The mood at last night’s council meeting in Montclair did not resemble the contentious angry atmosphere of recent meetings. Surprisingly subdued, ordinances and motions were passed quickly and at the end of the evening, the council and Mayor Remsen primarily won accolades from residents commending them on their decisions to slow down developers, preserve history, and postpone spending on signage.
The downzoning ordinance was quickly passed, with only one abstention by Sandra Lang (who claimed she was not sufficiently informed) R3 zones were rezoned R2, with 3 residences on Claremont exempted. About 10 disgruntled people immediately left council chambers – one was heard saying “I wish they’d downgrade my taxes.” But this is a major victory residents of North Mountain who have been fighting an oversized plan to develop 21 North Mountain. The new ordinance will send developer Desmond Neill back to the drawing board. Several council members and residents acknowledged that downzoning is not the perfect solution to a broader problem. For now, they feel it is the right decision. The council fully expects to revisit and revise the ordinance as needed.
Huestis House, at 4 Duryea was unanimously approved for designation as a historic landmark, preserving it from the wrecking ball. It was the first time the council has called for historic preservation of a private residence in Montclair.
The Wayfinding Project was tabled for at least a couple of months. Mayor Remsen stated that at this time it made no sense to engage the consultant Cloud Gehshan. Several councilors said Wayfinding still makes sense, but everyone agreed that budget-wise, the timing was terrible, and it was time to regroup and thoroughly rethink it. Mayor Remsen stated that if implemented, those who would most benefit might be asked to pull out their check books. Quote of the evening, by Gerald Tobin: “The Wayfinding system is expensive because it’s so good.”
Activist Pegi Adam told the council “you nixed the wayfinding tonight, just nix it forever” - the room erupted in applause.
High property taxes, the sewer utility, the conflict of Montclair’s CFO holding two jobs, and a bounced tax refund check were brought to the council’s attention. A resident chose to announce the imminent arrival of Trader Joe's, which he read about in Baristanet. Remsen replied "Then it must be true." One of the most stinging critiques was eloquently stated by a resident citing the Mayor's lack of stewardship in leading the council toward historic preservation, and the lack of proactive measures taken to safeguard land use. “Your first attempt to stop overdevelopment only came after pressure from residents.”
And the lawsuit? It did come up, but David Herron, one of the plaintiffs, made it clear that this is not just Ted Mattox’s lawsuit. “It came about because a group of community minded citizens joined forces to move forward in the same direction,” he said. “People concerned about the perception that their opinions don’t matter to the township government.”
Thanks again Barista for keeping us informed. A crazy back to school schedule kept me away, but I was hoping that you would have the headlines. You didn't disappiont.