Children would plunge into a 20-foot hole in the back of the vacant Wallwood Gardens property on Orange Road, a neighbor said. Janet Hubert, the neighbor, worried that if the dirt fell in on the kids, they would be buried.
“They would lose their ball in there and they’d climb into that hole to retrieve the ball,” Hubert said. “So, I sent pictures of kids climbing into the hole and climbing over the fence. It was a dangerous situation.”
Hubert said she notified her council person, and workers recently filled in the hole. The .54-acre property at 400 Orange Road has been the site of controversy in recent years as its developer, Montclair Sky BNC LLC, sought to build housing.
In an application set to be heard by the Planning Board on Sept. 8, Montclair Sky BNC LLC seeks to subdivide the property between Ward Place and Pleasant Way into four lots, a memo from the township’s planner says.
Prior Plans Nixed
The Board of Adjustment had nixed a prior plan, filed in 2024, to build four two-family homes for a total of eight units, despite the applicant agreeing to reduce the number of units to six.
Montclair Sky BNC LLC now proposes building four single family homes, Janice Talley, Montclair’s planning and community development director, writes in the July 2 memo.
“Two homes will front on Ward Place with driveway access from Ward Place to detached garages,” Talley states. “And two homes will front on Pleasant Way with driveway access from Pleasant Way to detached garages.”
Gregory Mascera, attorney for the developer, on Tuesday told the Planning Board that he plans to present two witnesses and his client seeks no variances.
Planning Ahead
Planning Board Chairman Keith Brodock is planning for public comment.
“Yours may be quick. I’m not sure,” Brodock said. “I believe your property had some public interest the last time there was a development plan.”
“We believe we’ve satisfied the public’s concern,” Mascera said.
The plans filed with the township call for “irregularly shaped” lots ranging from 6,242 square foot for the corner lot fronting Orange Road and Ward Place, to 5,771 square feet for the lot fronting Pleasant Way.
The developer has not submitted building plans.
The property, bordered by homes and a cemetery, stands out from the rest of the neighborhood. A thicket of vegetation has wrapped around a tall garden center sign at the corner of Ward Place and Orange Road. A defunct payphone stands nearby. Inside the fence is an expanse of cracked asphalt, a two-story building and an attached “Greenhouse Gift Shop.”
‘I’m OK with that’
Hubert, who is an actress, had during a Zoning Board hearing last year suggested the developer build four single family homes. She presented her own renderings. The concept seems to match what the developer’s new subdivision plans show.
“My designs showed them what four homes would look like, so I’m OK with that,” Hubert said.
However, she said she would like to see the construction completed in a timely fashion without disrupting the neighborhood. And Hubert will be asking questions.
“They have to try to come in here and be amenable because many of us work from home,” she said. “And I have very specific questions I want to be able to ask when I see the plans.”
What’s Next?
The Montclair Planning Board is scheduled to meet Monday, Sept. 8. It may hear Montclair Sky BNC LLC’s application to subdivide .54 acres at 400 Orange Road for the construction of four single family homes. Visit the town’s website to view applications to the board.
Email reporter Matt Kadosh at [email protected]
