The fight over PSE&G’s next substation heads back to the Township Council next week. The township also starts drafting next year’s budget this week, the library picked the architect for its biggest renovation in decades, and Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s longtime home hit the market. Here’s the Montclair news worth catching up on.
PSE&G Substation Plan Heads Back to the Council Nov. 10
The fight over where Montclair’s next electrical substation goes is coming back to the Township Council. The public hearing on the Municipal Complex Redevelopment Plan is scheduled to return on Tuesday, Nov. 10, according to Township Manager Stephen Marks.
PSE&G says the substation at 60 Valley Road, built in 1925, needs replacing. It serves about 9,000 customers, including 21 schools. The utility says it considered nine sites. The one it’s leaning toward is the Municipal Complex at 205 Claremont Ave., where Town Hall stands today, in a dense block of homes and businesses.
The ordinance on the table would allow public utility use, among several other uses, on the property. On its own, it would not approve a substation, complete a land sale or authorize construction. Marks said he would be surprised if the council voted without first getting more of the information it has asked PSE&G for. Neighbors are still waiting for an explanation of why Claremont rose to the top of the list, and opposition has been showing up in letters to Montclair Local.
To weigh in, check the township’s Nov. 10 agenda for public comment instructions. The council meets at 205 Claremont Ave., and the meeting is livestreamed.
Montclair Starts Building Its 2027 Budget
Budget season starts at Town Hall this week. Under state law, Marks meets with each department head to hear what they want to spend next year and why. Today’s session covers public works, water and sewer, planning, finance, the police department, the municipal court and the township attorney.
The second round is next Monday, Nov. 9, starting at 9 a.m. It covers parking, the ice arena, recreation, the fire department, the manager’s office, housing services, rent control, health and human services and sustainability. You can watch in the second-floor conference room at 205 Claremont Ave. or live on YouTube, but there’s no public comment.
The requests made at these hearings feed the budget the council will later introduce, hold a public hearing on and adopt. That’s when residents get to weigh in. Last year, that happened in May and June.
Montclair Library Hires an Architect for Its $37.3 Million Renovation
The Montclair Public Library’s Board of Trustees has hired DIG Architecture to design the renovation of the Main Library on South Fullerton Avenue and the expansion of the Bellevue Avenue Branch, Library Director Radwa Ali announced. The firm was one of 21 that submitted proposals.
Most of the money comes from the state. In June, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority approved up to $36.6 million in Cultural Arts Facilities Expansion tax credits for the project. The township’s share is about $8 million, officials told Montclair Local. The plans include a teaching kitchen, an auditorium, art galleries and outdoor terraces at the Main Library, and the building’s historic stairwell will be restored.
The design isn’t set yet. Ali plans a series of community listening sessions, and residents can already send feedback through the library’s online form.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s Montclair Home Hits the Market
The house at 176 South Mountain Ave., where Sherrill and her husband, Jason Hedberg, raised their four children, was listed Oct. 29 for $3.49 million. The family moved to Drumthwacket, the governor’s official residence in Princeton, earlier this year.
Built in 1865, the house has six bedrooms, four fireplaces, an open kitchen and a great room with a cupola. It sits on about an acre with a lighted sports court. The New York Times describes it as a lavender Second Empire Victorian with a mansard roof in Montclair’s Estate Section.
The couple bought the house in 2010 for about $1.67 million, and the listing shows property taxes of about $66,642 a year. The listing agent is Katie Scandalios of The Stanton Company. In a statement, Sherrill and Hedberg said they have loved their time in Montclair and that Essex County will always feel like home.
