Planning Board Application for 410 Main Street to Resume Weds 8/7

The Planning Board of West Orange has had a busy summer. One application, still in progress, to develop the West Essex Highlands has a large group of objectors and the Planning Board has added several in-person meetings to hear the application.

This Wednesday, August 7, another group of objectors will speak against an application for 410 Main Street. The current owner of the property is seeking several bulk variances for eight excusals including: building 33% larger than what is allowed in a B-2 zone, using 22% more land than is allowed, and providing only half of the parking spaces required by NJ Residential Site Improvement Standards.

The residents of the neighborhood surrounding 410 Main have had to deal with the prospects of this developer for more than three years. The original plan presented in 2021 was obscene in scale. The current application before the Planning Board is less obscene but remains a threat to the safety and well-being of the neighborhood.

Our group wrote a petition in May that outlines our objections. We have 170 physical and verifiable signatures. None of them were solicited or provided electronically. 170 people took pen to paper to say NO to what is proposed. Many of us will participate in the Zoom meeting on Wednesday, some others may not because they’re uncomfortable in the virtual world.

The single-family house that used to sit proudly at 410 Main had been built in 1789. Although it qualified, the opportunity to officially designate it a historical landmark was missed and the Township didn’t try to intervene. After the current owner bought the property, he allowed the house to suffer irreparable damage from neglect. We saw the house vandalized and abused. We made many calls to the Township about squatters and rodents, about poor property maintenance that became hazardous for adjacent homes and pedestrians on its sidewalks. At one point, the house was a dangerous fire hazard because of the dozens of trash bags stored on its porch.

Now, we’re faced with a proposal of a too large building of 12 apartments with 20 bedrooms (none of them affordable housing) and a small retail space. The design threatens our well-being, safety, and quality of life. No one will benefit from this building - except for its owner.

Our group has already shared our concerns with the WO Older Adults Advisory Board and the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Board. 410 Main is almost exactly between Degnan House, a senior citizens residence, and Edison Middle School. Both buildings serve vulnerable populations with increased safety concerns.

We’re ready to speak up. We hope the Planning Board upholds its responsibility to the residents of our West Orange neighborhood and denies the variances sought by the developer.

Please read our petition here. For more information, visit Facebook @410MainStreetWO.