize 100 “local heroes” in North Jersey and give them free Chick-fil-A entrées for a year, it said.

The Fireplace, the former restaurant at the Route 17 location, was closed in 2021 after 65 years in business. It was known for its thin-sliced steak sandwiches, juicy burgers and nostalgic '50s atmosphere.

Stephanie Noda is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: [email protected]

Each of the 48 continental states will see some of the solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon slips between our bright star and Earth.

Michelle Rotuno-Johnson, Patch Staff

PARSIPPANY, NJ— Excitement is building in Parsippany for the April 8 total solar eclipse. We’re not among some 32 million Americans living in the path of totality, but neither will we miss out on the celestial sensation.

In the United States, the path of totality extends from Texas to Maine, but each of the 48 continental states will see some of the solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon slips between our bright star and Earth. In Parsippany, the moon will cover about 91.2 percent of the sun at the peak of the eclipse, according to a NASA map that is searchable by ZIP code.

Here are the details:

The eclipse will last about 2 hours and 25 minutes from beginning to end in Parsippany.

Right now, it looks like we could have heavy cloud cover and a good chance for showers during the time of the big event.

Find out what's happening in Parsippanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The total solar eclipse starts in Mexico, entering the United States in Texas and traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, as well as small parts of Tennessee and Michigan, before entering Canada in southern Ontario through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Cape Breton before exiting continental North America on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada.

Only about 12 million people lived in the path of totality in the 2017 Great American Eclipse.

This year, people living in areas farther away from the path of totality, including everywhere in the continental U.S., will see a less dramatic blockage of the sun. How much of the sun will be obscured depends on how far they are from the path of totality. The northwest corner of the state of Washington, for example, will see only about 16 percent totality. Click this link for eclipse totality by city.

It will be March 30, 2033, before another total solar eclipse touches the United States, and that’s only on the tip of Alaska. It’ll be Aug. 12, 2044, before the next eclipse sweeps across the lower 48 states, with parts of Montana and North Dakota experiencing totality.

Related articles —

Patch's national desk contributed to this report.

The motion to introduce three PILOT projects in the township was passed 4-1, with Justin Musella being the lone vote against it.

PARSIPPANY, NJ — The Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills recently voted to approve the introduction of three new PILOT projects in the township, a decision that some residents are not happy with.

Prior to the Nov. 9 town council meeting, several residents had already spoken out on social media against the idea of the town entering into other PILOT agreements, with some even creating a flyer for the public, a move that the mayor disagreed with.

"You received misinformation, telling all of you to show up, attempting to demagogue issues of importance here in town," Mayor James Barberio said.

PILOT agreements, also known as municipal tax abatements, are deals that enable a developer to switch their standard tax payments for a property to a fixed, yearly payment to the municipality.

Some municipal officials have called them useful tools to attract development to distressed or blighted areas of town. But their use has drawn criticism from opponents, some of whom caution that the deals can enable a big developer to skip out on paying their fair portion of property taxes.

Find out what's happening in Parsippanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In Parsippany, the council was voting on three specific PILOT programs for redevelopment projects at 2 and 3 Campus Drive and 249 Pomeroy Road.

Barberio said that a more informative presentation about the projects will be presented to the public in December.

Prior to the council vote on the matter, Barberio discussed the reasons behind supporting the introduction of the ordinances and described what a potential "no" vote meant.

"A no vote tonight is a vote in favor of keeping vacant blighted buildings, which is bad for Parsippany, but it also sends a message to the real estate community that Parsippany is not open to economic development. That's wrong. You can't say you are for economic development and then vote against the measures that are necessary to create economic development. If we don't do this, I urge all Parsippany residents to hold onto your wallets, because taxes will go through the roof," Barberio said.

Councilman Justin Musella, who was the sole no-vote on the introductions, said that he had a different opinion on the matter.

"I recognize that our significant amount of office property that is vacant is a serious problem; that is definitely a problem that we all need to be proactive about. However, what I object to is using a program that has documented, in many cases, to have negative effects for taxpayers, negative effects for our first responders and then obviously, the large one, is the impact on our schools," Musella said.

A key aspect of PILOTs is that, unlike traditional property taxes, which are split between the town, school system and county, in a PILOT, the city or town keeps nearly all the money.

"Because state laws do not require that the local school districts receive a direct portion of the PILOT, local officials should take the opportunity during the negotiating process to ensure that if the new property directly affects the school district, accommodations should be made to include the school district with compensation or appropriate credit," an article by Robbi Acampora on the New Jersey School Boards Association website said.

Musella also objected to the idea of approving the introduction of an ordinance given the lack of information offered to the council about the projects.

The mayor stated that the council and the public were going to be provided with more information in the near future.

"It's a difficult environment right now and we need to be in front of it because it's not going to get any better; in fact, it's going to get worse and if we don't retrofit these buildings and we don't do what we need to do, it's going to be tough to recover. I can only tell you that from experience, from being mayor. I'm willing to work with you, and I'm willing to work with the entire council. You will get those financials," Barberio said.

Former Parsippany Township Attorney John Inglesino also spoke, explaining what PILOT programs are and why they might help the town. One major point that Inglesino repeatedly brought up to the council was the statement that the three PILOT projects would not have an effect on the school district.

"The school gets every dime. If the school board approves a budget, they are guaranteed every nickel that's been approved in their budget, whether there is a PILOT, whether there's not a PILOT...The school gets paid," Inglesino said.

The motion to introduce the PILOT projects on the agenda was ultimately passed 4-1.

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

The decision to approve the three PILOT projects in the township was passed 4-1, with Justin Musella being the lone vote against it.

Vianella Burns, Patch Staff

PARSIPPANY, NJ — The Parsippany-Troy Hills School District has once again made a public statement regarding the town council's recent decision to approve three new PILOT projects in the township.

The last three town council sessions have seen a number of disagreements after Mayor James Barberio's and the majority of council members' support of the township's financial arrangements known as PILOTs, or Payments In Lieu of Taxes.

In Parsippany, the council was voting on three specific PILOT programs for redevelopment projects at 2 and 3 Campus Drive and 249 Pomeroy Road.

Read More: Parsippany Approves PILOT Projects Despite Public Backlash

Mayor James Barberio and other council members have argued that PILOTs are required to attract developers who can turn the township's oversupply of vacant office buildings into revenue-generating properties.

Find out what's happening in Parsippanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Four council members, Michael dePierro, Loretta Gragnani, Frank Neglia, and Paul Carifi, support the mayor's stance on the planned PILOT programs. Justin Musella, the sole council member to vote no, has spoken out against the use of PILOTs in the township.

During the Dec. 5 town council meeting, Barberio criticized the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District School Board for comments made concerning the PILOT projects. The school district previously released a statement expressing their disapproval of PILOTs and asking for members of the public to attend the next council meeting to speak out against the projects.

Barberio stated that several of the comments made by the school board were both "irresponsible and incorrect."

Since then, the local school board has released a second statement.

Once again, the statement is asking for members of the public to attend the next council meeting, planned for Dec. 19, and speak out against the projects.

"It is imperative that all those interested in the well-being of our school district also attend the Town Planning Board meetings as there are more PILOT agreements in development," the school board said.

According to the district, the impact of residential construction has historically brought more students than the developer projected. Modera, Watersedge, and Mountain Way are 200-unit, 30-unit, and 105-unit projects, respectively, and these three developments alone bring in at least 56 kids to the district.

A key aspect of PILOTs is that, unlike traditional property taxes, which are split between the town, school system and county, in a PILOT, the city or town keeps nearly all the money, typically called an Annual Service Charge (ASC).

"Because state laws do not require that the local school districts receive a direct portion of the PILOT, local officials should take the opportunity during the negotiating process to ensure that if the new property directly affects the school district, accommodations should be made to include the school district with compensation or appropriate credit," an article by Robbi Acampora on the New Jersey School Boards Association website said.

"Without additional taxes from improvements, a share of the ASCs, or other types of direct or indirect financial contributions from the developer or town council, tough decisions will need to be made to address the expected increase in the number of students that our schools will be asked to accommodate," the school board said.

Here is a list of potentially affected areas, according to the district:

"The School Board considered and sought legal advice regarding its options to pause or reverse the implementation of the recently approved PILOT programs. However, in consideration of the statutory authority allowing the Township to enter these agreements, it is highly improbable that such litigation would be successful with respect to the current PILOT agreements," the board's statement said.

Rather than pursue what would inevitably be "futile legal intervention," the board said that they have decided to save funds to retain programming and education.

The board said that they will continue to attempt to partner with township officials in order to:

PARSIPPANY, NJ — The Parsippany Town Council made the decision to approve three new PILOT projects in the township, a decision that some residents and members of the town school board are not happy with.

Over the last two town council meetings, discussions and disagreements have been sparked after Mayor James Barberio and a council majority spoke in favor of the financial arrangements known as PILOTs—short for Payments In Lieu Of Taxes — for the township.

Before the Nov. 9 town council meeting, where the PILOTs were introduced, several residents had already spoken out on social media against the idea of the town entering into PILOT agreements, even creating a flyer for the public—a move that the mayor said was full of misinformation.

PILOT agreements, also known as municipal tax abatements, are deals that enable a developer to switch their standard tax payments for a property to a fixed, yearly payment to the municipality.

In Parsippany, the council was voting on three specific PILOT programs for redevelopment projects at 2 and 3 Campus Drive and 249 Pomeroy Road.

Find out what's happening in Parsippanywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Four council members, Michael dePierro, Loretta Gragnani, Frank Neglia, and Paul Carifi, support the mayor's stance on the planned PILOT programs. Justin Musella, the sole council member to vote no, has spoken out against the use of PILOTs in the township.

On Tuesday night, the mayor maintained his position, saying that without the use of PILOTs, the continued blight of vacant or demolished office buildings will significantly add to the tax burden for residents.

"If we don't start doing things and working with them, get ready for round four of affordable housing. That's what they're getting ready for. How do I know that? They pretty much told me that, so decisions have to be made; we have to bring revenues in. We're going to generate revenue with these projects," Barberio said.

Barberio also criticized the Parsippany-Troy Hills School District School Board for comments made last week concerning the PILOT projects.

On Nov. 21, Alison Cogan, the president of the Parsippany Board of Education, spoke out, expressing frustration that the school district was not being included in any of the conversations for the PILOTs.

Following the meeting, the school district released a statement, expressing their disapproval of the PILOT program and asking for members of the public to attend the next council meeting to speak out against the projects.

"Reading this article was particularly disturbing because it was not factual. I'm going to start with number one: the title, New Residential Development Without Taxes Means Schools and Home Values Suffer. This title is both irresponsible and incorrect. In every PILOT arrangement, land taxes are still paid and the school board still gets its portion of the land tax. The statement about taxes is wrong and the school board knows it. The statement that home values suffer is made without any basis of support whatsoever and therefore either incorrect or highly irresponsible," Barberio said.

In response, Andy Choffo, a recently elected member of the Parsippany Board of Education said that the potential result of an increase in student enrollment would be the school district increasing their taxes for all township residents to help balance out the costs.

Choffo used the neighboring town of Montville as an example, noting that they have also been experiencing the effects of overdevelopment and PILOT programs, resulting in the local school district holding a referendum election.

"To offset the loss of developer-paid tax revenue under the PILOT, the Montville school district is proposing a $70 million referendum. This is to expand and improve schools due to the influx of children and the decrease in tax dollars by the developer. If the referendum passes, who will pay for the school improvements? Residential taxpayers, not the developer," Choffo said.

During the five-hour-long meeting, some residents asked the council to table this subject and postpone the vote until more information was made available to the public. Ultimately, the council voted on the three separate ordinances, ending in a 4-1 vote.

To view the full meeting, click here.