Impact of Meadowlands 'mega' project disputed.

Hartz Mountain Industries, Inc., has appealed a ruling by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, claiming that a protest hearing conducted by NJSEA's General Counsel did not provide an impartial or sufficient forum to examine concerns about the proposed redevelopment of the Continental Arena site.

Hartz' protest hearing featured testimony that exposed the NJSEA's neglect to properly evaluate traffic, economic and environmental problems introduced by the proposed development.

These and other substantive and procedural charges are among issues raised in Hartz's other filing in Appellate Court, which seeks to prevent NJSEA, Mills and Mack Cali from developing the proposed Xanadu project on the existing Continental Arena site in its present form.

Last year NJSEA issued an RFP to select a development project for the Continental Arena site, choosing the Xanadu shopping center proposal.

Among more than a dozen specific charges, Harz complains the NJSEA acted far outside of its powers in pursuing the project; the selection ignored vital public concerns of traffic and regional business; the NJSEA has not allowed sufficient public scrutiny of the project; Xanadu does not conform to the spirit or the letter of the NJSEA's own development criteria.

"The Meadowlands region is home to more than 1 million people and thousands of businesses including our own," said Emanuel Stem, president of Hartz Mountain Industries.

"Currently, this is the most important redevelopment project in the area. Everyone here deserves an explanation of the impact and appropriateness of the proposed mega project.

"The ability to have public questions and input before selection is final is critical and hence we are pursuing our legal remedies."