Last week, dozens of residents attended a Township Council meeting to protest the passage of an ordinance that would clear the way for developers to construct a 276-unit rental property on South Livingston Avenue, at the former site of Bottle King and its surrounding area. Residents who live nearby were understandably upset about what could be built in their backyard, with those opposed to the project citing potential issues – including traffic and safety concerns, overcrowding schools, and a decline in nearby property values, to name a few. As a result, the public came out in droves to share their thoughts with the Council.The Council did not pass the ordinance that evening, undoubtedly due in part to the public comment that was unilaterally against the plan. This is how local government should work, listening to the community and acting accordingly. The plan may pass in the future, likely with additional changes; but, for the time being, the redevelopment plan for 45 South Livingston Avenue has been left in limbo.However, while we were heartened to see the community rally around this cause, it was frustrating to frequently hear some variation of the same question: “How come we didn’t know about these new housing developments that are being approved all over town?” Some people were upset that this had seemingly shown up without warning.The reason we chafed at that sentiment is because the Tribune has been covering this matter since its inception. We have covered the broader matter of Fair Share Housing Center requiring hundreds of affordable units to be built in town, and the ramifications that have been a result of it. We have also covered the minutiae of each individual project, including the ordinances and public hearings that have been before the Town Council and Planning Board as a result.Specifically, with respect to the 45 South LivingstonAvenue redevelopment plan, we reported on this area and redevelopment plan starting in 2018, when the Town Council first directed the Planning Board to conduct a redevelopment investigation. In 2021, we covered a Planning Board meeting on this redevelopment plan, which featured several hours of testimony from residents. We later covered it during a Council meeting in December of last year. The very ordinance up for discussion last week was first introduced in June, 2023, and we published information about it in the June 29 issue of the West Essex Tribune.So, the statement from ...
