In a follow-up on a story from last month, former Union City Deputy Chief of Police Joe Blaettler has exclusively revealed to Hudson County View that developer Ralph Lieber received $850,000 to settle a federal lawsuit against Union City back in 2011.
Up to this point, the details of the settlement were confidential, but Blaettler sued for the contents of the settlement and obtained the documents in question.
In the lawsuit, which was filed in Newark’s U.S. District Court back in 2007, Lieber alleged that he was wrongfully denied zoning approvals for an 80-unit apartment building near Eighth St. and Palisade Ave.Â
According to the suit, Stack directed former members of the zoning board which projects should be approved, and which should be denied, before they were even heard by the board.
Blaettler questioned why a six-figure settlement was necessary for a legal matter that had no merit.Â
[…] the city of Union City, including a 2007 federal case filed by developer Ralph Lieber that was settled in 2011 for $850,000, as examples of Stack controlling matter put before the zoning […]