No Lack Of Votes For Lackawanna; Montclair Council Advances Plan

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Town Council unanimously advanced the latest plan for Lackawanna Plaza this week over the protests of critics, who have been calling for more debate about the highly discussed real estate proposal.

On Tuesday, the town council voted 6-0 to advance the current version of the Lackawanna Plaza redevelopment plan (watch the video below).

The plan – which can be seen here – now heads to the Montclair Planning Board for further review before a possible final vote from the council. In addition, the Montclair Historic Preservation Commission is scheduled to hear a presentation on the plan on Dec. 15. If it clears these hurdles, the developer would have to present a site plan with more detailed information about the building plans and traffic impacts.

Here's an overview of the plan's footprint, as seen in the draft version:

“The Lackawanna Plaza Redevelopment Plan envisions the redevelopment of the existing Lackawanna Station shopping center and adjoining parcels in the plan area with a mix of land uses and the addition of new buildings, including a new supermarket and housing. An overarching goal of this plan is to further the Township of Montclair’s planning goals by promoting additional mixed-use, Smart Growth redevelopment in Montclair Center … The plan area is bounded to the north by Glenridge Avenue; to the east by Block 4202, Lots 2 and 5; to the south by Bloomfield Avenue; and to the west by the street called Lackawanna Plaza, Greenwood Avenue and Block 3213, Lot 1.”

Some key details of the redevelopment plan include:

• A total of five new buildings are permitted, ranging from five to six stories in height
• A maximum number of 375 residential dwelling units permitted within the plan area
• Each building will be allowed a minimum gross floor area dedicated for permitted, non-residential principal uses: Building A: 90,000 square feet, Building B: 18,000 square feet, Building C: 15,000 square feet, Buildings D/E: 12,000 square feet (total for both buildings).
• A minimum of 75,000 square feet of office space shall be provided within the total non-residential gross floor area required for the West Side (Buildings A, B and C).

The project has been in the works for more than eight years and has seen several stumbling blocks along the way.

For years, the Hampshire Companies and Pinnacle Companies tried to breathe new life into the site, which is home to a historic, former train terminal. After getting approval from the Montclair Planning Board in 2019, the companies announced that a 216,772-square-foot, mixed-use project was in the works, including residential, retail and office spaces.

The project was expected to kick off later that year. But it hit a major roadblock when a group of local advocates launched a lawsuit to stop development, seeking to reverse the previous decision from the planning board and nix the project's site approval – sending everything back to the drawing board.

• See related article: Montclair Group's Legal Battle Over Lackawanna Plaza Continues
• See related article: Lackawanna Plaza Plans Hit Big Speed Bump In Montclair

In February 2021, a new owner, Montclair-based BDP Holdings, announced that it has acquired the 7.6-acre development site. The announcement – and the ensuing redevelopment plan – has seen a mixed reaction.

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 some Montclair residents have supported the new 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. It was a major topic of discussion at a recent town hall hosted by Councilor David Cummings, who had asked for more time to look at the plan and discuss it with residents of the ward (watch the video here). Cummings abstained from Tuesday’s council vote on the plan.

• See related article: This 'Food Desert' In Montclair May Get State Funding

According to a previous statement from Montclair-based BDP Holdings, Lackawanna Plaza's historical importance will be kept in mind as plans for the site evolve. And yes, a grocery store is still on the to-do list. Read More: New Owner, Old Concerns For Lackawanna Plaza In Montclair

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Councilor Robert Russo said that although he has questions about the plan, it’s time to move the project along.

“I was unable to attend that last town hall and other meetings on the Lackawanna plan, and also have a lot of concerns myself,” he said earlier this week. “But I have watched this ‘supermarket desert’ in the 3rd and 4th Ward for so long, I do not want to see it continue for another council to address. Let’s make a commitment to get this done, even if with some necessary changes or reductions in scale, so the residents of Montclair can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Councilor Peter Yacobellis said that there are other benefits to the proposal besides the possibility of bringing a supermarket back to the area. They include:

HOUSING – “This proposal includes 112 affordable units at two tiers – 20% traditional affordable housing and 10% dedicated to workforce housing.”

TAX REVENUE – “The project creates approximately 100,000 sq. ft. of commercial office space which is crucial for day-time commerce for small businesses. Our restaurants and shops do best on the weekends, good on weeknights but have a lot to offer on weekdays to a new segment. With 90% of our tax revenue coming from residential real estate taxes, it will be nice to have more coming from commercial offices, those occupants then contributing to businesses during off peak hours and then be empty on nights and weekends just when more residents and visitors are popping into town. It creates a circular economy and lessens the burden on residential property tax payers overall.”

STORMWATER, GREENWAY – “I also support the general framework of this project for the eco-friendly elements including capturing 100% of the stormwater on site. That is a big deal in and of itself. Right now all of the run-off from the two huge parking lots at Lackawanna Plaza flows downstream. This would detain all of that water on site like a giant rain-barrel, which can mitigate downstream flooding. The Lackawanna plan aspires to have living walls and to collect wastewater for plant irrigation and have all buildings exceed baseline LEED certification standards. It will feature a bike path connecting up to downtown and eventually over to the Essex Hudson Greenway which will run from Montclair to Jersey City. And it includes the use of native vegetation, friendly to pollinators.”

The debate over Lackawanna will continue these next months and well into the new year, Yacobellis said.

“Building heights, number of units and everything else will remain subject to your feedback and subject to change for the next couple of months as the process unfolds,” he wrote in an email to the community.

“I hear those of you who are concerned about height, density and impacts to traffic,” Yacobellis said. “I have to cross over Bloomfield Avenue from Grove to Elm almost every day.”

“But we do have to be realistic that with any changes we make, we would be giving up some portion of the benefits or in some cases entire things mentioned above,” Yacobellis added. “The project has to make money to be able to subsidize the housing and all of the public amenities and benefits. Ultimately this is private property that we are setting the parameters on, for the property owner to develop within.”

Despite the arguments in favor of advancing the plan, some critics continue to urge Montclair town officials to put the brakes on the project and scale it back. They include former planning board member Martin Schwartz, who expanded on his reasoning in a recent op-ed.

According to Schwartz, many Montclair residents have been calling for lower-scale development over the past decade – but have been “largely ignored” by town council members.

In a statement to Patch before Tuesday’s meeting, Schwartz said the proposal that the council advanced on Tuesday is an “already drafted Lackawanna Redevelopment Plan,” which will leave the planning board and Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) with just a 45-day review window.

“Obviously, that rushed timeline prevents any detailed board/HPC consideration, especially during the holidays,” Schwartz said. “So, for me, the council has really not operated within both the spirit and legal letter within the master plan, which is the township’s guiding land use document.”

During the public comment portion of Tuesday’s meeting, several residents spoke in favor of advancing the plan and in support of the project’s developer, David Placek. Others called for more time to more time for the planning board to review the proposal, which the council acknowledged when it voted to extend the board’s 45-day review period to 60 days.

William Scott, chair of the Montclair NAACP chapter’s Housing Committee, said the NAACP wanted the council to postpone the vote until independent studies could be made about the potential impact to the area.

Renee Baskerville, former councilor of the 4th Ward and a member of the NAACP housing committee, also urged the council to hold their vote, saying she is concerned about the density of the project, although she praised the property’s owners for their previous contributions to the community.

Watch the meeting footage below (video is cued to the vote on the Lackawanna Plaza plan).

• The ordinance approved Tuesday can be seen here
• “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.

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