Montclair Lackawanna Plaza Update: Dueling Petitions, Traffic Study

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The saga of one of Montclair’s most debated real estate plans in decades continues, with a key traffic study ready to be released to the public for the Lackawanna Plaza plan on Thursday.

The plan – which can be seen here – would allow the redevelopment of the existing Lackawanna Station shopping center and nearby properties, with a mix of land uses and the addition of new buildings, including a new supermarket and housing. A total of five new buildings would be permitted, ranging from five to six stories in height. A maximum number of 375 residential dwelling units would be permitted within the plan area (including affordable housing).

Conceptual imagery of the plan can be seen here. Three town hall forums have been held recently about the plan, which included questions from local residents. See the Nov. 29 meeting video here, see the Nov. 10 meeting video here, see the Nov. 3 meeting video here.

The plan was advanced by the town council in December, and awaits a final vote from council members.

TRAFFIC STUDY

The Township of Montclair has scheduled a public meeting to present the initial findings of the Lackawanna Plaza Redevelopment Plan Traffic Study.

According to a municipal news release, the meeting will take place on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 5 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 205 Claremont Avenue. It will be broadcast live on Channel 34 and will stream live at www.youtube.com, on demand and can and will be re-broadcasted.

Joseph Fishinger, Director of Traffic Engineering at Bright View Engineering and the author of the study, will present the findings and will be available to answer questions. The study can be viewed or downloaded here.

For more information, contact the town planning department at (973) 509-4954.

DUELING PETITIONS

The debate over the fate of Lackawanna Plaza has been in the works for more than eight years, and the project has seen several stumbling blocks along the way.

Some local residents have insisted that there are key historic elements to the area that need to be preserved; the site was recently put on a list of the “10 Most Endangered Historic Places in New Jersey,” for example. Other concerns about the current plan have included height and density, increased demand on local infrastructure and services, and potential traffic impacts.

But other Montclair residents have supported the plan, saying that a supermarket is desperately needed to replace the Pathmark that closed in 2015, leaving residents of the town’s 4th Ward without a grocery store. Some supporters have also pointed to the affordable housing that’s included in the plan – another much-needed commodity in the township – as well as the potential tax revenue it could bring.

Two opposing petitions have been launched to support and oppose the current version of the plan. Each has gathered more than 1,000 signatures as of Tuesday.

A group calling itself “Montclair Residents For Responsible Development” launched a petition bashing the plan, claiming that it is “grossly out of scale” and “irresponsible,” with building heights that could reach 87 feet – over twice as tall as many other nearby structures. They are also worried about the potential impacts to the town’s public schools and infrastructure, as well as a “potential traffic nightmare” at an already busy intersection.

Petitioners are calling for a maximum of four stories, in addition to other changes.

The petition also says the proposal is inconsistent with the town’s master plan, a document that guides local development. It’s a view shared by the Montclair Planning Board, which voted 8-1 to approve a report claiming as such on Jan. 23.

The Montclair Historic Preservation Commission also met in January to discuss the proposal, voting to approve a non-binding resolution that recommends several significant changes – including the elimination of an entire structure in favor of taller buildings.

• See Related: Lackawanna Debate Roars In Montclair; Planning Board, HPC Weigh In

Meanwhile, a group calling itself “Move Montclair Forward” has launched a petition in support of the plan.

“For more than seven years, Lackawanna Plaza has sat empty and idle,” the petition reads. “Montclair has waited long enough!”

“Thoughtful developments that integrate public and private, commercial and residential – these are rare, and are hard to pull off, but they are the backdrop of a community where people connect and thrive,” the petition continues.

The petition is calling for the town council to approve the plan as-is, pointing to the supermarket, job creation, revenue generation and “the largest amount of affordable housing to be built in Montclair in 50 years” as reasons to vote yes.

Earlier this week, the Montclair Center Business Improvement District’s (BID) board of directors unanimously approved a report that also endorses the current plan for Lackawanna Plaza – a few tweaks aside.

“For 20 years, the BID has been advocating for the responsible economic development of Montclair’s vibrant town center for our businesses and our community,” board president Jaji Packard said. “We believe that with a few adjustments, the redevelopment plan for Lackawanna Plaza will fulfill that mission.”

The BID’s suggestions include:

• “Great public space comes at great cost. Built parking comes at great cost. Affordable housing comes at great cost. Historic preservation, and adaptive reuse come at a great cost. If these are of great value to us as a community, if we aspire to have them included in this project, then this redevelopment plan must be grounded in reality, and must be economically feasible and sustainable.”
• “We agree that a supermarket is a necessary component of any new plans. Much desired and anticipated by the surrounding community, the 40,000 sq ft. market will alleviate a food desert created when the Pathmark closed in 2015. We tend to agree with the Planning Board in 2017 which thought a 50,000 to 80,000 square foot supermarket was too large. We recommend keeping in line with the 40,000 square feet which has been presented to the community.”
• “We roundly support this first ever in Montclair development to have 30% of its residential component with rental prices below market value. This voluntarily exceeds the 20% affordable housing required by ordinance. An additional 10% has been pledged as workforce housing. Workforce housing has been defined by 80% to 120% area median income. Traditionally, the applicant pool for workforce housing focuses on police, firefighters, teachers, and civic workers. We recommend that this Redevelopment Plan additionally define workforce housing eligibility to prioritize ALL people who work in Montclair within the pedestrian shed of the development.”

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