Resident accuses planning presenters of ignoring gentrification; council pledges review of process

Mariah Eskew (who introduced herself at the meeting) delivered a forceful public comment decrying what she described as gentrification and displacement tied to redevelopment processes.

"When I approached them about the gentrification and displacement of the black and brown people in downtown and South End Montclair...they said they didn't know what gentrification was," Eskew said, criticizing the planning‑board presentation she attended on Aug. 18 and urging council action to protect long-term residents she said face rising taxes and landlord pressure.

Councilors and the township manager responded that the council is not the planning board and that particular planning‑board hearings and applications are handled through a defined process; one councilor who attended the planning meeting explained the architect's role is to answer questions about the application itself, not broader redevelopment philosophy. Manager Stephen Marks said the council would defer to the planning board on that application but pledged that officials would listen and offered to continue the conversation offline.

The exchange became heated and the meeting chair asked for calm so other speakers could be heard. The transcript records residents' calls for clearer, more accessible planning materials and for the council to explain how redevelopment processes consider displacement and affordability.

Next steps: Councilors said they would not speak for the planning board at the meeting but encouraged residents to use appropriate planning‑board comment channels and to follow up with council offices for broader policy questions about affordable housing and anti‑displacement measures.