To West Orange Authorities: Susan McCartney (Mayor of West Orange), Diana L. Chandler (Zoning Board Secretary), Geniece Gary-Adams (Director of Planning & Development/Zoning official)
To Members of the Zoning Board: Philip D. Neuer, Chairperson / Irv Schwarzbaum, Vice-Chairperson / William Michael Barbee / Laurence Cohen / Robin Miller / Brent D. Scott / Alice Weiss / Mark Sussman (Alt.) / Michael Dannemiller (Alt.) / Tal Ben-Zvi (Alt ) / Todd Dubovy (Alt.)
To Municipal Officials: Savo, Schalk, Corsini, Warner, Gillespie, O'Grodnick & Fisher PA, Board Attorneys / CME Associates, Consulting Planner / John J. Hess, PE, PP, Consulting Engineer / Zayibeth Carballo, Municipal Engineer
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Dear Mayor, dear members of the Zoning Board, dear Municipal officials,
We, the undersigned residents of West Orange, demand that the Zoning Board DENY Application ZB-25-07 in its entirety. We strongly oppose the requested use variances and any accompanying site adjustments. We respectfully request:
- Safeguard us from fire and safety hazards. Operating a heavy-duty automotive repair shop, routinely handling flammable liquids, fuel systems, and welding equipment, in close proximity to existing fueling stations raises legitimate fire and safety concerns for a corridor never planned or designed for this concentration of combustible-material handling.
- Uphold our zoning ordinance and Master Plan. The B-2 General Business Zone ordinance deliberately excludes automotive service stations as a permitted use, in keeping with the Township's Master Plan goals of a pedestrian-friendly, building-oriented commercial corridor. The applicant has not demonstrated the special reasons or hardship required to override this established zoning scheme, nor has it shown the proposal meets the site's own legal requirements: the plan exceeds the 60% maximum lot coverage at 63.3%, provides only 22 of the legally required 25 parking spaces with no designated loading area, and proposes lighting that spills onto neighboring properties at nearly ten times the permitted limit.
- Ensure traffic safety. 460 Prospect Avenue sits directly opposite the heavily congested Essex Green Shopping Center. Adding a 7-bay automotive repair facility, with its associated service traffic, vehicle storage, and customer flow, will worsen existing traffic delays and increase risks to pedestrians in the area.
- Protect our right to a clean environment. Demolishing an existing office building to introduce heavy vehicle servicing creates unnecessary risks of chemical runoff, noise pollution, and offensive odors in a corridor that borders our residential community.
- Defend real public benefit. This is not a new service for our town, it is a corporate relocation. West Orange gains no meaningful community benefit from setting aside its own zoning laws to accommodate a private commercial facility that could operate within its existing, legally permitted use categories elsewhere.
We do not want variances. We demand that the Zoning Board protect the integrity of our neighborhood, enforce our existing town ordinances, and safeguard our quality of life by voting NO on this application.
Sincerely,
