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CLOSTER — Jesse Rosenblum is obsessed with llamas.

More specifically, Rosenblum is obsessed with the llamas that live at Block 1703, Lot 2.01 in Closter, commonly known as 639 Piermont Road. This is a 9-acre piece of wooded land bisected by Anderson Brook, down the street from the Whole Foods and Target.

Because of the llamas, Closter assesses the property as farmland, allowing owners Joseph and Gloria Miele to pay an annual tax bill of $123.26. The average property tax in this Bergen County borough last year was $16,283.

For 30 years, Rosenblum, who lives about two miles from the Miele llamas, has sued Closter almost annually to strip the Mieles of their tax break, court battles he loses year after year. And Closter taxpayers have footed the bill every time Rosenblum files another tax assessment challenge.

"If the borough of Closter residents were aware of how much of their taxpayer funds went to defending against his litigation, they would be outraged and appalled," said Kathryn Gilbert, formerly the Mieles’ longtime attorney.

Rosenblum, whose latest defeat came Feb. 17 when an appellate panel declined to reverse a 2019 tax court verdict in the Mieles’ favor, is undeterred. Despite admonishments from judges about launching “frivolous” legal fights — in the 1990s a Bergen County judge barred him from filing any civil lawsuits without judicial approval — he said he will continue to fight the Closter llama farm tax break.

“Why should I be discouraged when they’re not following the law?” Rosenblum told NorthJersey.com.

‘Not every judge is good’

Rosenblum's argument centers around the farm's trees.

The 9-acre property, purchased by the Mieles in 1983, is so heavily wooded it’s hard to see any llamas at all from Piermont Avenue. Joseph Miele has testified in court that the trees are vital to his farm.

“I need shade for my animals,” he said. “You cannot have them out in the open sun … It would kill them.”

Rosenblum argues that the woodlands are the reason the Mieles should not receive a farm tax break.

New Jersey has allowed special assessments on farmland since 1964 to ease the property tax burden on working farmers and promote open space. To qualify for a farmland assessment, you must prove at least 5 acres of your land are actively devoted to agricultural use. Woodlands serving an ancillary use are defined as appurtenant woodland, which can qualify toward the farmland assessment but cannot be counted toward the prerequisite 5 acres.

Rosenblum says that because 6 of the 9 acres of the Miele llama farm are wooded, the Mieles do not qualify for a farmland assessment. Rosenblum argued this at a 1999 tax court trial, but the judge sided with the Mieles’ argument that the wooded acreage was necessary for farming purposes because the llamas use the area to graze. Rosenblum calls the 1999 decision a “major mistake” and vows to keep suing using the same argument.

“I can’t find a judge in the appellate division who knows what I’m talking about,” he said. “Not every judge is good. I'm sorry to say that."

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Meanwhile, Closter taxpayers and the Mieles continue to pay for the annual challenges.

In 2014, Miele said in court documents the legal fights had cost him and his wife hundreds of thousands of dollars. Ed Rogan, a former mayor and current borough attorney, said it’s hard to know how much each Rosenblum challenge costs Closter taxpayers since Rogan’s contract allows him to bill extra for tax appeal work only after he makes $15,000. But the challenges “absolutely” cost Closter, Rogan said, citing the time it takes to prepare legal briefs and appear before the appellate court when Rosenblum appeals his losses.

“Jesse Rosenblum has pursued vexatious litigation against the Mieles and the borough of Closter for more than 30 years,” said Gilbert. “As to why he does it, I can only speculate. Most of us go to the movies or binge-watch Netflix for our entertainment. Mr. Rosenblum goes to court for his.”

Requests for comment from the Mieles through their attorneys were not returned.

The feud begins

The bad blood between Joseph Miele and Rosenblum goes back further than the llama farm. And in court documents, Miele has said Rosenblum’s legal challenges amount to a “vendetta.”

It was Miele who first sued Rosenblum in 1988, alleging he defamed Miele in a newsletter, the Informed Citizen in Closter, that Rosenblum has been mailing to borough residents since 1980. An editor’s note says the newsletter was launched to “rail against municipal corruption."

The lawsuit alleges Miele was defamed in at least two newsletter articles that mentioned a borough plan to allow Miele's sanitation company to expand. Rosenblum characterized the deal as “a startling feat of legerdemain” — that is, trickery — between Miele and Rogan, then the mayor.

Rosenblum responded to the defamation complaint with a torrent of lawsuits and other actions targeting Miele. A 1995 New Jersey appellate court decision says Rosenblum filed at least 128 complaints regarding Miele, including to the Bergen County Soil Conservation District, Bergen County Utilities Authority, Bergen County Prosecutor, Bergen County Board of Taxation, state Attorney General, state Department of Agriculture, state Department of Environmental Protection, state Division of Taxation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the FBI.

Miele lost the defamation lawsuit in 1991. That year, Rosenblum set his sights on the llama farm.

But the Mieles were not Rosenblum's only target. He also challenged the farmland assessment for another Closter property, on Blanch Avenue, formerly owned by David and Barbara Ann Watkins. Rosenblum sued Closter over the Watkins tax break almost annually starting in 1997.

The Watkins case is what Rosenblum said gives him hope he may eventually prevail against the Miele llama farm. After repeated losses in court in the Watkins matter, an appellate panel in 2013 sided with Rosenblum, ruling the Bergen County tax court did not properly address Rosenblum's challenges of the Watkins' tax break. Barbara Ann Watkins subsequently withdrew her request for a farmland assessment and, in 2014, sold the property. It is no longer assessed as farmland.

“I won that court case,” Rosenblum said. “But it took 16 years.”

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

Thomas Ciszak, chef and partner of one of Bergen's most dynamic restaurants, Chakra in Paramus and elegant seafood restaurant Blue Morel in Morristown, plans to open a traditional French brasserie in the new Closter Plaza.

Braserrie Memere (French for "granny") will offer classic French cuisine as well as a wine and cocktail program. His wife Evelyn will be general manager and beverage director, as she is at Chakra. It will seat 140 indoors and 40 "on a great private patio," Ciszak said.

Brasserie Memere will not be a high-end fine-dining restaurant, Ciszak assures, but a down-to-earth restaurant offering solid "everyday French food" — the kind of classic French food served at such celebrated new Gallic restaurants as Le Coucou and Frenchette in New York City without the hefty price tag, he said.

"I want everybody to come in and eat," he said.

He also said he wants to reintroduce classic French food to young restaurant-goers.

"People think French food is fancy," he said. But, he said, that's a myth, one that he wants to dispel with a menu featuring lots of "healthy" salads including salad Nicoise and frisee-lardon, simple sandwiches such as a fresh baguette with home-made butter and ham, and quintessential French dishes such as coq au vin and roasted rabbit.

"This will not be my interpretation of French food," he said. "This will be the real thing, the real traditional French food."

Ciszak said that he was approached by the developers of Closter Plaza five years ago to open a restaurant at the shopping center, but he was hesitant. "Nothing was there yet," he said. "I didn't know if I should do it." Food Network stalwart Jose Garces signed up, but after Garces had to declare bankruptcy, the developers once again approached Ciszak.

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"It's a really nice shopping center with Whole Foods. Lululemon, an upscale movie theater," he said. His restaurant will be located right next to Orangetheory Fitness, a workout center.

Why a French restaurant?

The German-born chef said that French cooking techniques were always considered the gold standard for professional cooks and for a long time French food was the exemplar of the best fine dining. "My first Michelin three-star restaurant was French. In culinary school, everything we learned was French."

He added that the concept of "fusion" cuisine ruined appreciation for traditional food. "It's okay to be traditional," he said.

He named the restaurant to honor his grandmother, who, he said, "was an exceptional cook, grew her own food, made everything from scratch. She was my inspiration to become a chef."

Brasserie Memere will be located at 107 Vervalen St., Closter. Chakra is at 144 NJ-4, Paramus, 201-556-1530 chakrarestaurant.com/

CLOSTER -- Neal Wolff lived within five minutes of Closter Plaza until he moved to Old Tappan.

He was not a big fan of the shopping center, first built in the 1960s.

"It was kind of an embarrassing place," he said. "It didn't serve the neighborhood."

Wolff remembers a crumbling parking lot and run-down stairs. He didn't visit often.

Now, the shopping center is nearing the end of a transformation. Edens, the owner of Closter Plaza, began planning to redevelop the center in 2015.

On Oct. 19, the anchor tenant, Whole Foods, plans to open. Target will open a few weeks later.

The center has about 40 stores. Many are leased, to retailers like HomeGoods and restaurants like Chipotle. Cinemex, a high-end movie theater chain based in Mexico, also plans to open.

Mayor John Glidden said residents of Closter and neighboring towns currently have to travel to Route 4 or Route 17 to find similar stores.

"Everybody's very excited and everybody's anticipating that it's going to be a very good venue," he said. "There's a buzz in town."

The town plans to keep a close eye on any adverse impact. Closter will commission a traffic study in November once more of the shopping center opens up to determine whether any changes need to be made to surrounding intersections, Glidden said.

Some of the stores have already opened, like Rudy's Ristorante and Pizza, a holdover from the original Closter Plaza and 18/8 Men's Fine Hair Salon. Shoppers at the Dollar Tree, another holdover, were excited for the change.

"I think it's great," said Dorene Bottieri, a Closter resident. "It's an upgrade to the town. The mall needed to be revamped."

Wolff said the new center would boost property values and keep residents from traveling so far to shop.

Closter Plaza should soften the blows dealt by Kmart, which closed its Closter store in 2015, laying off more than 100 workers. The local A&P also closed when the supermarket when bankrupt, though it was purchased by Stop & Shop.

o matter the weather outside, it’s always laser season at Bare Aesthetic MedSpa in Closter. The medical spa, which specializes in minimally invasive cosmetic procedures and facial aesthetics, has an array of new laser services. In addition, they now offer an annual membership that lets loyal patrons save on treatments.

Vanessa Coppola is an FNP-BC Board Certified Nurse Practitioner, aesthetic specialist, and the owner of Bare Aesthetic MedSpa. Speaking about their latest treatments and services, she says they have a new Fraxel Dual Laser.

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The Fraxel Dual Laser is ideal for skin rejuvenation, skin resurfacing, sunspots, discoloration, fine lines, wrinkles, and acne scars. However, its usage is completely customizable. For instance, lower settings offer a more gentle treatment with little downtime. Likewise, higher settings provide more aggressive treatment for deeper lines and acne scars. “We call it the magic eraser in the industry!” Vanessa says. She also mentions it has an excellent safety record, and is the most studied and researched laser in the world.

Aside from the Fraxel Dual Laser, they offer the Clear + Brilliant and new Clear + Brilliant Touch service. The latter boasts a “no downtime” laser. In particular, the Clear + Brilliant touch combines two wavelengths in one treatment for accelerated results without social downtime. “It’s a game changer!” Vanessa says. What’s even better is both the Fraxel and the Clear + Brilliant are safe for all skin types and tones.

Another new service available at Bare Aesthetic is the VI Peel. “We love it for that red carpet glow,” Vanessa explains. This peel is also safe for all skin types and tones. “We really work hard to ensure that our medical spa is inclusive; and specifically look for devices and services that can be enjoyed by everyone,” she adds. Click here to learn about other available services at Bare Aesthetic MedSpa.

Besides new treatments and services, Bare Aesthetic now offers a rewards program: The BARE Insider membership. “It’s a thank you to our loyal patients” Vanessa says. “We thought long and hard about how we can thank our patients, and this was the culmination of that effort.”

For $129 per year, the BARE Insider membership offers members discounts on all services. Key benefits include 15% off all neurotoxin treatments such as Botox; 20% off Neurotoxin treatments scheduled at the last minute (less than 7 days); and 10% off all other products and services. Members also receive one complimentary $250 Skin Ceuticals facial per year. Bonus perks include birthday rewards and exclusive access to VIP events and promotions.

Meanwhile, the Bare Aesthetic app is coming soon, and will make it easier for patients to book services. They’re also launching a Brand Ambassador program and will soon start looking for local brand ambassadors.

Visit Bare Aesthetic MedSpa at 200 Closter Dock Road, 2nd floor in Closter. (Click here to see them on Google Maps.) To learn more: Click to visit their website | Follow them on Instagram | Click to give them a call.

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All Photos: © Bare Aesthetic

CLOSTER — After a bit of work to iron out difficulties, the Closter Public Library has added a Hebrew language book collection to its shelves.

The collection had been requested by residents of Israeli heritage, who were initially told that a lack of shelf space and limited budget would complicate matters.

Yuval Tal, who worked with about a dozen other residents to get the collection, said it was wonderful to see the progress made since they first requested it at a Borough Council meeting this year.

“We are happy that the library took this matter seriously and worked hard to have it set up in a short time frame,” Tal said.

The process was not without its hurdles.

The group had tried meeting with library staff both informally and formally before, but ran into roadblocks, including the lack of shelf space. After the council meeting, library staff met with the community members again to figure out a solution.

Library Director Ruth Rando and her staff were able to find a spot near a section of reference books they were slowly weeding out.

The Hebrew collection, which is around 35 books, came primarily from donations, since the library does not have the budget to purchase new books. The library accepted books up to five years old for the collection, which is organized and placed in a database by reference librarian Tim Baek.

Since the Hebrew books are now part of the Bergen County Cooperative Library System, patrons of any library in the system can also request the titles, now that the BCCLS online request system is operating again.

Tal said Closter's Israeli community has “grown dramatically” within the last three or four years.

While most of the books are for adults, community members are also working to find books for teens and younger children to help keep them in touch with their heritage, Tal said.

“When people relocate, in many occasions it's important for parents to have their children stay somewhat connected to the culture and heritage from which they came,” Tal said. “People who relocate to the U.S. after they started school can read books in Hebrew, so this is good practice to keep that connection.”

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Closter isn't the only library in the area to host a Hebrew language collection. Cresskill Public Library started a small collection of about 30 books this year. Teaneck Public Library has a collection of 600 to 700 books that started about 10 years ago.