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proposed 496-unit apartment complex on a pristine hilltop in West Orange, NJ has reignited local opposition. The development, spearheaded by billionaire Zygi Wilf's Garden Homes, would include 100 affordable housing units and amenities like a clubhouse and pool.

    The project is part of a decades-old land use battle in the town, which has faced pressure to comply with New Jersey's Mount Laurel Doctrine - a series of court rulings requiring municipalities to provide their fair share of affordable housing. The current plan stems from a 2020 settlement aimed at helping West Orange meet its affordable housing obligations.

    However, locals argue that the environmental and public safety risks associated with the project outweigh any benefits it may bring in terms of affordable housing. "Public safety and irreparable environmental harm trump, if you will, affordable housing," said Joseph Pannullo, president of grassroots group We Care NJ.

    The project has already cleared several regulatory hurdles, including receiving a stormwater permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. However, critics point to concerns over flooding, isolation from public transit, and limited emergency access on the hilly, forested site.

    Opposition is mounting, with the West Orange Environmental Commission asking for a delay in site plan review due to potential damage to state-protected wetlands and two tributaries of the Canoe Brook. A November report by environmental consulting firm Princeton Hydro also stated that the site plans did not comply with state stormwater regulations.

    Grassroots groups argue that the land, untouched and far from basic amenities, is unsuitable for development regardless of income level. "They're using affordable housing as a guise to push through a plan that has previously been deemed unsafe," said Rachel Klein, a local resident and We Care NJ member.

    The West Orange Planning Board is still reviewing site plans, with the next public hearing scheduled for Wednesday. For now, the mountaintop remains a flashpoint - caught between the urgent need for affordable housing and the equally pressing calls to preserve what locals see as one of the last untouched natural spaces in Essex County.