May 7, 2025, Planning Board Regular Meeting Minutes

purposes of both the zoning ordinance and the municipal land use laws. It's also to preserve privacy. All of this would be allowing the third floor to interfere with the privacy from people on the side and the back. Third, it won't maintain continuity of appearance in the surrounding buildings, it's wholly inconsistent with the surrounding buildings. The building, if you grant it, will essentially make the downtown a place where there'll be a missing tooth. The missing tooth is just the point where this property, as you come along, all the buildings are up to the sidewalk, all the residential buildings, the access is within about 30 feet, this one, you have this massive and steep parking lot. In summary, the building will be disproportionate in mass, character, size, and height to any of the adjacent buildings, or even immediately adjacent to anything on that side of the road. In short, this application should be denied. Amanda Barton at 10 Edgehill said as the neighbors directly to the west of this property in question, her and her husband Jonathan, are relatively new homeowners. They really feel at home in West Orange. Their kids go to public school here and they also love it here. They don't own multiple properties, this house is their entire life savings and they bought it knowing that this building, which really never should have been built where it is, but was something they were going to have to live with. They also trusted that the zoning laws for West Orange would prevent anyone from making it even worse than it already is. They believe it's been shown already that there are multiple issues with this proposal. The only conditions for mitigating these issues, the landscaping that has been proposed, while they do appreciate that, that takes up their yard area, which is already very small, half an acre. And those conditions don't account for the sunlight issues and many of the other issues that have been mentioned. Mrs. Barton thinks the applicant has failed to show that there would be any legitimate benefits adding a third story to this building rather than just repurposing the existing structure. If this application is approved, it is essentially running roughshod over the regulations that are designed to protect taxpaying homeowners in West Orange like them. It not only materially devalues hers and her husband's investment, it really undermines the

g roughshod over the regulations that are designed to protect taxpaying homeowners in West Orange like them. It not only materially devalues hers and her husband's investment, it really undermines the confidence that people can have in these systems of local government. They urge the board to please consider the detrimental impact this would have on their property and their young family, not to mention its disregard for the historic community of Llewellyn Park, while she thinks in many people's opinion, not adding significant value to the downtown. Jonathan Barton at 10 Edgehill said to be clear that they are not opposed to development and they do support a vibrant, revitalized downtown. They're excited about the idea of that. As his wife mentioned, their children go to school here and they're relatively young homeowners. It took a really long time to get there. But if the board took a moment to look at this particular building, he knows it can feel abstract when they're faced as people speaking before the board, but if you stood in front of it, he thinks everyone would understand why they're so vehemently opposed to this. It doesn't serve any particular goal for revitalizing downtown. What's being proposed is kind of a bulky, unattractive structure that already looms over their backyard. They've accepted living in a shadow currently, and they knew what they were getting into when they bought their home, but they never imagined that a third story would be added to the building that already sits so close to their property line. They understand the appeal of fixing up the facade, but they see this building every single day more than anyone else right next to it, and they are saying plainly they would rather it stay exactly as it is than have it “improved” by adding another 15 feet in height. They feel they are being put in a position where to preserve any sense of privacy or the beauty of their property, that they may have to plant a buffer on their own property just for a developer to squeeze in a few more apartments, and it just