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Upper Montclair business owners urge greater notice and traffic review for proposed Chase site changes
Summary
Members of the Upper Montclair Business Association told the council that demolition at the Chase site and a proposed swim school could worsen parking and traffic; they said review had bypassed some public processes and urged more transparency, and the council pointed them to planning and zoning board procedures.
Business owners in Upper Montclair told the council they had not been adequately notified about changes in the NC commercial zone — notably demolition at the Chase site and a proposed swim school — and urged officials to ensure adequate traffic, parking and design review.
"There are a couple different things happening in the NC neighborhood commercial zone that will fundamentally change the character of our business district," said Holly Filber of Barber Eclectic, who represented the Upper Montclair Business Association. She and other speakers said the Chase drive-through is slated for demolition and that a swim school proposal (described by speakers as generating heavy pick-up/drop-off traffic) will alter circulation in a constrained plaza.
Arlene, owner of Nouvelle, said she fears 30 cars arriving for classes could pour into the narrow Upper Montclair Plaza and create safety and congestion hazards near a fire station and school drop-off area. Several speakers also said an applicant had been routed past some historic-preservation or zoning steps and that tenants (not owners) had not received the 200-foot notice that is mailed to property owners.
Councilors and staff present responded that land-use review is managed through the planning board, zoning board and development-review committee (DRC). Damato noted that site-plan approvals and variances are processed by the appropriate boards and encouraged merchants to attend the planning-board meeting (the applicant is scheduled second on the Feb. 23 agenda) and to review the planning department’s public materials.
Next steps: Merchants were advised to monitor planning-board agendas and attend the Feb. 23 meeting; they can also elevate concerns to the relevant board when variances, parking waivers, or site-plan specifics are considered.
