Tucked away in the northwest corner of West Orange, a 120-acre plot of hilly, undeveloped forest bordering on Essex Fells and Verona has become a town battleground. The owners, a powerful New Jersey real estate family, want to build nearly 500 apartments, while local residents are fighting back with concerns about flooding, public safety and other environmental issues. According to Gothamist, the township has given the initial go-ahead, but both sides are digging in for a long battle.
Joe Pannullo, President of WeCare NJ, a local grassroots organization, who also resides next to the forest told Gothamist, “This place floods now with 85,000 trees on the site. You’re going to split the forest in two. What’s the impact of that going to be?”
The family behind the proposed development is the Wilf family, headed by billionaire Zygi Wilf, Chairman and Co-Owner of the Minnesota Vikings. He also heads their Short Hills-based real estate firm, Garden Homes, founded by his father and uncle in 1954. The Wilfs plan to construct a multi-building complex that would include 100 units set aside as affordably priced on the largest tract of undeveloped land in the area.
This isn’t the first time this conflict or the Wilf family has come before the West Orange Township Council. Twenty years ago, their plan to build 136 houses on the land was turned down by the town planning board due to public safety concerns. The town’s deputy fired chief testified that the proposed development’s location west of Pleasant Valley Way at the top of a mountain with limited accessibility was dangerous for emergency responders.
But times have changed.
The difference is the need for affordable housing. With the State of New Jersey striving to build 84,000 new affordable housing units by 2035, the pressure is on towns and cities across the state to carry their share of the burden. West Orange must meet the state-mandated demand for hundreds of low-income units.
Josh Bauers of Fair Share Housing Center feels the development is a critical part of the town’s affordable housing plan. “It is by far the biggest site in West Orange and one of the biggest in Essex County, and provides a significant amount of affordable housing for the region.”
The Wilfs’ proposal still has a long way to go before getting the final green light. While both sides plan to fight for cause, the Wilfs and Garden Homes could resort to a “builder’s remedy” if their proposal is rejected. They could ask a judge for a court order that compels a town to permit more affordable housing.
Joe Krakoviak, the President of West Orange’s Township Council noted “That could give the builder even higher density in their project in order to provide this affordable housing portion of the development. So all the negotiations are going on with that in mind, that if we don’t reach a settlement without a builder’s remedy, we will get a builder’s remedy and the outcome is likely to be even more detrimental to the township,”
This story was originally reported by Gothamist. Read their in-depth article here.
