Essex House Proposal Calls for Strip Mall, Day Care Center on Northfield Avenue

West Orange Township's Zoning Board heard details about a proposal from Essex House at its meeting Thursday night to construct a strip mall and day care center on the restaurant's current Northfield Avenue property.

The owners of Essex House plan to build space for seven retail outlets, including a bank, and a day care center on the 14,435-square-foot commercial area.

The proposal originally was slated to be presented to the zoning board in July, but was moved to allow the applicants to review their plans were in compliance with a new steep slope ordinance passed by township council. That ordinance does not allow for construction on a slope greater than 25 percent.

The attorney for the applicants, James Markouris and MBP Incorporated, is Robert C. Williams. He said the site hasn't been fully developed for years because of the economy and other restaurants in the area.

"The property hasn't been able to be fully utilized," he said. "The client feels there's a demand for smaller-scale shops in the West Orange area and the Northfield corridor." Williams said his clients also see a demand for day care facilities.

"We know there's a demand for day care and that seems to be a demand that's all over north Jersey," he said. "So, we designed the space initially for what we call Kiddie Academy and additional small retail uses."

Williams said his clients have been contacted by a number of different facilities looking for space, but did not specify the contacts.

Thomas C. Lehman Jr., of Lehman Architectural Partnership in West Caldwell, confirmed with Patch in July that his firm is working on the project. "Right now we're working with the planning board, so it's not yet ready for construction," he said. "We have the existing building there that the town likes very much and we're planning to add 10,000 square feet with some alteration to the Essex House."

Thursday's hearing included testimony by the project's engineer, Michael Lanzafama, of Casey & Keller, in Millburn, and by Williams on the proposed plans. "This is an opportunity for West Orange to get a very valued, non-service ratable," Williams said during the hearing. "One that will be accompanying to the Northfield Avenue corridor."

Some residents of the St. Cloud section of the township, which sits behind the Northfield Avenue property, have concerns about the redevelopment project.

Hannah Nehrbauer and Chris DarConte, who have lived in the St. Cloud area for seven years, said if the construction moves forward, they have concerns with safety issues and the possible change in property value on their home.

"I have very grave concerns about this proposal and about the destruction of an existing, beautiful scenic hillside," said Nehrbauer. "I don't see the need to cut into it ... and make it a parking lot."

Nehrbauer said the hillside that is part of the property helps buffer the noise from Northfield Avenue.

She said, though, their biggest concern is safety.

"The proposal states that there will be a change in the existing traffic pattern so that all (left) exiting traffic (from the proposed strip mall) is forced out onto Sheridan Avenue, directly across the street from St. Cloud Elementary School," she said.

"Sheridan (Avenue) has traffic issues already and that's been evidenced by the speed humps that were required to put in a few years ago."

St. Cloud Elementary School, 71 Sheridan Ave., sits at the corner, very close to Northfield Avenue.

Dr. Anthony Cavanna, superintendent of West Orange Public Schools, has said he is OK with the construction, as long as it doesn't pose a safety hazard to students, parents or teachers.

Jennifer Winning, president of the Parent-Teacher Association at St. Cloud Elementary, said the organization was informed about the Essex House proposal in late spring by a resident. She said the organization has concerns with the construction's impact on the school.

"We're concerned about the safety of our students at the dismissal time with the traffic coming out and their proposal to move the exit (from the proposed site) closer to the school," she said. "I'm concerned because I looked at the traffic report and they didn't study the afternoon time period."

Winning said the report studied the traffic pattern between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. "Our kids get out at 3:13 p.m., so I don't think the traffic report accurately reflects the safety of our students at dismissal time," she said. "At this point, we have a crossing guard for safety in front of the school, but he's on the other side of the hill, so I don't know if there's any plans to move that."

Williams said his clients have tried to be sensitive to the West Orange community. "We've done a careful analysis of traffic impact on the site," he said. "We hired the traffic expert who did the traffic analysis for the board of education to make sure it's consistent." He said a detailed traffic explanation and impact will be presented at a future hearing."We want to make sure it results in a safe environment," Williams said.

DarConte said his concern is what effect the proposal will have on property value in the St. Cloud area.

"If it goes through and they disrupt the hillside and you hear and see the traffic you were buffered from and the school becomes a safety issue ... at that point, how do you settle," he said. "There's vacant businesses already on the surrounding lots, property would be worth less and school safety will be worse."

Beverly Meaux, a real estate agent with Towne Realty Group, said it still is unknown what affect this project would have on property values in the St. Cloud area.

"There are too many factors that aren't clear, such as how the erosion of the tree buffer will increase the sound or decrease safety, how the property architecture and landscape will complement the area and exactly what other stores/shops are going in there with the day care center and the quality of the day care center," she said. "Without this information, along with the congestion concerns, only time will tell on whether there truly will be a detrimental effect on property values."

Williams said his clients plan to keep the Essex House's historically aesthetic look as part of the proposal.

"There's a number of people who have said they love the charm of the Essex House, so what we've done is kept the main portion of the building undone and mirror the architecture we have on the corner," he said. "We think this is a less intense use (of the property) and it won't be open until 2 in the morning."

Williams also said half the site will be empty on weekends, as children only will be on the property in the day care during the week.

"We think this is something that can make it in this very difficult economy," he said. "Smaller uses that will attract people from the immediate area."

The board's next hearing on the Essex House proposal is slated for Sept. 16, 8 p.m., at the township's municipal building, 66 Main St., West Orange.