West Orange, Essex Fells Residents: 'Don’t Build In This Forest'

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A decades-old push to build hundreds of homes near a large patch of forest in West Orange has hit a standstill for the moment. But opposition continues to build among several neighborhood groups, including those in the nearby towns of Essex Fells, Verona and Roseland.

Earlier this year, West Orange town officials held a public meeting for residents who are concerned about potential development at a 120-acre tract of land on the western ridgeline of the Watchung Mountains. Known as the West Essex Highlands project, the plan was shot down by the West Orange Planning Board in 2006, but has resurfaced in recent months – with changes.

The most recent version of the plan would include four buildings and 496 units of housing. It would involve cutting down thousands of trees and building as close as legally possible to the wetlands within the woods, The Four Oranges reported.

Critics say the current proposal has grown even denser since the turn of the millennium, when the idea of developing in the area raised similar complaints: too many houses, construction on steep slopes, the potential endangering of wetlands, and more traffic on local roadways.

The land is owned by Short Hills-based developer, West Essex Highlands Inc. The company previously filed a builder’s remedy lawsuit to allow it to proceed with development if it can help the township meet its affordable housing obligation.

West Orange has a deficit of hundreds of affordable housing units that will need to be fulfilled by 2025. The township isn’t alone in this regard; other nearby municipalities have also found themselves trying to dig themselves out of a hole over the past few years. Read More: North Caldwell Golf Course Will Be Turned Into Housing

In 2020, the Township of West Orange reached a settlement with West Essex Highlands Inc. and the West Essex Highlands Condominium Association Inc. about the project, which can be seen online here.

The plan began making news headlines again this spring, after hundreds of nearby residents received a letter from the township saying the developer is applying for construction permits with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP).

West Orange Township Environmental Compliance Officer Wayne DeFeo presented an overview of the latest proposed plan and accompanying “environmental safeguards and enhancements” during a public meeting on May 10.

According to the presentation, the current West Essex Highlands proposal includes 100 affordable housing units. The remaining 396 units would be priced at market rate.

Other highlights from the presentation include:

• The original plans included 61 acres of land developed, with 136 homes. Under the 2020 settlement, a maximum of 30 acres of land would be allowed to be disturbed.
• The project would be deed restricted from further development of more residential units. All structures would have to be located to the west of the ridgeline. Restrictions imposed by the newest Steep Slope ordinance would not apply.
• A maximum of 6,360 trees out of an estimated 25,440 would not have to be replaced. A “deer fence” would be included on part of the property.
• The area is currently “heavily littered” and is being used illegally by motorbike riders. There is also evidence of illegal alcohol and fire use, as well as illegal hunting.

If the NJDEP eventually approves permits for the project, it would then go before the West Orange Planning Board for public review, officials noted. Read More: Development Near West Essex Highlands Discussed In West Orange

CRITICISM

Some community members have argued that the West Essex Highlands proposal doesn’t fly, however – even considering the town’s looming affordable housing obligation. They include members of Our Green West Orange, who recently posted a message on social media about the proposal that’s currently on the table:

“No affordable housing settlement should allow 6,400 trees to be cut, flood the neighbors and threaten safety with a one lane road-Oval Road into the complex. Take the project elsewhere!”

Other residents in the area have also been calling for a halt to the project and preservation of the forest.

We Care NJ, whose members helped to spearhead opposition to West Essex Highlands during its last incarnation, has been trying to raise public support for the cause, reaching out to nearby residents of Essex Fells, Verona and Roseland – who would also feel an impact from development in the area.

The group held a meeting at the Essex Fells Country Club to discuss West Essex Highlands in June, and plans to hold another on Sept. 18.

We Care NJ has shared project documents and updates on their website, which says:

“Many neighbors have concerns about how this development would impact their property – including drainage and soil erosion. In addition, ‘Building D’ is proposed to be built on a cliff’s edge, which is particularly concerning in light of the recent building collapse after Hurricane Ida. People are also worried about where all the wildlife will go (the ‘deer fence’ is intended to keep deer out of that area) and the impact of massive tree removals.”

Joe Pannullo of We Care NJ said that since the pandemic, other sites have emerged in West Orange that may help the township meet its affordable housing quota, and the town may be "squandering potential solutions" by not considering them. In addition, he said there is no public transportation at the site.

“All residents that rely on public transit will need to walk a mile up and down the mountain to Eagle Rock Avenue,” he told Patch. “There are no stores (or any commercial uses) until Pleasant Valley Way or Roseland.”

“This development is such a slap in the face,” Frank Gerard Godlewski, an architect and member of the Essex Fells history committee, recently told The Four Oranges.

“They’re going to ruin the real estate market in Essex Fells by building this,” Godlewski said.

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