NJ Nursery Closes After 100 Years, Affordable Housing Will Replace It

WESTFIELD, NJ — Now slated to be the location of an affordable housing complex, Williams Nursery in Westfield announced they will soon be closing for good, after serving the community for over a century.

The family-owned plant nursery's last day will be July 3, according to a lengthy Facebook post, signed by the Williams and Jackson families who own the garden. They wrote that shutting down a business that is 102 years old is "a difficult thing."

"There have been countless wonderful customers that have passed through our doors," the owners wrote on Facebook. "We are going to miss sharing the smiles, and chats. We know that some of you used our store as an oasis in a bump in your lives. We are grateful that we got to help smooth the edges of those bumps."

The garden center is located on 6.5 acres of land in Westfield and has one of the largest selections of annuals, perennials and shrubs in New Jersey, according to its website. Williams has won national awards for its flower bulb display, and the nursery has been features in the national trade publication, "Nursery Retailer."

Over the years, the nursery supplied flowers and vegetable plants to many of the schools, clubs and organizations in many local towns. Williams even donated one of their greenhouses to Elizabeth, which now helps supply vegetable seedlings all over the country.

The nursery has also helped Union County's Arbor Day tree program for almost 20 years, and over 2,000 trees have been planted — some now over 30 feet tall.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nursery owners said that the last several years in business were the hardest, but also the most satisfying.

"In the beginning of COVID, we didn’t think we were even going to survive the season," they wrote. "We changed all of our computers to deal with curbside pickup, we didn’t even know if we were going to be allowed to stay open in May 2020 and thought that our operation would have ended up closing then. COVID lead to a new generation of houseplant enthusiasts and home gardeners. Plants became a coping mechanism for easing through the pandemic."

As the plant nursery will close down in less than a month, all merchandise will be 20 percent off from now until closing. The owners wrote last week that they received new shipments of houseplants, annuals and perennials for people to purchase.

All fixtures, including appliances and furniture, from the residences will also be sold.

A New Affordable Housing Site

Back in February, Westfield's Planning Board approved the development of a 162-unit affordable housing project in three buildings at the current Williams Nursery location.

Despite residents' concerns about flooding in the area and traffic congestion, the board approved the new housing complex.

Read more: Westfield Approves Affordable Housing Unit Amid Resident Concerns

According Mayor Shelley Brindle, the complex will include 162 units — which is an increase from the 130 units agreed upon in the 2017 Fair Share Affordable Housing Agreement — and 32 of those units will be designated for affordable housing.

Brindle said the Williams Nursery has been zoned for affordable housing since the 1990s, and this project will help Westfield meet its state-mandated affordable housing obligations.

Brindle explained that the Williams Nursery cannot be repurposed for another use, even for green space, because any property previously zoned for affordable housing must either:

1. Maintain its current use; or
2. Be developed into inclusionary multi-family housing once the owner chooses to sell.

Unless buyers pay fair market value and are willing to maintain the property as a nursery, Brindle said the property must be sold and developed for the purpose of affordable housing.

Brindle argues that the multi-family homes that will be built can add "vibrancy, economic vitality and socioeconomic diversity" to Westfield.

Many have expressed concerns over the development, however, including nearby mayor of Cranford — Kathleen Miller Prunty.

"Developing the Williams Nursery adjacent to Lenape Park is cause for concern to Cranford residents because of the potential for it to cause more flooding for homeowners in the northeast area of our town," Miller Prunty said in a statement.

The developer of the project said in the February meeting that he is willing to increase the site's capacity to hold stormwater runoff, and thus reduce flooding into areas like Cranford.

To read the Mayor Brindle's full explanation for her support of the new building at Williams Nursery, visit her Facebook page.