WEST ORANGE, NJ — A decades-old push to build hundreds of homes near a large patch of forest in Essex County is back on the West Orange Planning Board’s to-do list.
Some residents have been raising concerns about potential development at a 120-acre tract of land on the western ridgeline of the Watchung Mountains, which also borders Essex Fells, Verona and Roseland. Known as the West Essex Highlands project, the idea was shot down by the West Orange Planning Board in 2006, but has recently resurfaced – with changes.
The West Orange Planning Board has scheduled two special meetings on July 30 and July 31 to discuss the latest version of the proposal. Both meetings will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the council chambers of Town Hall, 66 Main Street.
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Short Hills-based firm West Essex Highlands Inc. wants to build a 496-unit residential development on the property, which is “heavily vegetated with mature trees,” according to planning documents.
The plan is to make 100 of those units “affordable” – a major selling point from the developer.
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West Orange has a deficit of hundreds of affordable housing units that will need to be fulfilled by 2025. The township isn’t alone in this regard; other nearby municipalities have also found themselves trying to dig themselves out of a hole over the past few years. Read More: Golf Course In North Jersey Will Be Turned Into Housing
The land is owned by West Essex Highlands Inc., which previously filed a builder’s remedy lawsuit to allow it to proceed with development if it can help the township meet its affordable housing obligation.
In 2020, the Township of West Orange reached a settlement with West Essex Highlands Inc. and the West Essex Highlands Condominium Association Inc. about the project, which can be seen online here.
The proposal currently on the table also includes a clubhouse with a swimming pool for tenants, a maintenance building, a dog kennel and dog park, and onsite improvements for sewer, water, drainage and lighting.
According to planning documents, other highlights include:
ACCESS – Primary access to the subject property will be from Kuzik Drive and Warner Road from the south, via Oval Road and Eagle Rock Avenue. The applicant has committed to installing a traffic signal at the intersection of Eagle Rock Avenue and Oval Road, to manage the anticipated increased number of vehicles accessing the site – although the signal is not part of the application that is presently before the board.
LAYOUT – The layout of the site calls for four 4-story residential buildings, which will be situated at the approximate center of the site. Each building will include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, some of which will include a den.
PARKING – On-site parking is proposed for 1,076 vehicles (744 under buildings and 332 surface parking spaces), including 31 handicap accessible spaces and 5 percent of spaces designed for electric vehicle charging. An additional 55 spaces are proposed at the clubhouse and 18 at the dog park.
The West Orange Planning Board engineer laid out a list of questions and concerns involving the proposal in a June 26 memo, which can be seen online here.
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Wondering if your home is located nearby? See lists of nearby properties in West Orange, Verona and Essex Fells.
CRITICISM
Critics say the current proposal has grown even denser since the turn of the millennium, when the idea of developing in the area raised similar complaints: too many houses, construction on steep slopes, the potential endangering of wetlands, and more traffic on local roadways.
In recent months, some residents in the area have renewed their calls for a halt to the project and preservation of the forest.
Our Green West Orange has argued that the project may mean the destruction of thousands of trees.
“No affordable housing settlement should allow 6,400 trees to be cut, flood the neighbors and threaten safety with a one lane road-Oval Road into the complex,” the group recently wrote.
Another advocacy group, We Care NJ, has been trying to raise public support for the cause, reaching out to nearby residents of Essex Fells, Verona and Roseland – who would also feel an impact from development in the area.
The group – whose members helped to spearhead opposition to West Essex Highlands during its last incarnation –has also shared project documents and updates on their website.
“Many neighbors have concerns about how this development would impact their property – including drainage and soil erosion,” the group’s website states. “In addition, Building D is proposed to be built on a cliff’s edge, which is particularly concerning in light of the recent building collapse after Hurricane Ida. People are also worried about where all the wildlife will go (the ‘deer fence’ is intended to keep deer out of that area) and the impact of massive tree removals.”
We Care NJ recently criticized what it called “silent document drops,” noting that the board has canceled special meetings on the proposal that were originally set for July 16 and July 17 and rescheduled them for later in the month.
“Don’t believe any ‘it’s too late’ nonsense,” the group wrote. “It ain’t over. It didn’t even start.”
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