Love the Tudor look of Watchung Plaza and never want it to change?
Show up this Tuesday, January 21 at 7 pm for the Town Council meeting, where a second hearing regarding the ordinance for historic designation of Watchung Plaza business district will be reviewed during the agenda (there was a first reading in December 2013) Last fall, the Planning board unanimously supported this designation and even extended the boundaries, but it has yet to approved by the Council. The Historic Preservation Commission gave full support in voting for this designation. (We haven’t heard what the raccoons think.)
Watchung Plaza is surrounded by historic sites, including the Erwin Park residential development and the Watchung Avenue Train Station, as well as the Marlboro Park development. All three are on the state and national Registers of Historic Places.
Montclair resident Linda Cranston is circulating a notice urging residents to show their support for the designation. Says Cranston:
During the initial Council review, Robin Schlager, the Watchung ward council representative voted AGAINST the historic designation. She says she is only hearing from those against the historic designation….Im guessing she is hearing from business owners that don’t want building restrictions imposed. I understand that the mayor is also saying he only hears from people against the designation… again business owners are much quicker to hear about potential changes effecting them and are quicker to respond than busy commuting residents who are more out of the loop. Renee Baskerville, 4th ward council also informed me that she is also hearing from residents who do not want the designation.
Cranston says councilors and the mayor need to hear from residents who want Watchung Plaza protected with this designation, adding that she believes this effort will also provide some protection in that neighborhood from re-zoning for high rises in the master plan.
Supporters of the historic designation should attend the meeting this Tuesday and tell the council why you want the historic designation during the public comment section (beginning shortly after 7 pm). Cranston says supporters can also bring a sign with a clear statement for council members to see. She also urges supporters to email a letter to all the representatives (below) asking them to support the historic designation. Include your name and address and copy Janice Talley, the planning board director, so she has a record of your letter.
rjackson@montclairnjusa.org;
rmcmahon@montclairnjusa.org;
rrusso@montclairnjusa.org;
whurlock@montclairnjusa.org;
RobinSchlager@montclairnjusa.org;
sSpiller@montclairnjusa.org;
rbaskerville@montclairnjusa.org
Jtalley@montclairnjusa.org (planning board director)
What we really need are more nail salon’s at Watchung Plaza.
What is the point of this proposed designation?
The train station is in no jeopardy and from my vantage point is the only historic building in the entire plaza. Maybe the former drug store too (next to the bagel place).
If this was about historic preservation, I would support it. Unfortunately, as the objective 4th Ward Councilor suggests, it is not.
Correction: the comments she has heard suggest
Correction: she did not suggest, but the comments she has heard suggest.
The Tudor style buildings, the massing, the urbanistic composition with the train station and green plaza are a result of the Nolen Plan, the scheme that made Montclair one of the most desireable suburban towns in the USA. Isnt that US History? I find it unacceptable that Watchung Plaza isnt already designated for historic preservation.
I think the original plan called for a replica of the Globe theatre on the green but it exceeded the height specs.
Those that don’t recognize the history in those buildings may just want to take a closer look.
I support the designation to preserve the buildings and if they are trying to protect the plaza from high rises in the master plan that’s fine too.
Still boggles my mind that Montclair has a master plan that would allow high rise development. The town has certainly changed. The same suggestion a few years ago would get you run out of town. Now the developers are running the show, just like Bloomfield.
While picturesque, there is nothing architecturally or historically significant enough about Watchung Plaza to facilitate the need of a Landmark status. This is really about keeping high-rise and low-income development out of the area, much the the Wildwood saga was never really about trees.
the offered dichotomy—“high-rise” development vs. “historic preservation”—is a false one.
it is sheer demagoguery to suggest that “high-rises” are going to be built in Watchung Plaza. we all know that isn’t going to happen, no matter how one chooses to parse the masterplan.
as for “historic preservation”—the buildings in the plaza are a shambles behind the scenes. to think this would be enshrined because of illogical nostalgic impulses does a disservice to the future of this community.
at a minimum, it is heartening to hear above that there are residents of Montclair who are not part of the Under The Dome movement.
Watchung Plaza merits Landmark status because urbanistically it is architecturally and historically significant.
The hearing for historically designating the Montclair Heights Reformed Church is also on tonight’s agenda, although not mentioned here for some reason. I do support this designation.