May 7, 2025, Planning Board Regular Meeting Minutes

point that he’! make that he thinks wasn't made by the previous speakers is if you take a look at where this property sits, it is directly in the middle of the Edison historical site and the Llewellyn Park residential historical neighborhood, right square in the middle, and you would expect that that significant property would strive to have some type of historical characteristics embedded in it. Instead, it is heard from a developer who doesn't want to abide by the historical characteristics in order to improve a downtown that all of them have worked hard to improve, and all of them have worked hard to create a better West Orange through their community and through their efforts. It’s been heard from a developer who says that in exchange of making some surface changes to the exterior, they ask this planning board to give them a significant variance to add a third floor, where there are no other third floors in this neighborhood. They want to do the least amount in order to gain the most value for that property. That doesn't sound like an investment. That sounds just like profit taking, and he thinks West Orange is more than that, and he wishes this planning board would just consider the impact it would have to Llewellyn Park. They ask that it consider the impact that it's going to have to the Edison changes, because it will survive long past this board's time on the planning committee, and he wants to live here in a beautiful neighborhood with people who contribute, and his neighbors do too, and all of West Orange does that, so Mr. Carr kindly and respectfully asks this planning committee to reject the variance application. It has not met the hardship requirement. Sophie Lubin at 8 Edgehill Court said she lives in Llewellyn Park and can see this building from her home. She moved to the park about two years ago, and truly is in support of the revitalization of West Orange. They had high hopes for the downtown and for the Main Street when they moved here. They moved to the park because of its historic nature and the Thomas Edison Museum. The current building, as it is today, is very unsightly, and they are huge proponents of someone doing something about that. However, the proposed design has absolutely no historical value and no historical relevance. She doesn't think that even was part of the conversation when that building was being designed. There's,

t. However, the proposed design has absolutely no historical value and no historical relevance. She doesn't think that even was part of the conversation when that building was being designed. There's, from a material standpoint, from an architectural language standpoint, no connection to anything on that street. It is already an eyesore, and they are 100% in support of that building becoming more beautiful and functional, but that is not what they're talking about right now. As they've discussed, the third story is only adding value to the property owner, and not to the surrounding areas, not to Llewellyn Park. In fact, they made no effort to see what the view was like from the neighbor’s side of the fence until the push came to shove, and they had to invite them over. There was no effort made for them to see the perspective from the west view, which is extremely concerning. Ms. Lubin believes it was the applicant's attorney at the beginning of the call that said that this variance would improve relationships with the homes that surround it, but to not even consider those neighbors at the upfront, and during the research process, when looking at the view and the true impact, she thinks speaks volumes about the attitude of disregard for the neighbors and for the sunlight, privacy, and for the property value of those neighbors. Ms. Lubin would really urge the board to turn down this application and this variance and consider the historical nature of their town and where this property sits and the homeowners who have invested heavily in this town. *Board members voted that they would like to have more information before they decide on the application. *