After nearly two years of sustained opposition from residents, environmental advocates, and elected officials from all over Essex County, the West Orange planning board rejected a project that would have turned a 120-acre tract of untouched land on the Second Watchung Ridge into 496 apartments.
The motion to approve the sprawling project from Garden Homes/West Essex Highlands Inc. failed in a vote of four to four Wednesday night at the West Orange planning board meeting. In the event of a tie, the motion automatically fails.
The no votes were board members Ken Alper, John Cardoza, Lori Kapferer, and Susan Scarpa, who is also West Orange council president. The yes votes were planning board chair Robert Bagoff, planning board vice chair Jerry Guarino, Lee Klein, and Mayor Susan McCartney.
“It’s four to four, the application fails,” said Bagoff, triggering a wave of cheers and applause from the standing room only crowd that packed the council chambers, many of whom had been to most, if not all, of the dozens of meetings.
A Billionaire’s Plan
Over the course of two years and nearly 30 meetings, the planning board has discussed and dissected the West Essex Highlands development project, a proposal that would construct 496 units in four multi-story apartment buildings on the West Orange property.
The plan calls for developers to raze 30 acres of trees and preserve the remaining 90 acres as open space. Billionaire Zygmunt Wilf, one of the owners of the Minnesota Vikings, and his family have owned the property since the late 80s…