Politics & Government
Plan To Clear Forest, Build Apartments In West Orange Scheduled For Hearing
The West Essex Highlands application is back on the agenda in West Orange. Here's what to know.
WEST ORANGE, NJ — A controversial proposal to build hundreds of apartments over a large patch of forest in North Jersey is scheduled for another hearing in West Orange on Wednesday.
The West Orange Planning Board’s agenda for May 6 includes the West Essex Highlands application.
Developers are proposing to build a 496-unit, four-building residential complex at a 120-acre tract of land on the western ridgeline of the Watchung Mountains, which borders West Orange, Essex Fells and Verona. Nearly 30 acres of forest would be cleared under the plan.
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The planning board’s meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. View remote login details here.
Critics say the current proposal has grown even denser since the turn of the millennium, when the idea of developing in the area raised similar complaints: too many houses, construction on steep slopes, the potential endangering of wetlands, and more traffic on local roadways.
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Previous versions of the project have been rejected by the West Orange Planning Board. However, the new plan is to make 100 of the units “affordable” – a major selling point from developers.
West Orange has a deficit of hundreds of affordable housing units that will need to be fulfilled by 2035. The town has recently seen multiple “builder’s remedy” lawsuits from developers, who say the town should let them move forward with plans to create more housing.
Opponents have argued that while there is a big need for affordable housing, it shouldn’t come at the expense of public safety or the preservation of green space.
In 2020, the Township of West Orange reached a settlement with West Essex Highlands Inc. and the West Essex Highlands Condominium Association Inc. about the project, which can be seen online here. West Orange was obligated to move the project forward under the agreement.
The project has seen renewed pushback from residents and elected officials over the past few years.
In 2024, the Verona Town Council passed a resolution requesting that the West Orange Planning Board deny the application. Similar resolutions have since been passed by the environmental commissions of Essex County, Caldwell, South Orange, West Orange, Verona, Montclair, Livingston and Millburn.
Last year, 39 environmental organizations including the New Jersey Sierra Club, sent a letter to West Orange’s mayor, town council and planning board, urging them to deny the application.
Another show of opposition came during a planning board meeting in January. Nearly 100 residents, environmental advocates, community members and municipal leaders showed up to voice their opposition to the project.
Environmental advocates continue to push back against the proposal.
Our Green West Orange, which has criticized the proposal in the past, encouraged residents to attend Wednesday’s meeting, calling it a “critical night for West Orange.”
According to the New Jersey Sierra Club, if the plan moves forward, it will cause more extreme flooding that will impact nearby residents.
“This development will bulldoze 30 acres of core forest in Essex County and threaten public safety at a time when climate change is already exacerbating natural disasters across New Jersey,” an organizer with the group previously said.
The project also continues to be opposed by We Care NJ, whose members helped to spearhead opposition to West Essex Highlands during its last incarnation. The group has shared project documents and updates on their website, and spearheaded a press conference to oppose the project last year.
LINKS
See supporting documents for the proposal at the links below:
200-POL--West-Orange200-POL--Essex-FellsArchitectural-Plans
April-5-2006-Planning-Board-ResolutionFebruary-2-2005-Planning-Board-Resolution
May-5-2005-Planning-Board-Resolution-Block-166-Lots-702-and-8
May-5-2005-Planning-Board-Resolution-Block-167-Lots-25-2501-30-3001-3002-3003-3004-3005
PB-24-01-West-Essex-Highlands-Inc---Application-and-Relevant-DocumentsGH-WEST-ESSEX---REVISED-ARCH-PB-SET-05-13-2024-1
WEH---Full-Civil-Set---Submission-2---- 5-13-24-SITE-PLANS
96-20-Agreement-WEHI-Fair-Share-Housing---Final----FE-7122096-20-WEHI-Fair-Share-Housing---Final----FE-71220
West-Essex-Highlands---West-Orange---Planner's-Report---- 6-30-2024
WEH---Full-Civil-Set---Submission-2---- 7-1-24
Revised-Stormwater-Management-Report
6-27-2024-Anderson-Memo-in-Response-to-CME-Review-Letter
West-Orange-WEHI-Environmental-preliminary-reportDeer-Fence-Design-Specifications-final
De-Minimis-Exception-Request-Letter-7-18-2024PB-24-01-West-Essex-Highlands---DEP-Application
Application-for-an-Extension-of-Letter-of-Interpretation-Line-VerificationResubmittal-of-Application-for-a-Flood-Hazard-Area-Indiviadual-PermitPROOF-OF-SERVICE-PACKAGE-TO-PLANNING-BOARD-WEST-ESSEX-HIGHLANDS-INC
PB-24-01---West-Essex-Highlands-LLC---Traffic-Review--1---2024.07.26CME-Associates---Review-2
Environmental-Commission-Report---Dated-07-29-24West-Essex-Highlands---Fire-Chief-8-1-2024Geotech-Report-02-12-2024
Geotech-Report-04-04-2024Geotech-Report-04-19-2021Geotech-Report-05-23-2023
TreeReportCompleteFile-Updated10.15.24Supplemental Report
O3-WEHI-Tree-Removal-Plan-2010
A1---Civil-Engineer-Exhibit-Dated-73024A2---Architect-Exhibit-Dated-73124
A3---Architect-Exhibit-Foundation-ExposureA4 - Exhibit - DEP Email
2025-01-14-West-Essex-Highlands-Development-Building-D-Slope-Stability-Study
Exhibit-O1-BoswellEngineering-Verona-Report
Exhibit-O2-Resolution-No-2024-150-Township-of-Verona
Exhibit-O4-West-Essex-Highlands-Affordable-Housing-Development-2023Exhibit-O5---2151002Princeton-Hydro-West-Essex-Stormwater-Comments-202401115
Exhibit-O7---West_Orange_Forest_Core_Map_2025_02_05O13 - West-Orange-DeVito-Slide-Presentation-32525
2151002Princeton-Hydro-West-Essex-Stormwater-Comments-to-Planning-Board-20250310
NJDEP-LOI-EXT-MOD-11-18-24NJDEP-LOI-EXT-11-15-24NJDEP-FWW-LOI-LV-12-27-19
Stormwater Management Report, Revised to 10-28-2024NOTICE-TO-PO-FINAL-HEARING-DATE-OF-4-30-25PROOF-OF-SERVICE-PACKAGE-PART-1
PROOF-OF-SERVICE-PACKAGE-PART-2
O14---Princeton-Hydro-PowerPoint-Widescreen-Template2025-06-18-WEH-Slope-Stability-Analysis-Letter-ReportCME-Associates---Review-3
De-Minimis-Exception-Request-Letter-6-30-2025O8---Wetland-drainage-area
O12---West-Orange-Butler-Presentation-April-2025O16---Goll_Geoff_CV
O17---West_Essex_Highlands_Geotech_Slope_Stability_Review_20250716O18---After-Heavy-Rains-Canoe-Brook-Flodding-12-18-25-date-of-videoO19---West-Essex-Highlands-Brush-Fire-Closes-Oval-Road
O20---VEC-R25-01_Preserve-West-Orange-120-AcresO15---Tractenberg-Highlands-map
O21---West-Essex-Highlands-Geotech-Slope-Stability-Model-Memo---20250812pdf
2025-08-15---WEH---SWM-CME-Memo
O22-A-Geospatial-Smart-Growth-Analysis-of-the-West-Essex-Highlands-ProjectO23-South-Orange-Environmental-Commission-Letter
024-Letter-from-WOEC---CopyO25-Resolution-from-WOEC
O26-Michelle-Byers---NJ-Environmental-Foundation-PresentationO27-Letter-from-Seth-Weisleder--8-25-25
O28-Litwornia-West-Essex-Highlands-Traffic-Report-82225-FINALO28A---Litowrnia-NJAC-powerpoint-82225
O29---Litwornia-West-Essex-Highlands-Water-Report-82225Langan-Rebuttal-Report-9-15-2025
A5-Companion-Exhibit-to-9-15-2025-Langan-ReportA6 - Easement-Agreement
A7(2)EasementAgreementLetter10-22-20252025-10-29---WEH---CME Traffic-Memo
O30---Princeton-Hydro-Report---Dated-9-3-25
O31---Email-from-Essex-Fells-Mayor-Dated-10-29-25
O32---Resolution-adopted-by-the-WOPB-on-November-9-1984
O33---Agreement-among-WO-Essex-Fells-West-Essex-Developers-and-the-Essex-Fells-Country-Club
O35---March-9-2006-Letter-from-Essex-Fells-Borough-Administrator-to-the-WO-Township
O37---Mr.-Kleinberg-Site-Plan-with-marking
WestEssexHighlands,LLC-SanitarySewerReview#1
O38-Email-from-Nov-13-2025-to-Dec-9-2025-between-Mr-Kleinberg-and-Mr-Seele
O39---Resolution-of-the-EC-Environmental-Commission---Dated-7-2-25
O40-ECBCC-Res-2025-01125---Amending-Res-2025-1040---Passed-10-22-25
O40-ECBCC-Res-2025-01040---In-Support-of-the-Preservation-of-the-ForestO41-Resolution-of-Approval-Verona-PB---Dated-9-25-80
O42-Verona-PB-Resolution-Approval---Dated-7-28-83
O43-Presentation-Created-Using-Google-Maps-and-with-Photos-Taken-by-Seth- Weisleder
Applicant-Response-letter-to-Diana-McGovern-Esq-dated-3-30-26
EXHIBIT-A-West-Essex-Highlands-IncEXHIBT-B-West-Essex-Highlands-Inc
Objector-WeCare-Response-dated-May-4-2026-to-Letter-of-Bryan-D-Plocker-Esq
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