I hope everyone had a good Independence Day week. We did have a wonderful parade on the Fourth of July that I was happy to see so many of you at. Though I had fun, it was hard for me to celebrate freedom just after the Supreme Court gave license to businesses that serve the public at large to discriminate against queer people based on their religious beliefs.
With this ruling and the reversal of Roe vs. Wade, our democracy is alarmingly becoming a theocracy. When you add in the ruling on Affirmative Action, it seems that this conservative majority is intent on rewinding the clock. An overly armed theocracy is not the 21st century America I thought we would be. It’s more like a certain Margaret Atwood “tale”.
Here are some thoughts and updates on issues and Council business. I’ll send another note next weekend with the agenda for the July 18th Council Meeting.
Storks & Seniors
As mentioned on my Instagram, we’ve been taking some actions recently, after getting some great feedback from the community, to make some simple updates to make life just a little easier for expectant and new parents and seniors. I’m asking staff to deploy these to all public parking facilities in town, with the number of spots scaled based on size of lot/deck. Generally each parking facility should ultimately have disability parking, EV charging station/parking, senior parking and expectant/new parent parking (with gender neutral signage). Later, my hope is to either re-name the decks or color code them and deploy a better way-finding system and capacity signaling system, integrated with technology, including a mobile app.
Last week, Wayne Brooks, Jr, nephew of NAACP Chapter President Roger Terry, Sr., was one of the two Newark firefighters who made the ultimate sacrifice when they lost their lives while battling the cargo ship fire in Port Newark. Brooks, Jr., 49, was a 16-year veteran and assigned to Ladder 4 in the South Ironbound neighborhood.
The viewing for Brooks, Jr. will take place Thursday night, July 13th from 4-8pm at Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart followed by his funeral on Friday morning, July 14th at 10am. The Cathedral is located at 89 Ridge St, Newark, NJ 07104
The Newark Firefighters Union has established a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds directly benefiting the Acabou and Brooks families. All donations will be split equally, 50/50, between the two families. This is the only fundraising campaign connected to the family.
Tenant Protection
In addition to trying to build record affordable housing at Lackawanna Plaza, and now permitting accessory dwelling unit construction, the other tool in our toolkit to try to keep some affordability in Montclair is the rent control law we passed in 2021. To me, the most important part of having a rent control law is making sure people know we have a rent control law. Please click, save, share this graphic with tenants in Montclair so that they know their rights.
Street Repaving
Apologies for all of the disruption as we catch on some overdue roadway paving throughout town. This is being carried out as part of the capital bond that we passed in June. In addition to roads, we’re also fixing up some municipal lots including the one behind Bluestone Coffee, which has been a priority for me and Councilor Robin Schlager for a few years.
New Law for Disclosing Flood Risk & History in Real Estate Transactions
With devastating flooding happening not far from here this week, it’s hard not to remember what happened to homes, businesses, and schools during Hurricane Ida, made an impression on me. Little by little we are addressing our stormwater infrastructure, making significant investments in improving the entire system from run off to capture to outflow. One of the aspects of Lackawanna Plaza that excites me the most is the detention pools that would be built under the open plazas to capture most of the site’s stormwater, diverting all of the water that currently hits and runs off that site. That has real downstream impacts.
Also worth nothing, the Governor recently signed an important new law requiring sellers of real property and landlords to disclose knowledge of a property’s history of flooding, flood risk, and location in a flood zone or area. Additionally, the law requires landlords to notify tenants of the availability of insurance for renters through the National Flood Insurance program.
Lackawanna Plaza Update
Internally, the current debate is over whether it should be 300 units or 325 units, down from 375 in our earlier version. The above image depicts the project with 325 units. Height and bulk have been reduced. The number one factor in this whole project for me is affordable housing. This is Montclair’s chance, working with a willing property owner, to create record affordable housing. It’s our best opportunity to try to protect some economic diversity in town.
I’d like to keep the project at 325 units which would create 98 affordable units (two tiers) and 227 market rate units. If we drop to 300, then it would be 90 affordable units and 210 market rate units. Not a deal breaker. But 210 market rate units would have to be priced higher than 227 market rate units in order to absorb project costs. To keep the market rate units priced reasonably, I’d like to see us stay at at least 325.
A bigger problem for me: One colleague is seeking to change the most significant section of open space at the site into a parking lot. Under no circumstances in progressive Montclair and in the concrete jungle that is downtown Montclair, should open space be compromised for a black top surface parking lot. This must remain an open, communal space for our town with as much green native vegetation as possible.
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I’d ask everyone to remember that this is private property that we have the privilege of shaping with a willing owner. There is only so long we can expect them to be patient and lose money before they just decide to move forward with what they can build there “as of right” without our permission. How silly would it be for this to fall apart and for them to then just go and build the approximately 300-450 units by right, but without all of these other benefits or a grocery store requirement. By collaborating with us and with our redevelopment designation, we’re able to require a supermarket, 30% affordable units (two-tiers), open space, public art, rainwater capture, cutting edge eco-friendly design and so much more.
I hope we’ll introduce the new plan next Tuesday, July 18th. It’s time to move this project forward.
Voting to Ban Gas-Powered Leaf Blowers
I’ve struggled a lot with this issue because I’ve always felt that we should have a reasonable phase-in period of one year. But once you come to really learn the science behind why these machines are so awful and why other places like East Hampton, Maplewood, Washington DC, and the entire State of California have banned them; it’s hard to not address it sooner than later. The whole concept of them is just ridiculous. The noise is such a nuisance and they’re so over-used for the silliest things.
Some of you have reminded me of my campaign promise to put the environment first. Some of you, including especially Councilor Lori Price Abrams, have also reminded me that Montclair should be at the apex of progressive leadership. I believe it. My pragmatic side has stressed a lot over unintended consequences and that’s why I’ve dragged my feet this year. But I’ve made a final decision:
I have decided that I will vote to enact a ban that will take effect by Labor Day.
I want to thank Councilor Russo and Councilor Schlager for their advocacy and being uncompromising on this and as mentioned, Councilor Price Abrams for her work. Together, the four of us will introduce this ban next week on July 18th and enact it on August 13th, to take effect by Labor Day.
I know this is a position change for some of you who I told I would take my time. But for me, the reasons to do this outweigh the reasons not to do it and I feel confident that taking this action is prudent. I also feel confident that we have enough information to share with the public and with private companies to aide with this transition
I’ve been incredibly moved by the hard work and dedication of some of the advocates in this movement — Deb Ellis, Peter Holm, and Anna Grossman to name a few. They’ve done the work and checked all of the boxes and I have no more questions. Well done, all. And congratulations.
Thanks, everyone. Have a great week!
-Peter
Our mailing address is:
41 Watchung Plaza, Suite 318
Montclair, NJ 07042