West Orange Planning Board approves amended site plan for ‘The Manor’ at 111 Prospect Avenue

The Township of West Orange Planning Board voted 7–0 on June 24 to approve amended site‑plan PB26‑04 for Orange Prospect LLC, the operator of the longtime Manor banquet and restaurant site at 111 Prospect Avenue, adopting conditions that include a deed restriction limiting a second‑floor carriage‑house unit to staff use, compliance with municipal stormwater review requirements, additional landscaping near the rear gazebo, and a one‑year extension to complete larger replacement tree plantings.

The board approved a set of site improvements that move the full restaurant into the carriage house, reconfigure parking and circulation, add accessible walkways and EV stalls, replace a damaged fountain and relocate a gazebo, and renovate interior spaces including a new covered patio and expanded pre‑function areas. Applicant counsel Kenneth McPherson and project witness Mike Petry, a licensed architect/engineer/planner, told the board the work will reduce impervious coverage to 59.76 percent and add screening and landscape islands while increasing operational parking.

The project and vote matter because the property is a long‑standing venue in West Orange and the amendments change where customers and service access occur, affect required parking and buffering for nearby residential lots, and invoke the township’s stormwater standard adopted in 2025. The board granted C2 variance relief and several waivers on the record after hearing technical testimony and agreeing conditions to mitigate neighborhood impacts.

"We are eliminating a long‑time historic non‑conformance for impervious coverage on this property," said Mike Petry, describing design changes that, he testified, reduce overall runoff and improve site functioning while preserving the site’s historic character. Petry also agreed the second‑floor apartment will be deed‑restricted: "That is historically how it's been used, and this applicant would accept a condition that the apartment could not be occupied by anyone who doesn't work for the facility, and it could never be rented." The condition was recorded in the motion.

Board staff and consultants requested additional technical submissions tied to the stormwater ordinance (Section 25‑29.4S). Municipal engineer Ryan MacNeill told the board he supported the relief in principle provided the applicant submits the revised stormwater documentation called for in his June 4, 2026 review letter and satisfies minor clarifications during resolution compliance.

Neighbors raised concerns about recent tree removals and exposed soil at the rear property line along Deerfield Drive. Kathy Dent of 5 Deerfield Drive said, "They took out the trees and moved all the dirt ... now we have piles of dirt, which could turn into a mudslide." Applicant representatives said the removals were permitted, that replanting has been installed in the rear, and committed to inspect and, if necessary, remediate and coordinate with the municipal engineer and code enforcement.

Key conditions recorded by board counsel Diana Powell McGovern include: a deed restriction limiting the carriage‑house apartment to employees; compliance with the planner’s June 5 and June 17, 2026 memoranda and the engineer’s June 4, 2026 review letter; submission of stormwater revisions to show the reduction in runoff and peak flows; maintenance of rear buffering near the gazebo with replacement plantings if screening becomes sparse; three lighting waivers addressing street, pedestrian, and parking area illumination; allowance of existing sign locations with zoning‑official sign placement approval; a two‑space parking variance (project proposes 486 spaces vs. a 488‑space standard tied to the combined 1,563‑person occupancy); and follow‑up to neighbor erosion/tree concerns.

The board also set a six‑month deadline for the applicant to develop a solution for an inaccessible balcony/storage area in the carriage house (or return to the board) and granted a one‑year extension from the meeting date to complete the larger replacement tree plantings. The applicant agreed to those timeframes.

Chair Dr. Robert Bagoff summarized the board’s rationale before the roll call: the project is a redevelopment of a long‑term existing structure, the improvements provide safety and circulation benefits, and the benefits outweigh any identified detriments. Vice Chair Jerry Guarino seconded the motion and Jamilet Baquerizo Vite called the roll. Recorded affirmative votes were: Ken Alper; Lee D. Klein; Christopher Morgan Sr.; John R. Cardoza; Susan McCartney, Mayor; Jerry Guarino, Vice Chair; and Dr. Robert Bagoff (7–0).

The board closed public comment after the applicant agreed to inspect and promptly address the Deerfield Drive erosion concern. The board’s approval is subject to the resolution language reflecting the conditions and to the applicant’s compliance with the municipal engineering and planning memos. The next regular Planning Board meeting was announced for July 1, 2026, by Zoom.

Details: The application is PB26‑04 (Orange Prospect LLC), property 111 Prospect Avenue (Block 151, Lot 17.01, B2 zone). The record reflects removal of five trees with plans to replace ten; a proposed increase in striped parking stalls (variously described during testimony as +9 and +15 depending on counting methodology), six additional EV stalls proposed in the rear, and a combined maximum site occupancy of 1,563 persons that drives the parking calculation. The board recorded the applicant’s agreement to deed‑restrict the carriage‑house unit for staff use only and to follow the board professionals’ technical directions for resolution compliance.