Residents Protest Seton Hall Building Plan

Seton Hall University's plan to build a new University Center has drawn ire from nearby residents. A number of locals have launched and signed a petition to ask town officials to hold off on granting permission for the project.

As planned, says the petition, the construction will "have a detrimental effect on a large part of the open space along South Orange Avenue and the neighborhoods surrounding it."

Specifically, the construction includes a two-lane service road that runs parallel to South Orange Avenue. The road ends in a turn-around circle and a loading dock.  The construction plans (attached) suggest that trees and grass that now fronts South Orange Avenue will give way to paving.

South Orange representatives informed trustees of their intention; however, the project now faces the Planning Board.  Residents are directing their objections to that body.

The Seton Hall plan includes the construction of three "temporary" buildings, including a dining facility. The temporary dining hall is along South Orange Avenue, on the proposed plan (attached).

The petition cites noise, among other quality of life issues.  The petition reads, in part:

We believe that the physical character the neighborhoods that surround the project and the township itself will be very negatively affected by this project.

Besides the aesthetic and visual downsides of the service road, it will also add to noise, pollution and ambient light in an area that is already stressed with these environmental issues. We believe that idling trucks and buses and trash collection will be a significant part of the daily operation of the facility. The project, which involves significant excavation, will displace large amounts of soil, and may have a long-term effect on water drainage in the surrounding neighborhoods that are downhill from it.

This project does not provide any potential benefit to the surrounding historic community of Montrose Park and yet impacts it negatively. The aesthetic, visual and environmental impact of the project will be a net negative for the parts of Montrose Park that are just north of the University. It will bring property values down in a real estate market that is just beginning to rebound.

An improvement for the University communty must not be a burden on the surrounding communities. This is the social contract that we enter when we become neighbors. Therefore, we the undersigned respectfully ask The Planning Board of the Township of South Orange Village to not approve Seton Hall’s proposal for a new University Center.