Tuesday, May 14, 2013
It was standing room-only at a second public hearing of the Planning Board as residents weighed in on a growth plan for township's next 25 years.
Montclair residents turned out in force Monday night to oppose a plan to allow buildings as high as seven stories in Upper Montclair and up to 10-story buildings in Montclair Center. The longterm proposal is part of an ongoing effort by the township to accommodate growth in the trendy suburb and attract primarily single New Yorkers, along with their pocketbooks. Montclair’s council chambers were filled to capacity for the second public hearing of the Planning Board on an element of the master plan addressing land use. For four hours, residents questioned the board and the three consultants who were hired to create a plan for growth that would guide the township for the next 25 years. Most of the opposition expressed concern over the …
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Check out the top stories that made headlines last week in Montclair.
Montclair wants to direct its future population growth into multistory buildings around its train stations during the next three decades, but residents questioned the impact of this vision and its effect on the historical character of the township. The house that was once called home by two Russian spies and their two young daughters is now on the housing market. The Montclair Police Department wants to bolster its ranks this year and is requesting a 6.6 percent increase to its 2013 budget. The Montclair Public Library called for an increase of $165,000 to its 2013 budget as administrators and volunteers take on growing circulation and attendance. The Montclair School District will soon release student performance data that is …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
The Planning Board heard an earful Wednesday about how the Master Plan will affect affordable housing, Montclair's historical areas and more.
Montclair wants to direct its future population growth into multistory buildings around its train stations during the next three decades, but residents questioned the impact of this vision and its effect on the historical character of the township. The final stages of a two-year process to complete an element of the township’s 30 year Master Plan, the Unified Land Use and Circulation Element, began Wednesday at a Planning Board meeting, who will ultimately vote on the final draft in the coming weeks. The 30-year vision includes recommending seven- to 10-story mixed-use buildings along Bloomfield Avenue, and two- and five-story buildings around Upper Montclair, Walnut and Watchung train stations in order to accommodate an estimated …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The Land Use and Circulation Element portion of the Montclair Master Plan will be discussed, which will lay out a blueprint for the township for the next 30 years.
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Wednesday, April 10
Montclair Planning Board will hold a public hearing Wednesday on the adoption of the Unified Land Use and Circulation Element of the Montclair Township Master Plan at 7:30 p.m. in the municipal building, at 205 Claremont Ave. Download Executive Summary of Land Use + Circulation Element Draft. In February, Montclair Planning and Community Development Director Janice Talley gave an overview of the land use element of the Master Plan. Unlike traditional land use plans, the township included a never-before used circulation element, which will take into account the different sorts of transportation in town. “What the township is preparing is not a typical land use plan,” said Talley. “This is really a land use and mobility plan [which will be…
Thursday, March 28, 2013
The water project, said one resident at the 3rd Ward community meeting Wednesday, 'will put a stake in the heart of that community' if it is approved.
The council is in an “information gathering phase” with regards to the Nishuane Park water well project in the 4th Ward, officials said during a community meeting this week. “We need to look at our need for water, our usage of water and what are the concerns people have regarding this pumping station, how do we balance the two and make an informed decision,” Third Ward Councilor Sean Spiller said at a Wednesday night meeting that included Mayor Robert Jackson and Superintendent Penny MacCormack. The township gets about 80 percent of its water from reservoirs, which Jackson said was “not a healthy number.” For safety and sustainability purposes, Jackson suggested scaling the percent of water the township gets from reservoirs to 50 percent…
Friday, March 22, 2013
The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the adoption of the land use and circulation element drage on Wednesday, April 10
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Friday, March 22
Montclair officials have released their vision of what direction development should take during the next three decades. The draft of the Land Use and Circulation Element of Montclair's Master Plan is now available. The 179-page draft can be found by clicking here. The Montclair Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the adoption of the land use and circulation element draft on Wednesday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the municipal building, located at 205 Claremont Ave. The adoption process is expected to take multiple meetings. What is the Land Use and Circulation Element of the Master Plan? The land use and circulation element of the Master Plan is a 30-year vision for how best to use Montcliar's land and housing resources. Members …
Friday, February 22, 2013
Township Manager Marc Dashield and Township Planner Janice Talley talk about the Master Plan and future development on Tuesday.
Imagine driving into Montclair and passing by 10-story buildings on Bloomfield Avenue, or walking past five-story buildings overlooking the Upper Montclair train station and Watchung Plaza. While these monoliths may be a foreign sight in Montclair in the present, they may become a reality within the next 30 years as the township determines how best to balance long-term growth with sustainability. Recommendations for how best to utilize Montclair’s land and housing resources, known as the unified land-use element of the township’s Master Plan, was unveiled Tuesday at a 4th Ward community meeting where about 60 residents turned out. However, unlike traditional land-use plans, the township is also including a never-before used …
David Herman
2:43 pm on Wednesday, May 15, 2013
I can't believe we paid so much money for this "master plan." To me it looks like the worst plan ever. It completely changes what most of us love about Montclair. High rises? who besides greedy developers want that? we don't need more condo's. I own a condo near the Walnut street train station. I can't sell it for anywhere near what I paid. The last thing we need is more condo's. This plan seems … more ›