One Westfield Place Challengers 'Highly Disappointed' In Court's Lawsuit Ruling

WESTFIELD, NJ — The main challengers to the One Westfield Place downtown reconstruction plan are "highly disappointed" in the court's ruling to dismiss their fourth lawsuit.

"We are highly disappointed in the decision - where the courts have declined to separately engage and independently review the legitimate good faith concerns of a large number of community residents toward addressing the disposition and development of the publicly owned train station lots included in the OWP project," said the Westfield Advocates for Responsible Development to Patch.

This latest lawsuit brought forth by the Westfield Advocates was against the center's amended redevelopment plan that provides the Town with financial protections and a reduction in the amount of bond money needed. The total drops from $57 to $45 million in a move that Councilman Michael Armento says was "prudent" and puts less of a burden on future administrations.

"That the courts have simply deferred to votes made by the town planning board and town council are not any legal endorsement of the project merits, or that a better scaled project and financial terms for Westfield could not have been reached with an open, transparent RFP process and negotiation," according to the Advocates.

While the lawsuit was lost, the Westfield Advocates say they "will continue to monitor the development of this project and others, as well as the overall NJ development process and statutes - to advocate for the long-term interests of Westfield residents to maintain and prioritize the convenient commuter access and suburban town charm we currently enjoy."

Mayor Shelley Brindle touted the Town's legal victory on Wednesday, saying that, "While litigation from these four residents tends to make headlines...(they were) meritless lawsuits." While an estimated completion date for the massive reconstruction plan has yet to be given, she says she looks "forward to sharing progress updates as we move closer to making this transformative project a reality."

This is the fourth time the Westfield Advocates have tried to legally challenge the project. The first challenged the Sophia redevelopment agreement, the second questioned the One Westfield Place project’s consistency with the Master Plan and the Town’s process, and the third appeal challenged the court’s earlier ruling.

The independent, nonpartisan and nonprofit organization says their actions are meant "to prioritize reasonable development that maintains the suburban character of our town, full transparency in local government and fiscally responsible decisions impacting the future of Westfield." The group continues to voice their motives to advocate for "responsible and appropriately scaled development projects" that grow the education, quality of infrastructure and advance economic growth in the community.

READ MORE: One Westfield Place Advances Again, Clears Latest Legal Hurdle