UPDATED March 7, 2016 to reflect the fact that a discussion of an ordinance related to the redevelopment of Orange Lawn Tennis Club will not take place at the March 7 Planning Board meeting. Scroll down below for more from SO Planning Board Chair Harold Colton-Max.
Valley Street has been the focus of much attention from developers lately.
Over the past few months, the South Orange Development Committee has been meeting with Meridia, the conditional developer of a proposed multi-story, mixed-use development on the northwest corner of 4th & Valley. Residents report that Meridia has been receptive to community input regarding the proposed project. Read about that conversation here.
In January, the South Orange Planning Board approved a 22-unit apartment building at 320 Valley Street.
The Planning Board will continue to hear a site plan on the proposed Blink health club/fitness center at 451 Valley Street at its meeting this Monday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the South Orange Performing Arts Center. (The Blink discussion at the February hearing mostly centered around parking and plantings.)
The Planning Board will also be hearing a site plan for a proposed new construction 3-story building on a small corner lot at 184 Valley Street (see photo). Residents of the Academy Heights neighborhood report that the developer has not sought input from the neighborhood and that many local residents find that the building is not characteristic of the area. Residents are expected to show up in force at the March 7 meeting.
Another major item is no longer on the agenda at the March 7 Planning Board meeting: a discussion of a proposed ordinance for Orange Lawn Tennis Club. In February, the South Orange Board of Trustees voted to introduce an ordinance approving a redevelopment plan to construct luxury townhouses on the property of Orange Lawn Tennis Club. The ordinance will allow for Orange Lawn to sell off five acres of the property to be developed as 22 townhomes, while paving the way to change the zoning for the remaining 11 acres of the property.
[On March 6, Planning Board Chair Harold Colton-Max posted the following on Nextdoor: “Dear Neighbors – I apologize for the late notice, but I wanted to let you all know that the South Orange Planning Board will NOT be considering Ordinance #2016-08 relating to the proposed Orange Lawn Redevelopment Plan at tomorrow night’s meeting. Although I am aware that the Board of Trustees has scheduled this ordinance for a second reading the following Monday, March 14, the Planning Board must, by state law, be given at least 45 days to provide the Board of Trustees with its input as to whether the proposed ordinance is consistent with the Township’s Master Plan. Since the ordinance in question was introduced on February 22, we must be given until at least April 7 before the Board of Trustees can act. Therefore, the Board of Trustees will need to wait until the earlier of when the Planning Board has met, considered this matter and offered its opinion on the consistency of the proposed Orange Lawn Redevelopment Plan or, if we have not done so, April 7, until they can schedule a second reading of the ordinance. At the South Orange Planning Board Meeting on Monday, March 7, we will determine whether we will be scheduling a special meeting of the Board for sometime later this month or whether we will take this matter up at our next regularly scheduled meeting on April 4. We will make an announcement at the meeting tomorrow night which will be the case. I hope that this does not inconvenience those of you who planned to attend tomorrow night’s meeting to be heard on this ordinance. You will still have an opportunity to be heard when we take up this matter. I thought it best to let you all know so you could change your plans accordingly. I would appreciate it if you could forward this information to anyone else you are aware of who may be planning to attend for this purpose (of course, we welcome anyone to come and watch and/or be heard on the other important cases before the Board…)”.]
See the full South Orange Planning Board March 7 agenda here.
